During the Dien Bien Phu campaign, Thanh Hoa province, a major rear base, mobilized its maximum human and material resources to ensure logistical support for the campaign's complete victory. Thanh Hoa's imprint on Dien Bien Phu, from wartime to peacetime , remains sharp, and conversely, Dien Bien Phu holds a special place in Thanh Hoa's heart. During his second visit to Thanh Hoa in 1957, President Ho Chi Minh praised: "Now, wherever the Vietnamese language is spoken, the name Dien Bien Phu is also heard; and wherever the name Dien Bien Phu is heard, the people of Thanh Hoa share in that honor."
Many artifacts from the Dien Bien Phu campaign are preserved at the Thanh Hoa Provincial Museum. Photo: Museum.
The Bauhinia flower, a cultural symbol of Dien Bien province, has long been seen along roads and planted in many agencies and businesses throughout Thanh Hoa province. The people of Dien Bien still recount the legend of this flower: According to legend, in the Northwest region, there was a girl named Ban who, wanting to remain faithful to her lover, died on a cliff. Later, a tree with white flowers bloomed in the spring in that spot. The people named this flower Bauhinia. And from this humanistic meaning, the Bauhinia flower has become a cultural symbol of Dien Bien province.
Every year in February and March, the blooming of the Bauhinia flowers stirs up nostalgia in the people of Thanh Hoa, reminding them of Dien Bien Phu, instilling pride in the Dien Bien Phu victory that was "renowned throughout the world and shook the earth," and reminding them that "Thanh Hoa shared a part of that honor." During the Dien Bien Phu campaign, Thanh Hoa mobilized 30% of its working-age population to participate in the civilian labor force, totaling nearly 179,000 people and 27 million man-days of labor, along with tens of thousands of bicycles... transporting 50% of the food supplies for the campaign. In addition, tens of thousands of young people enlisted in the army, many of whom perished in Dien Bien Phu. The bond of friendship and solidarity between the people of Thanh Hoa and Dien Bien provinces has remained strong from the wartime period to the present day.
Wishing for the friendship between the two provinces to continue to flourish like the bauhinia flowers blooming in spring in modern times, in 2022 Dien Bien Dong district (Dien Bien province) gifted Thanh Hoa city 600 bauhinia trees to be planted in Bo Ve park (Dong Ve ward). During the ceremony, leaders of both localities cherished the close relationship that Thanh Hoa and Dien Bien have shared for a long time, and expressed their determination to further strengthen the friendship, solidarity, and cooperation between the two localities. All the trees have been carefully cared for, and to this day, they bloom brilliantly every spring, becoming a favorite photo spot for Thanh Hoa residents at the beginning of the year, creating a unique mark of Dien Bien in the heart of Thanh Hoa.
To this day, the image of Dien Bien Phu is deeply ingrained in the minds of the people of Thanh Hoa, not only in books and films but also through several streets and schools named after Dien Bien Phu, Vo Nguyen Giap, To Vinh Dien, etc., as well as in the lively and enthusiastic storytelling sessions of the Dien Bien Phu soldiers of yesteryear, aiming to inspire the younger generation. Among these, Dien Bien Ward stands out as a special symbol of the "Dien Bien Phu spirit" in Thanh Hoa province. It is the only ward in the province named after a famous campaign of the Vietnamese people during the resistance war against the French – the Dien Bien Phu campaign.
Living up to its name, Dien Bien ward has overcome difficulties and achieved many encouraging results in socio-economic development over the years. In particular, the ward's economy has grown impressively, with a production value growth rate of 22.9%, total investment capital in the area reaching 30,000 billion VND, and average per capita income reaching 155 million VND/year. Dien Bien is the first ward in the city to have no poor or near-poor households. Every year, the ward completes 100% of the targets set by the Ward Party Committee and the targets and tasks assigned by the city. Currently, the ward has developed many large, bustling commercial streets such as: cultural and artistic services on Nguyen Du Street, electrical services on Hang Dong Street, flower shops on Trieu Quoc Dat Street, financial and banking services on Phan Chu Trinh Street, electronics on Truong Thi Street... Services and commerce have become the main pillars in the ward's economic development. Alongside these are achievements in culture and society. Dien Bien is one of the wards consistently ranking among the top in educational quality in Thanh Hoa City and the entire province. The ward has four schools all named Dien Bien: Dien Bien Kindergarten, Dien Bien 1 Primary School, Dien Bien 2 Primary School, and Dien Bien Secondary School. Currently, all four schools meet national standards level 2 and are recognized as "model" units.
Comrade Le Thi Quynh Tho, Chairwoman of the People's Committee of Dien Bien Ward, said: "Upholding the revolutionary spirit and the 'Dien Bien' spirit, the government and people of the ward are determined to realize the great goal: to build Dien Bien into a Heroic Labor Unit in the đổi mới (renovation) period before 2025, adding another important milestone in the construction and development journey of the ward."
In particular, the people of Thanh Hoa can always admire historical images, evidence, and legendary stories about the Thanh Hoa army and people during the Dien Bien Phu campaign at the Provincial Museum. The exhibition room displaying artifacts from Thanh Hoa in the period of national construction and defense from 1945-1975 shows many items such as: a collection of certificates and commendations of Thanh Hoa civilian workers, a photograph of Thanh Hoa soldiers on the march to encircle Dien Bien Phu, a face towel used by Mr. Trinh Dinh Long (Dong Minh commune, Dong Son district) during the Dien Bien Phu campaign... Among them, the cargo bicycle of Mr. Trinh Ngoc is a symbol of the intelligence, creativity, and determination of our army and people to defeat the enemy at that time. The rudimentary cargo bicycles, with a load capacity of 150-200kg per trip, or even over 300kg per trip, were the primary means of transporting thousands of tons of food, supplies, weapons, and military equipment to support the victorious resistance war.
In addition, cultural and tourism exchange activities jointly organized by the two provinces, such as the Dien Bien Tourism Week in Thanh Hoa, have made the land and people of Dien Bien even closer to Thanh Hoa, and conversely, the affection that the people of Thanh Hoa have for Dien Bien has become even stronger and deeper.
Thus, the historical relics, legendary stories, and cultural symbols of Dien Bien Phu always remain in the heart of Thanh Hoa, reminding and associating them with the victory that "shook the world and resonated across continents." This allows future generations to see that the country always remembers and cherishes the heroic deeds of those who participated in the fighting and served in the war, and always remembers and cherishes the sacrifices of the heroes and martyrs who fell for independence and freedom.
Van Anh
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