Bac Ninh: Plains and mountains spread their wings

New impetus for development

History has witnessed that Bac Ninh and Bac Giang merged into Ha Bac province from 1962 to 1996. In 1963, President Ho Chi Minh attended and spoke at the first Ha Bac Provincial Party Congress, held in Bac Giang town on October 17, 1963. He advised: “Today, the two provinces have just merged into one. Party members and cadres of the two provinces must absolutely avoid localism. We should not think that this province is merged into the other. The truth is that the two provinces merged into one large province of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. That is a good expansion. The organizational merger is a formality. We need to be unified in ideology, action, and sentiment.”

Workers work on the production line at Bao Sen Vietnam Company Limited (Song Khe - Noi Hoang Industrial Park). Photo: Doan Anh Tuan.

On July 1, 2025, once again, the two provinces of Bac Ninh and Bac Giang were reunited, the teachings of President Ho Chi Minh echoed, leading the new Bac Ninh province to "spread its wings" towards the future. The reunification of the province is a symbol of the harmonious combination of two lands, two economies and two cultures to accelerate development to become the first centrally-governed city in the country after operating a two-level local government apparatus.

Since 1997, after separation, both provinces have achieved remarkable achievements. Bac Ninh has become an industrial center with great foreign investment attraction, while Bac Giang has grown strongly, its economic growth rate in recent years has always been among the top in the country, becoming an industrial province, at the same time having a solid agricultural foundation, with great potential for tourism and culture.

The new Bac Ninh province has an area of over 4,700 km², a population of over 3.6 million people and 99 commune-level administrative units. The administrative center is located in Bac Giang city, not only because of its favorable geographical location, but also because of its existing infrastructure, including modern administrative buildings. With a high consensus from the people (over 98% of voters support), the new province is being built on the foundation of solidarity and determination.

The foundation of resilience

Bac Ninh province, formerly small in area, with a large population and strong industrial development, now combines with Bac Giang, with a larger area, rich natural resources and potential for tourism and agriculture. This combination creates a diverse, balanced economy, capable of attracting greater investment.

Fruit growing area in Phuong Son ward. Photo by Viet Hung.

The old Bac Ninh leads the country in attracting FDI with nearly 5 billion USD in 2024, while the old Bac Giang reaches 2.04 billion USD, ranking 10th. This combination will create an industrial center, a new growth pole for the Capital Region and the Northern Key Economic Region.

The old Bac Ninh province is strategically located, the gateway to Hanoi and in the economic triangle of Hanoi - Hai Phong - Quang Ninh. The old Bac Giang province has a convenient traffic location, connecting with key traffic routes such as Hanoi - Lang Son expressway, Ring Road 4 and international border gates in the North. In 2024, Bac Ninh province has a total state budget revenue of more than 33 trillion VND, the scale of the GRDP economy is estimated at more than 221 trillion VND. Along with that, Bac Giang province's budget revenue is nearly 20 trillion VND, the scale of the economy is estimated at more than 218 trillion VND in 2024.

After the merger, Bac Ninh province has become an economic entity with a GRDP of over 439 trillion VND, the 5th largest economic province in the country, after Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Hai Phong and Dong Nai. This is the premise and strong foundation for Bac Ninh to become an economic-urban center, capable of strong connectivity and development.

Like many other provinces and cities, through the work of streamlining the apparatus of the two provinces of Bac Ninh and Bac Giang (old), many examples of party members who are willing to "retreat" from their positions, sacrificing their egos and personal interests for the common development have shone. Especially comrades holding key positions in agencies and units but not having enough time to be reappointed. These are comrades who have affirmed their leadership roles and are in the process of strongly promoting their capacity in work but are still happy to resign when the organization needs them. Speaking at the ceremony to announce the establishment of the new Bac Ninh province on June 30, 2025, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee Nguyen Van Gau affirmed: "We are confident because we have the strong support of over 3.6 million Bac Ninh people who are always full of determination, together with the Party Committees and authorities at all levels, to make our homeland Bac Ninh increasingly prosperous, strong and civilized".

Reducing the number of administrative units from two provinces to one province not only reduces costs, but also enhances coordination, minimizes duplication and improves management efficiency. This is especially important in the context of administrative reform to build a streamlined, effective and efficient state. After the merger, Bac Ninh province has only reduced 80 commune-level administrative units, a reduction rate of 66.11%, creating conditions for more effective management.

The door opens to the future

Construction of Gia Binh airport, a national key project, is one of the doors opening up the development potential of the new Bac Ninh province. The project is not only of economic significance, but also of security and defense importance, contributing to enhancing the position of Bac Ninh in the Red River Delta. The project has a rapid implementation progress, has completed site clearance phase 1 early and started construction on schedule. Phase 2 is being studied to upgrade to an international airport, supporting the reduction of the load on Noi Bai airport. By 2050, Gia Binh International Airport is planned to meet the capacity of about 3 million passengers/year and 1 million tons of cargo/year. The airport will operate B777, B787, A350, A321 aircraft and other special and special-purpose aircraft. Gia Binh Airport is not only an infrastructure project but also opens the door to comprehensive development.

In 2024, Bac Ninh province will have a total state budget revenue of more than 33 trillion VND, the economic scale of GRDP is estimated at more than 221 trillion VND; Bac Giang province will have a budget revenue of nearly 20 trillion VND, the economic scale is estimated at more than 218 trillion VND. After the merger, Bac Ninh province will become an economic entity with GRDP of more than 439 trillion VND, the province with the 5th largest economic scale in the country, after Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Hai Phong and Dong Nai.

Right from the first meeting of the new Bac Ninh Provincial People's Committee, Comrade Vuong Quoc Tuan, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, directed relevant units to urgently start adjusting the provincial planning with projects to build a transport system connecting Gia Binh airport with Hanoi, Hai Phong and logistics centers that will create a modern industrial ecosystem; planning the new administrative center urban area towards building Bac Ninh into a green, smart, modern, livable city, bearing the cultural identity of Bac Ninh - Kinh Bac, harmoniously combining tradition and modernity. Vision to 2050, the new Bac Ninh will be among the top localities in the country in terms of economic scale, becoming a leading high-tech industrial center, research and development, and smart manufacturing center in Asia and the world.

The merger of Bac Ninh and Bac Giang into the new Bac Ninh province is opening a new chapter for the development of the Red River Delta. With the combination of plains and mountains, the new Bac Ninh province is ready to "spread its wings" to become a leading economic, cultural and urban center of the country.

Dang Giang

Source: https://baobacninhtv.vn/bac-ninh-dong-bang-mien-nui-chap-canh-vuon-minh-postid422324.bbg