Connecting 3 young cities with one development aspiration

Among the localities in the North Central region, there are few areas that have many favorable conditions for economic development like Vinh Linh district, Quang Tri province. In the North, the district borders the plains of Kim Thuy, Sen Thuy, Ngu Thuy communes, Quang Binh province; in the South, it borders the fertile countryside of Gio Linh district; in the West, it borders the mountains of Huong Hoa district; in the East, it borders the Gulf of Tonkin from Mach Nuoc to Mui Lay and the East Sea from Mui Lay to Cua Tung. From this diverse terrain, Vinh Linh has formed 3 key economic zones associated with 3 dynamic urban areas of the district. It is expected that all 3 dynamic urban areas of Vinh Linh are facing connectivity, space expansion and many development opportunities in the near future.

Vinh Linh: Connecting 3 young cities with a desire for development

Ho Xa town center, Vinh Linh district - Photo: D.T

Development orientation

In recent years, thanks to the focused and key investment, the planning, construction, management and urban development in Vinh Linh district have achieved many very important results. Up to now, the whole district has 3 urban areas (Ho Xa town, Cua Tung town, Ben Quan town) with an area of 2,205 hectares, accounting for 3.55% of the total natural area, a population of 25,820 people, accounting for 29.20% of the total population of the whole district, the urbanization rate is 29.20%.

In all three urban areas, urban space has been gradually expanded; technical infrastructure has been given priority for investment in an increasingly synchronous direction in terms of roads, electricity, clean water and telecommunications; socio-economic infrastructure has been focused on and upgraded in an increasingly effective direction, serving well the development goals and improving the quality of life of urban residents.

Initially, growth poles have been formed in 3 regions (plain, coastal, mountainous) with Ho Xa town playing the role of political, economic and cultural center; Cua Tung town playing the role of driving force in socio-economic development in the East and Ben Quan town playing the role of driving force in socio-economic development in the West of the district.

Talking to us, Vice Chairman of Vinh Linh District People's Committee Nguyen Anh Tuan said that the planning orientation for Ho Xa town is to develop and expand the space mainly along National Highway 1 and the area north of the existing town. Expand urban space in low-lying fields along National Highway 1 and the area northeast of the town to exploit land funds to serve urbanization needs. Expand the town to Vinh Tu, Vinh Long, Trung Nam, Vinh Hoa communes. Form the town's commercial axis along National Highway 1 and connect Pham Van Dong street, Ho Xa town with the coastal road.

Exploiting the landscape along Ho Xa river to create green park space, ecological park. Prioritizing urban population development, completing infrastructure of Tay Bac Ho Xa Industrial Park, calling for businesses to invest in the industrial park to attract workers, expanding administrative boundaries to the Northwest and East of the town.

Strive to have an urban population of over 16,000 people by 2030, a population density of 6,000 people/km2, and a non-agricultural labor force meeting the criteria of a type IV urban area. Invest in the construction and completion of the central cultural house, the new residential area of Ward 5, the residential area southwest of National Highway 1, the Vietnam-Laos Trade Center before 2025, the Bau Dung Ecological Service Area in Ward 4; the landscape axis system along the Ho Xa River to National Highway 9D Dien Vinh Long Bridge. Build civilized urban streets on Le Duan, Hung Vuong, Tran Phu, Tran Hung Dao, Huyen Tran Cong Chua streets...

Vinh Linh: Connecting 3 young cities with a desire for development

Bustling Cua Tung fishing port, Vinh Linh district - Photo: D.T

Planning orientation for Cua Tung town is towards an urban area with the function of a coastal tourism service center in the eastern part of the district, focusing on developing trade, services, industrial clusters and coastal craft products as a driving force for regional economic development. Development direction of coastal space from Mui Si area to Cua Tung port. Strive to complete the criteria of a type V urban area by 2030. Implement projects in the town center area, build a coastal landscape axis for tourism.

