These days, tourists flock to visit and work in Dien Bien. People living on this historic land have the opportunity to share their feelings with domestic and international friends through festivals, exchanges, seminars... in many areas of cultural and social life. The whole country is looking towards Dien Bien, for a renewed and developed Dien Bien worthy of the stature of the Dien Bien Phu victory 70 years ago.
Dien Bien Phu City on the path of innovation. Photo: Mai Giap
New look on the old battlefield
Today, traveling along the lands from Tuan Giao district through Dien Bien Phu city, Dien Bien district... visitors to Dien Bien are deeply impressed by the green of trees and fruits, in the middle of the vast forest and on the streets the white color of Bauhinia flowers. The villages, hamlets and spacious urban areas are interspersed and obscure the traces of pain.
Visitors should remember to visit the villages and hamlets in the basin of Dien Bien district to listen to people tell stories about the first years after the liberation of Dien Bien, the peak period of 1959 - 1962, with the slogan "Taking the Northwest as homeland, taking the farm as family", Dien Bien soldiers returned to the battlefield, youth volunteers joined Dien Bien Farm... entering a new battle: reforming, restoring production, eliminating hunger and reducing poverty. Generations of cadres implemented "3 together" together, unanimously creating changes in the new homeland so that up to now, farmers have achieved results from large model fields, Dien Bien agricultural products have affirmed their value, and are reaching out to the market outside the province and internationally. People enthusiastically told stories about doing business with directions opened up from plans and orientations to exploit the potential and unique advantages of the province to attract investment; about the works and projects of corporations such as Vingroup, Sungroup, Deo Ca... that have been and are being implemented in the area.
Due to many reasons, many years after the victory, Dien Bien is still a poor province. According to statistics from the Provincial People's Committee, the current poverty rate is more than 26%, with an average annual decrease of 4.4% of poor households. However, objectively assessing, from the positive impact of many capital sources, especially from national target programs: New Rural Development, Sustainable Poverty Reduction, Socio-economic Development in Ethnic Minority Areas... the economic, cultural and social picture of Dien Bien is brightening. The former battlefield has undergone remarkable changes, which according to many village elders is a process from nothing to something; from loss and pain to peace and happiness. Today's achievements give people hope and dreams of Dien Bien's renewal and development in the near future.
Mr. Le Thanh Do, Chairman of Dien Bien Provincial People's Committee, assessed: Dien Bien has a progressive development year after year. In 2023, the province's economic growth rate is estimated at 7.1% (higher than the target set by the Provincial Party Congress Resolution), ranking 27th out of 63 provinces and cities and 4th out of 14 provinces in the Northern midland and mountainous region. The economic structure continues to shift in a positive direction, gradually creating a breakthrough in the spearhead of tourism and services... 2023 is also the first year that the province's tourism welcomes over 1 million visitors, with revenue from tourism activities estimated at 1,750 billion VND... Although far from Hanoi and major economic centers in the country, the road to Dien Bien has been connected by air and national highways that are being upgraded and renovated.
Realizing development aspirations
Dien Bien has an important geopolitical position: The only province that shares a border with China and Laos. There are air routes to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and the Government has allowed it to open international flights to a number of countries in the region such as Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar. In particular, Dien Bien is a historical land with the Dien Bien Phu victory "famous in five continents, shaking the world", where historical and cultural values are preserved through the process of migration, settlement and territorial protection of ethnic groups... This is a favorable condition for the province to connect spaces, opening up prospects for socio-economic development. The aspiration and vision for Dien Bien to innovate and develop to its full potential are set out in the planning of Dien Bien province for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050. The planning was announced on March 17, 2024 with the participation of Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha and leaders of a number of central and provincial ministries, branches. Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha assessed: Dien Bien is a special land so it will receive special attention and develop in a special direction.
Accordingly, Dien Bien is planned to develop according to the spatial structure model of 4 dynamic axes - 3 economic regions - 4 growth poles. By 2030, it will become a fairly developed province in the midland and mountainous region of the North; one of the tourism, service and medical centers of the region.
Provincial Party Secretary Tran Quoc Cuong affirmed: Dien Bien will actively implement the province's planning to establish a system of policy mechanisms and enhance competitiveness; focus on developing advantageous agricultural products according to key product groups; develop tourism into a spearhead economic sector based on three main pillars: historical and cultural tourism; eco-tourism, exploring natural landscapes and resort, entertainment and health care tourism.
The plan to organize socio-economic activities according to the spatial structure model has 4 dynamic axes including: the dynamic economic axis along National Highway 279, the Dien Bien - Son La - Hanoi expressway connected to Dien Bien Airport. This is an important dynamic axis of the whole region; a traffic route that creates strong and smooth connections between Dien Bien and the Northwestern provinces, the provinces in the Northern midland and mountainous region and to Laos through the Tay Trang and Huoi Puoc border gates. This economic axis is the driving force for economic development of the whole province, focusing on developing tourism, services, trade, commodity agriculture, processing industry, etc. The economic development axis along National Highway 12 is the axis connecting the northern region with the southern region of the province and connecting to Laos through the Tay Trang and Huoi Puoc border gates. This is a traffic route that is prioritized for investment to promote the advantages of Dien Bien Airport and strengthen connections with neighboring provinces. The economic development axis along National Highway 6 connects Muong Lay town with Tuan Giao district and the southeastern provinces and cities (Son La, Hoa Binh, Hanoi). The economic axis along National Highway 4H connects with the western region of the province and is an important traffic axis contributing to the development of tourism, trade and services, connecting with Muong Nhe Nature Reserve and A Pa Chai Border Gate to China.
Economic zones include: dynamic economic zones with diverse development sectors; zones focusing on developing agriculture, forestry, processing industry, tourism and zones of agriculture, forestry, fisheries, tourism and trade and services.
The four growth poles include: Dien Bien Phu City - the administrative, political, economic center... of the province will focus on building it into a historical, cultural and tourist urban area; strongly developing international transit transportation linked to Tay Trang and Huoi Puoc border gates and the Vientiane (Laos) - Dien Bien Phu - Kunming (China) economic axis. Muong Lay town will develop into an eco-tourism center with accommodation facilities and tourism products associated with indigenous culture. Tuan Giao town will develop into an industrial, service and commercial center of the eastern gateway of the province; attracting investment in building industrial clusters to promote regional economic development. Muong Nhe town will focus on developing agriculture - forestry, eco-tourism, especially trade - services through border gates.
Specific mechanisms, policies and plans will be linked to the overall plans and planning of the whole country to create motivations and opportunities for Dien Bien to develop quickly and sustainably.
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