Fourth Eastern Triều War Zone - Where President Ho Chi Minh's footsteps remain

During the Lunar New Year of 1965, on his last visit to Quang Ninh province, President Ho Chi Minh stopped at Pham Hong Thai Commune School in Dong Trieu district (now Hong Thai Tay Secondary School, Dong Trieu City), meeting with teachers, students, and local people. For the past 60 years, President Ho Chi Minh's special attention has remained, encouraging and motivating the teachers and students of the school in particular, and the cadres, Party members, and people of all ethnic groups in Dong Trieu in general, to strive and work hard to build a sustainably developing young city of Dong Trieu.

sdfg — Students from Hong Thai Tay Secondary School visit the historical site commemorating President Ho Chi Minh located on the school grounds.

Every year, in the days leading up to the Lunar New Year, teachers and students of Hong Thai Tay Secondary School visit the Ho Chi Minh Memorial Site located at the school to offer incense and report their achievements to President Ho Chi Minh. Before the statue of President Ho Chi Minh, the teachers and students report on the outstanding achievements of the past school year, along with a promise and determination to strive for excellence in teaching and learning, following the advice President Ho Chi Minh gave when he visited the school years ago. The images and artifacts associated with President Ho Chi Minh at the memorial site serve as vivid historical lessons, not only inspiring patriotism and deep respect for the nation's father, but also promoting the study and emulation of Ho Chi Minh's ideology, ethics, and style among each generation of cadres, teachers, and students of Hong Thai Tay Secondary School in particular, and the Party Committee, government, and people of Dong Trieu City in general.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Thanh, Principal of Hong Thai Tay Secondary School, shared: "Although we belong to a later generation and did not directly meet President Ho Chi Minh during the Tet holiday of 1965, through the stories told by our elders, we felt the joy, honor, and pride of the teachers and students of our school at that time in welcoming him. Our elders recounted that after visiting the school and inquiring about the teachers' hometowns, health, families, and work, President Ho Chi Minh praised the school's teachers for their orderly, simple, and clean living conditions. On the occasion of the New Year, he sent his best wishes for good health to the elderly, teachers, and children in Dong Trieu district, wishing them a year of abundant health, success in production and combat, and excellence in studies." Those words of encouragement and guidance served as a driving force for the entire staff, teachers, and students of the school, across generations, to strive year after year, achieving outstanding results in teaching and learning.

Proud to be the school visited by President Ho Chi Minh, over the years, generations of staff, teachers, and students of Hong Thai Tay Secondary School have continuously strived for excellence in teaching and learning. Every year, the school produces outstanding students at the city and provincial levels; the graduation rate for secondary school students is 100%; and the percentage of teachers meeting the required qualifications is 94.7%. For many consecutive years, the school has been recognized as an "Outstanding Labor Collective," achieving Level 2 educational quality accreditation and Level 1 National Standard.

Student Nguyen Tran Nhu Quynh shared: "We feel very proud to study at Hong Thai Tay School, a place where President Ho Chi Minh once visited. This honor and pride motivates us to constantly strive in our studies and training, and to compete in fulfilling the five teachings of President Ho Chi Minh for children and young people."

Ceremony announcing the establishment of Dong Trieu city

Even after 60 years, the image of President Ho Chi Minh remains intact in the hearts of every cadre, Party member, and citizen of Hong Thai Tay commune in particular, and the Dong Trieu City Party Committee in general. Nguyen Van Linh, Deputy Head of the Propaganda Department of the Dong Trieu City Party Committee, affirmed: The study and emulation of Ho Chi Minh's ideology, ethics, and style has been implemented comprehensively by the city's Party Committee with the highest political determination, becoming a regular task for every Party committee, Party organization, cadre, Party member, and civil servant. In the 2021-2025 period, the city registered nearly 200 exemplary collective and individual models in "Studying and Emulating Uncle Ho." The awareness, sense of responsibility, and exemplary conduct of cadres and Party members, especially leaders and heads of departments, in their work and in their lives, in self-cultivation, training, and maintaining moral qualities, lifestyle, and work style of the cadre, Party member, civil servant, and worker have been enhanced, increasingly meeting the requirements of their tasks. His teachings serve as a guiding principle for the Party Committee, the government, and the people of Dong Trieu city, creating motivation for the Party Committee, the government, and the people to strive for progress.

Over the past 60 years, Dong Trieu has continuously strived for progress. From a land rich in historical traditions, Dong Trieu today has transformed into a vibrant young city with aspirations for greater achievements. This young city is brimming with vitality, featuring new constructions, modern urban areas, numerous vital transportation routes, and fertile fields in model new rural areas. The quality of life for its people is constantly improving, with no households classified as poor according to provincial criteria. Dong Trieu continues to lead the province in comprehensive and specialized education… In 2024, despite being severely affected by Typhoon Yagi, Dong Trieu achieved an economic growth rate of 14.2%, marking its fourth consecutive year of budgetary autonomy. The Party Committee, government, and people of the city were honored to receive the First Class Labor Medal from the President of Vietnam.

The establishment of Dong Trieu City marks a significant milestone for the Party Committee, government, military, and people of this land of outstanding people and rich revolutionary traditions. Bearing in mind President Ho Chi Minh's teachings, and with a strong desire for development and a new mindset and position, Dong Trieu is determined to successfully achieve its set goals, striving to become a driving force for development in the western region of the province, a model of a harmoniously developed urban area integrating industry, services, and modern agriculture. Dong Trieu is ready to reach further, joining other localities in the province in confidently advancing into a new era – the era of national progress.

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