Planning orientation for Ben Quan town is towards a comprehensive economic urban area combined with eco-tourism development; towards developing services and trade on Ho Chi Minh road, North-South expressway, and western industrial cluster. The main urban axis is parallel to Ho Chi Minh road. Invest in synchronous infrastructure, combined with green parks and eco-tourism areas. Establish 30-hectare Tay Vinh Linh industrial clusters, strive to complete infrastructure construction before 2025. Strive to build Ben Quan urban area to basically complete the criteria of a type V urban area by 2025, aiming to complete the criteria of a type V urban area by 2030.

Reality and expectations

Surely anyone interested in the land at the border bridge knows that, during more than 20 years of resistance against the US to save the country, countless times, the "heart" town of Vinh Linh special zone, Ho Xa, was leveled by enemy bombs. But with the determination that "when the enemy destroys, we will build", right from the 60s of the 20th century, poet Che Lan Vien once visited Ho Xa and recorded sparkling images of everyday life through his memoir: "The diamond at the border", expressing the calmness and confidence of a young city before the enemy's bombs and bullets: "Loudspeakers at the intersections. Couples riding bicycles. Restaurants, bowls of porridge with fragrant onion smell. Young girls wearing camouflage leaves on their backs, carrying guns to the battlefield while eating grilled corn... Everything happened in the electric light at this time, so warm. It turns out that we are different from before, much older than the old days of the resistance war. How much we loved those years, we had to preserve ourselves, hide ourselves like a fetus in the mother's womb. How proud we are that ten years of building socialism have given us the stature we have today...".

Regarding the Eastern urban area, journalist Ngo Nguyen Phuoc, a son of Vinh Linh, once wrote evocative sentences inviting tourists to return to his hometown: “The legendary Cua Tung has not yet closed, but a real Cua Tung has opened, without the need for the pomp and makeup of the capital, but with a perfect resort, with a charming beach, with a warm and cool sea, Cua Tung has been and is the expectation of passionate hearts. Come to the real Cua Tung today to join your soulmates in finding an ancient legendary Cua Tung with many mysteries hidden deep underground, in the sea...”.

The late journalist Le Nguyen Hong was also right when he said that the potential of this land in the West of Vinh Linh is the desire of many places. Rubber trees, forestry trees, and large-scale livestock farming are the strengths of Ben Quan town. When people understood that, the residents here entered the habit of doing business according to the mindset of the market mechanism, because this place is home to many children from many rural areas in the country who come to Quyet Thang State Farm. They fought and produced during the fierce war years, then made a living, and stuck to it steadfastly. They understand this countryside better than anyone else. And they themselves built their lives from the land, from the ruins of war, they know what to do to change their lives.

Ho Chi Minh Road passing through has made Ben Quan town closer to everyone. From National Highway 1, follow Provincial Road 7 to reach Ben Quan town. If coming from the North or from the South, wanting to reach Ben Quan town, just follow Ho Chi Minh Road. This advantage will be a great potential of the town in trade and tourism, not easily available everywhere.

Coming to Ben Quan town in the morning, people will clearly see the misty night mist remaining on the villages, reminiscent of the remote villages in a mountainous province in the North. The pure beauty of the mountainous region makes the town even more poetic and charming. Watching the town in the afternoon, listening to the echoes of cars and motorbikes in the hamlets, along with the voices and laughter in the hills, people feel the bustle of an urban picture opening up new joys. Ben Quan town is promising changes, long movements in the future. That is a reality that is cherished in people's thinking, in the passionate, passionate scent of the land - like happiness that is increasingly passionate and fresh...

From development orientation to vivid reality, it has to go through a long journey of efforts and implementation. However, the expansion of space and connection of 3 young urban areas and 3 key economic regions in Vinh Linh have almost clearly seen the roadmap from the positive starting steps. Believe that good things will come to Vinh Linh right in the new spring of 2024, the spring marking the milestone of the land at the beginning of the border 70 years from the "steel rampart" with many miracles in fighting the enemy, defending the country, is turning into a radiant "flower rampart" on the way to prosperity, happiness, strength and wealth...

Dao Tam Thanh

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