(HBO) – These days, whenever watching TV programmes featuring activities to celebrate the Vietnam-Laos Friendship and Solidarity Year 2017, Ha Van Tuan, former Chairman of the People’s Committee of Mai Chau district, Hoa Binh province, is always filled with sentiments that is difficult to describe with words. Only those who visited the nation of Champa flower can understand these feelings when hearing the names of destinations and people of the country.
Meeting Tuan in a morning in July in Mai Chau town,
Mai Chau district, and listening to his stories, we know that his days in
Laos have
become sacred and priceless memories.
A brocade with That Luang tower embroidery - the
symbol of
Laoshas been preserved by Ha Van Tuan.
In late 1983, Tuan was surprised with delight to be
sent from Mai Chau Agriculture Office to the provincial Committee for
Economic-Cultural Cooperation with
Laos. He was dispatched to Luang
Phrabang to help the province build a pilot agricultural cooperative and
develop high productivity rice varieties. This was part of the economic and
cultural affilication programmes of the two twinned provinces of former Ha Son
Binh province and Luang Phrabang of
Laos.
He was a little nervous when arriving in the country
with strange geographic names, such as the Tay Trang border gate, Nam Bac, Nam
U, and Mekong River, but he became confident with his fluent Thai language. His
team included some leaders of the district, officials of Van Mai commune’s
agricultural cooperative as well as construction and architecture companies.
At that time,
Vietnamwas on a subsidy period with many difficulties, but the living conditions in
Laos were even
more difficult. Locals in the country faced many problems, especially low literacy
and the spreading of malaria, along with poor infrastructure system and tough
roads.
Sharing difficulties facing locals, Tuan and other
members of the working group were resolved to make all-out efforts in order to
help them practically. The first job was to understand local geography as well
as cultivation and production conditions in the locality. Thanks to support of
Lao friends, the working group had many chances to visit hamlets and districts
in Luang Prabang to learn about locals’ farming methods. They, therefore,
proposed using only organic fertilizers, not using or using a small amount of
chemical fertilizers, aiming to generate productivity equal or higher than the
traditional farming methods which used a lot of chemical fertilizers. The proposals
were agreed by their superiors. They helped agricultural officials in Luang
Prabang conduct experiments on rice varieties in order to select suitable
varieties to plant in the locality. With the passion, Tuan rode a bicycle to
the Pak-Suong centre of rice varieties to work together with local agricultural
officials to create new rice varieties. His efforts paid off as productivity
was improved and local agricultural officials and farmers got used to the
advanced farming methods. Tuan collected a lot of memories after the three-year
working trip, from travelling hundreds of km to the experimental centre to
conversations with farmers in Na Sang, Khoi and Pong Van hamlets in Sang Kha
Loc commune to exchange farming experience, or with Lao friends such as Bun
Thin, Hum Phenh, Lot-vi Say, Phu Ma and Kham Keo.
After the re-establishment of Hoa Binh province, Tuan had a chance to
return
Vientianeand Luang Prabang. He was delighted to see changes in UNESCO-recognised Luang
Prabang city and meet with his Lao friends. The city has maintained its
hospitality and lifestyle in the 1980s, which has made it become more beautiful
and memorable. Tuan and other officials of former Ha Son Binh province
contributed to developing the twining relationship between Ha Son Binh and
Luang Prabang provinces as well as between
Vietnamand
Laosin general.
Bui Huy
In late March, 29 labourers from Da Bac district were sent to work as seasonal farm workers in Buyeo county, Chungcheongnam province, the Republic of Korea (RoK). Upon arrival, they quickly settled into their jobs, enjoying good working conditions and benefits, with wages aligned with the terms of their signed contracts. The programme is now being expanded, with relevant departments and sectors actively seeking additional seasonal employment opportunities in various localities across the RoK.
Luong Son Industrial Park has invested in standardised wastewater and emissions treatment systems, enforced tight emission controls, reduced noise, dust, and solid waste, and expanded green spaces, contributing to protecting the environment and promoting sustainable development.
Hoa Binh police are collecting public feedback on amendments to the 2013 Constitution via the national identification app VNeID. This innovative approach marks a giant leap towards modernising grassroots democracy and enhancing transparency in public consultation.
A total public investment capital of 113 billion VND (over 4.3 million USD) was disbursed for a project to upgrade infrastructure and stabilise residents in the vicinity of the Da River reservoir between 2021 and the first quarter of 2025, giving a facelift to local rural areas and improving the quality of people's life.
Since the end of 2023-2024 academic year, Cu Yen Primary and Secondary School in Luong Son district has deployed e-study records for all of its 500 primary students, said the school principal Nguyen Thi Tuyen.
The Labour Federation of Hoa Binh city has actively worked to protect the rights and welfare of nearly 8,000 local workers and union members at 152 grassroots unions. Through regular dialogues, education campaigns, and welfare programmes, the federation has helped foster stable, progressive labour relations.
