The indomitable countryside on Dien Ban land

Historical site of Chuong Duong market event. Photo: CONG TU

Don't forget the past

Chuong Duong market in Tu Phu village (now Phu Dong hamlet, Dien Quang commune) during the French colonial period was a crowded trading place due to convenient waterway transportation and being a free zone.

There were also many people from Dai Loc, Hoa Vang, Duy Xuyen, Quang Ngai, Phan Thiet (Binh Thuan) who traded at the market. On the morning of September 22, 1947, while the market was crowded, the French sent fighter planes to bombard it, killing more than 300 civilians.

Recalling painful memories of the past, party member Ngo Tri (Phi Phu village, now Ben Den hamlet) said that in 1947 he was just over 7 years old, and stayed in his hometown with his family.

That morning, a plane dropped a bomb right at Chuong Duong market, less than 100 meters from his house. After the situation calmed down, villagers rushed to see the tragic scene. Among the dead was his grandmother.

Provincial historical site of the Phi Phu massacre. Photo: CONG TU

Nearly 20 years later, still in Dien Quang, on the morning of July 12, 1966, the American invaders and their vassals murdered 30 innocent people in Phi Phu village. Meanwhile, in the East Dien Ban area, on January 24, Mau Than year (1968), in Tay hamlet, Ha My village (now Ha My Trung block, Dien Duong ward), soldiers of the Blue Dragon Brigade (South Korea) committed a mass massacre of 135 people...

After the liberation day (March 29, 1975), at the places where the massacre occurred, the Party Committee, government and people of Dien Ban erected memorial steles to commemorate the deceased.

The massacre sites of Chuong Duong, Phi Phu and Ha My markets have been recognized as provincial historical relics, reminding present and future generations of a time of bloodshed for peace today.

Looking to the future

Entering peacetime, the people of Phu Dong village, Ben Den village and Ha My Trung block with their tradition of uprising, strong will, diligence and creativity overcame difficulties, organized land reclamation, overcame the consequences of war, boosted production and stabilized life.

Village gate to Phu Dong village. Photo: CONG TU

In Ben Den village, people are taking the lead in moving barns to fields far from residential areas to raise cows, while ensuring environmental hygiene.

Showing foresight, right after the liberation day, the locality planned village roads and alleys in a chessboard pattern. Currently, the solid roads have been widened to 6 - 7m. In 2017, Ben Den was recognized as a "Model New Rural Residential Area", the first village in Dien Ban to meet the standards.

Coming to Phu Dong village, people have strongly implemented land consolidation and plot exchange, building large-scale model fields. The village also takes advantage of the hydroelectric power to irrigate fertile land (covering over 95% of the area) to irrigate crops, implementing "intercropping - crop rotation - crop overlap" so that crop productivity is always very high, about 100 million VND/ha/year. The village has installed 20 security cameras connected to the server of the Commune Police, arranged at intersections on main roads.

Adorning the straight roads through Phu Dong village are rows of green Lagerstroemia trees or blooming bougainvillea branches that are taken care of by the branches and people's self-management groups. To have a road with flowers blooming all year round, the People's Committee and organizations have launched a model of building a "New Rural Nursery" to provide a source of flower seedlings.

Expressing his excitement, Mr. Ngo Tri shared: “Today, people's lives are prosperous and fulfilling. The roads are spacious, the trees are shady, and the countryside is peaceful.”

A corner of Ha My Trung street today. Photo: CONG TU

In Dien Duong ward, the urbanization rate is fast, including Ha My Trung block. The shift of agricultural labor to trade, service, industrial workers, small-scale industry... is quite clear.

People's lives are increasingly improved; houses are built solidly and spaciously. The block no longer has poor or near-poor households according to multidimensional standards.

Ha My Trung has been recognized as a "Cultural Block" for 11 consecutive years. The locality has always implemented well the policies for war invalids, families of martyrs, and people with revolutionary contributions; actively reviewed and evaluated proposals for enjoying the prescribed policies for people with meritorious services and social protection beneficiaries, contributing to ensuring social security.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/nhung-mien-que-bat-khuat-tren-manh-dat-dien-ban-3152001.html