New village on farmland

Mr. Pham Hai Duong started a rice milling service to increase his family's income.

Going back in history, four years after the historic victory at Dien Bien Phu, by decision of the General Staff, on May 8, 1958, Regiment 176 held the inauguration ceremony of the Dien Bien Phu Military Farm, comprising 1,954 officers and soldiers. Each company of the Regiment was a production unit of the Farm, interspersed among the communes and villages in the Dien Bien Phu basin area, and two companies were stationed in the Muong Ang area. The production units of the Farm were still called C. The Farm's nhiệm vụ was to train, be ready for combat, clear bombs and mines, reclaim and improve fields to develop production, and guide ethnic minorities in developing production and stabilizing their lives. In 1960, the Farm was officially renamed the Dien Bien Phu State-owned Farm. With the slogan "Take the Northwest as our homeland, take the Dien Bien Phu Farm as our family," the Dien Bien Phu soldiers returned to the battlefield along with the youth volunteer force to participate in the Dien Bien Phu Farm, entering a new battle: overcoming the war, restoring production, and eradicating hunger and poverty.

Leading us on a tour around the village, along the concrete road stretching alongside the lush green fields, Ms. Le Thi Phuong, Secretary of the Party Branch of C9 village, Thanh Xuong commune (Dien Bien district), said: "Most of the residents of C9 village are soldiers who participated in the resistance war against the French and stayed behind, bringing their wives and children from the lowlands to live and build the agricultural farm. When they moved to the farm, they planted rice and vegetables, and then the next generation, our children and grandchildren, continued to uphold the spirit of the previous generation, working together to build C9 village into a better place. The people in the village are united in labor and production, developing the economy , gradually stabilizing their lives, many families are well-off, infrastructure has been invested in and built, rural roads have been concreted, and houses have been built in a spacious and modern style."

Former Dien Bien Phu soldier Hoang Van Kha recounts the process of building the Dien Bien Phu State Farm to his descendants.

As a soldier who participated in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, after the victory, Dien Bien Phu veteran Hoang Van Kha (born in 1932) and his wife and children stayed behind to build the farm, driving tractors and plows, and improving the fields to develop production. Dien Bien Phu veteran Hoang Van Kha shared: "Back then, I was a soldier in the 316th Division, participating in logistics work, serving the battlefield. After our army won the victory, I stayed at C9 to build the farm. When we started building, this place was all swampy land, difficult to get around, and we had to use bulldozers to level the ground to create roads. Now, the village has changed a lot, the houses are spacious, the village roads and alleys are paved with concrete, and there is a cultural center where people can participate in sports, arts, and activities. These are changes I never imagined before."

Mr. Hoang Van Dong, son of Dien Bien Phu soldier Hoang Van Kha, from Hamlet C9, Thanh Xuong Commune, shared: "We are proud to have our father participate in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign and in building the farm. Although he is 95 years old this year, he is still lucid, telling stories of fighting and building the farm to our generation of children and grandchildren to learn from. He always reminds us to actively work in production and develop our family's economy. Not only developing the economy, I also participate in village work, serving as the Head of Hamlet C9 from 2006 to 2013 and the Head of the Veterans' Association. Having been born and raised here, I have witnessed the significant changes in the village; the roads are now paved with concrete right to the doorstep of every family, and the material and spiritual lives of the people have improved considerably."

The main roads and inter-village roads of C9 have been concreted.

Village C9 in Thanh Xuong commune has 141 households and over 500 inhabitants. Visiting Village C9 today reveals a prosperous rural landscape with no impoverished households, an average per capita income of 42 million VND per year, 100% of the village roads paved with concrete, street lighting, a green, clean, and beautiful environment, and consistently high security and order, free from petty theft. In 2020, Village C9 was recognized by the Dien Bien District People's Committee as a model new rural village. The villagers are united in supporting each other to develop their economy and stabilize their lives. Many households have boldly invested and become successful producers and business owners in the commune. A prime example is the family of Mr. Pham Hai Duong, who, in addition to rice farming, also runs a rice milling service and poultry farming.

Mr. Pham Hai Duong, from Hamlet C9, Thanh Xuong Commune, said: "My father was a soldier at Dien Bien Phu, participating in the Battle of Hill A1 during the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, and he was also the Party Secretary of Hamlet C9. My father always advised me to uphold the traditions of the children of agricultural farm officials and strive to build our homeland. Therefore, after retiring, I opened a rice milling service, combined with cultivating 3,000 ^{square meters} of rice and vegetables, and raising chickens, bringing a stable income of 7-10 million VND per month to my family. In building model hamlets, my family has always been a pioneer and role model, leading the way and contributing labor and resources to the hamlet's development."

Today, C9 has undergone a transformation, with the lives of its people significantly improved both materially and spiritually. This change is due to the unity and solidarity of the people in economic development, poverty reduction, and building an increasingly prosperous and beautiful C9.

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