(HBO) – Away from the urban hustle, Tan Lac district in the northern mountainous province of Hoa Binh is still moving forwards on the path of reform and development. That is my own thought about the land and Muong ethnic minority people here.
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A road in Chieng village, Lo Son commune - one of the
poorest communes of Tan Lac district - has been concreted to meet people's travel
need.
The though
came to me when I returned to Dich Giao, the first in Tan Lac district recognised
as a new-style rural commune, travelling on wide rural roads and crossing new schools
with full of students’ laughter.
Dich Giao was previously
known as a commune with low living conditions. Local people’s per capita income
was around 12 million VND and poor families accounted for 26 percent of the total
households in 2011.
How could such
a poor commune earn new-style rural area status four years later? Chairman of
the People’s Committee Bui Van Dinh said the determination and consensus of the
commune’s Party Organization, administration and people were the impetus behind
the success.
Residents in Dich Giao donated more than 50,000 sqm of
land for new-style rural projects as they were well aware that the new-style
rural building would lay a foundation for socio-economic development and
improving their living standards. They did not wait for support from the
government but playing an active role in the work.
The commune has set targets of maintaining and improving
19 national requirements for a new-style rural area between 2016 and 2020;
increasing per capita income to 44.2 million VND; reducing the poverty rate to
2 percent; raising the rate of trained workers to 55 percent; having 90 percent
of its population covered by health insurance and all households get access to
clean water.
Meanwhile, Quyet Chien commune is home to 360
households with over 1,640 residents but it has only
372 hectares of
farming land, including
90
hectares of rice and over
150 hectares of maize.
Most of its people are living in difficult circumstances.
The commune has taken advantages of its advantages in terms
of soil and climate to grow chayote for sale, thus help local famers improve
their living conditions.
With assistance from the Good Neighbours International
(GNI) of the
Republic of
Korea, in August last
year, local farmers zoned off 2,200 sq.m for growing clean vegetables and
fruits. The success of the project has encouraged the commune to come up with a
long-term project for off-season vegetable production by 2020. It will be a new
opportunity for Quyet Chien to develop clean agriculture and improve incomes
for local people.
Vice Chairman of the district’s People’s
Committee Bui Van Nho said the living conditions of people in 23 communes and
towns of the district may still vary but they have been improved remarkably.
On February 12th (i.e. Lunar January 15), the People's Committee of Hop Tien commune, Kim Boi district organized the Festival of Sim Pagoda Festival in At Ty Spring, 2025. The festival welcomed many people and tourists to visit the pagoda and enjoy the scenery.
The palanquin procession to Sim Pagoda.
As Hoa Binh province is set to host 115 spring festivals, local departments, sectors and localities are joining hands to ensure safety for the events.
In many major cultural events in Hanoi, the sound of the Muong people's gongs has become a special tone, contributing to the unique harmony that praises the cultural values accumulated over thousands of years along with the sacred soul of the capital city.
On the first day back to work and school after the Lunar New Year holiday, thousands of female officials, civil servants, and students from grade nine and above in Lac Son district proudly wore the traditional Muong attire. The vibrant brocade patterns created a striking cultural display, reinforcing the community's commitment to preserving and promoting their heritage.
The provincial-level Khai Ha festival 2025 of the Muong ethnic minority group took place at Phong Phu commune’s stadium in Tan Lac district of Hoa Binh province on the morning of February 5 (the 8th day of the first lunar month of the Year of the Snake).
"Xuong Dong” (going to the field) festival opened in Yen Phu commune of Hoa Binh’s Lac Son district on February 5, or the eighth day of the Year of the Snake, drawing thousands of locals and visitors to partake in a variety of activities.