The Party has given us spring.

Hac Thanh Ward - the urban heart of Thanh Hoa province.

"Forward! The times urge us on!"

Spring is inherently an endless "biological rhythm" of nature. However, as if by some miraculous arrangement, spring has a special "connection" with the Vietnamese people. In other words, the nation's history is always at its most glorious in its spring chapters.

It has been argued that Vietnamese history has gone through great periods of restoration, most notably the restoration associated with the Ngo Dynasty and the glorious Battle of Bach Dang, which ended a thousand years of Chinese domination. Then came the restoration under Emperor Le Thai To, which ended decades of national suffering under the brutal fire of the Ming invaders. And the great restoration that liberated the nation from nearly a century of slavery, followed by another 30 years of protracted struggle against the French and Americans to regain complete independence. This restoration is closely linked to the great figure of Ho Chi Minh and the birth of the Communist Party of Vietnam . Remarkably, each of these historical turning points began in spring – the season when seeds of achievement are sown and great aspirations are nurtured.

However, to reach the spring of lofty aspirations, driven by intense determination, our nation had to endure countless harsh springs of war and natural disasters, constantly facing the question of survival. Nearly a century of national subjugation under the iron heel of colonialism brought about earth-shattering changes to Vietnamese society. Behind the facade of "civilizing" offered by the French colonialists lay a society where "character was increasingly corrupt, customs increasingly rotten, outwardly gilded but inwardly ignorant, civilization nowhere to be seen, only barbarism growing." Amidst this context, numerous "experiments" with the methods and strategies of struggle, from the Can Vuong movement, the Duy Tan movement, the Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc movement to the Yen Bai uprising... all failed. This historical test completely eliminated the feudal and bourgeois banners and demanded a new path of struggle, guided by progressive ideology that resonated with the people.

Faced with the great questions of history, after 30 years of wandering, leader Nguyen Ai Quoc found the path to national salvation: the path of proletarian revolution. From there, he propelled the wheels of the nation's destiny forward under the light of the most genuine, scientific, and correct ideology: Marxism-Leninism. Then, after a period of political , ideological, and organizational preparation, on February 3, 1930, leader Nguyen Ai Quoc convened the founding conference of the Communist Party of Vietnam (in Hong Kong, China). It can be affirmed that the birth of the Communist Party of Vietnam was an inevitability, an objective demand of history. The Party's birth ended the prolonged leadership crisis of the national liberation movement, guiding the Vietnamese revolution along the trajectory of the proletarian revolution. And so, the spring of 1930 went down in national history as a glorious milestone, a decisive event that marked the leaps forward in our nation's development and ushered in the Ho Chi Minh era of Vietnamese miracles.

"The road to happiness stretches to the red horizon."

From the spring of Canh Ngo 1930 when our Party was founded until the spring of Binh Ngo 2026, the Party celebrates its 96th spring – a spring of wisdom, courage, and seasoned experience, forged in the blood and fire of war and also in the sweat and tears of the years of national renewal.

The birth of our Party has written the most glorious chapters in the history of our nation: from the August Revolution of 1945; to the miraculous "Nine years of struggle for Dien Bien Phu/Creating a glorious chapter in history" and the spring of national reunification in 1975. However, achieving independence was difficult, but protecting that independence was even more challenging. Then, from the spring of 1986, associated with the Sixth Party Congress and the decision to reform the country, the Vietnamese miracle continued to be written: A Vietnam that rose from war-torn ruins, from poverty and backwardness, has become a nation with a dynamic economy, a successful model of development and integration, with undeniable international standing and prestige.

A new era of national progress has begun, marked by a turning point: the 14th National Congress of the Party – a congress of major decisions and a broad vision, giving us a vivid picture of the stature and position of a peaceful, independent, democratic, prosperous, civilized, happy Vietnam, steadily advancing towards socialism.

In particular, the 14th National Congress also demonstrated a determination to shift the thinking on national development. This involves changes in the development model, growth drivers, and national governance methods, for a Vietnam that develops in depth, sustainably, and proactively integrates into the global community. To realize the goals of the 14th National Congress, breakthroughs and discipline must be the foundation; innovation and creativity must be the key. Because, although the country has achieved tremendous successes after four decades of reform, reform is a continuous process. As President Ho Chi Minh clearly stated, reform is the essence of revolution and development, because "Revolution is destroying the old and replacing it with the new, destroying the bad and replacing it with the good." But at the same time, the search for and creation of new things must be linked to practice, focusing on summarizing practical experiences, and using practical effectiveness as a measure of the correctness of reform. Therefore, the era of national progress is also an era of relentless innovation and creativity to build new values, a new position, and a new stature for the Vietnamese nation.

The history of the Vietnamese nation's existence and development is a vivid and compelling testament to the assertion that what cannot subdue us makes us stronger. War and poverty are inherently the most fearsome enemies of humanity. Yet, they could not subdue the will to survive and the fierce desire to rise of our people. And so, trampling over the "zombies" of war and poverty, Vietnam is now converging its strength and power, its faith and aspirations, its will and determination to "launch its dragon-like spirit."

To realize the aspiration of building a strong and prosperous Vietnam, "standing shoulder to shoulder with the great powers of the world," the guiding principle always emphasized by our Party is to prioritize Party building as the key, socio-economic development as the central focus, cultural development as the spiritual foundation of society, and ensuring national defense and security as a crucial and ongoing priority. At the same time, we value the art of seizing opportunities, because history has proven that seizing strategic opportunities has helped our Party lead the country through existential challenges and achieve historical victories. The most vivid evidence is the decision to launch the Doi Moi (Renovation) process in 1986 (Sixth Party Congress). This was a great strategic decision that ushered the cause of building and defending the Vietnamese Fatherland into a new era: the era of renovation and development. In particular, aspiration must go hand in hand with determination to act. Therefore, to transform potential, advantages, and opportunities into golden opportunities for development, we must have a revolutionary offensive spirit that is "swift and bold," and an unwavering determination to achieve great victories on the front of building and protecting this beautiful homeland, even if it means burning down the entire Truong Son mountain range.

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We are living in a wondrous symphony of seasons: the spring of peace, independence, freedom, prosperity, and happiness. Amidst the subtle transformations of nature in springtime, we feel that the nation's fortunes are rising with the freshness of creation. And even as we face the great historical question of leading the country forward in the new era, we have even stronger faith in the pioneering role of our leader. For, with their seasoned leadership experience, unwavering political acumen, and unparalleled capacity and intellect, representing the honor of the nation and embodying "morality and civilization," the Communist Party of Vietnam – with its ideological foundation of Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought – will be the "lighthouse" that gathers the light of truth and the strength of national unity. From there, it will illuminate the path for the revolutionary ship to overcome all the storms of the times, to achieve new glory and miracles for the Vietnamese nation.

Text and photos: Le Dung

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/dang-da-cho-ta-mua-xuan-278321.htm