A bustling national festival.
In mid-November, the atmosphere in Long Luong 1 and 2 villages, Muong Phang commune ( Dien Bien Phu city) was much more vibrant and bustling than in previous years, because this year, the villages were chosen as the venue for the city's National Unity Day celebration.
As soon as we arrived at the edge of the village, we could feel the spirit and atmosphere of the villagers anticipating the festival. Banners and slogans were proudly displayed, and the road leading into the village was cleared and swept clean. The center of the village was adorned with rows of national flags in red. In the communal space in the middle of the village, people in their finest and newest clothes were chatting, laughing, and calling out to each other, waiting to participate in cultural performances and traditional folk games.
Long Luong 1 and 2 villages currently have 115 households and 621 inhabitants, including a Protestant religious group with 18 households and 93 followers. The Great Unity Festival not only strengthens village solidarity but also provides an opportunity for people to chat, share experiences in production, livestock farming, and economic development. The most encouraging news we received at the Great Unity Festival of Long Luong 1 and 2 villages was that there are now no poor or near-poor households in the entire village.
Located more than 30km from the center of Muong Cha district, Sa Ninh village in Sa Tong commune has been bustling with the atmosphere of the solidarity festival in recent days. In preparation for the festival, everyone in the village arranged their family and farming work days in advance to attend fully. The women in the village spent time practicing traditional ethnic arts, singing and dancing at the festival. The young men enthusiastically performed the khene (bamboo flute) dance.
Putting aside her farming work, Ms. Mua Thi Di from Sa Ninh village woke up early in the morning, quickly completing her tasks for the day… so she could put on her most beautiful traditional ethnic costume and proudly attend the Great Unity Festival. “Participating in the festival, I got to see cultural and artistic activities, and folk games. Traditional dishes like men men (corn porridge), thang co (a type of stew), corn wine, and bamboo shoot soup of the Mong people were also prepared for everyone to enjoy. Now that we have a prosperous and happy life, we have even more faith in the Party's policies and guidelines, and the State's laws and regulations,” Ms. Di shared.
We left Sa Ninh village, bidding farewell to the community as the sun was high in the sky. The sounds of the reed pipes and flutes still echoed far and wide, reverberating against the mountainside. More importantly, after the cultural performances, folk games, and a communal meal with everyone present, the village's solidarity and community cohesion were further strengthened, and everyone became more determined to develop their family economy, overcome poverty, and build a prosperous and thriving village.
Multiply the power of unity
In the minds of the Thai, Mong, Kinh, Kho Mu, Dao, Ha Nhi... ethnic groups in Dien Bien, the National Unity Day is also an opportunity to affirm and establish community cohesion at the grassroots level, creating a unified whole of national unity.
Na U village, Na U commune, Dien Bien district, is home to 120 Mong ethnic minority households with 581 inhabitants. Despite the unique difficulties of a remote border village, the spirit of solidarity remains strong among the people of Na U. In 2024, the village mobilized its people to contribute 3.2 million VND to the "For the Poor" Fund; 1.7 million VND to support people affected by natural disasters and floods; and 3 million VND to establish a scholarship fund. The people contributed over 100 days of labor to help poor households build solidarity houses... These figures, though not large, are the clearest evidence of the mutual support, compassion, and solidarity of the people of Na U village. To date, the poverty rate in the village is 30.8%; 75% of families are recognized as cultural families; and the village has been recognized as a cultural village at the district level.
Dien Bien province currently has 129 communes, wards, and towns; and more than 1,440 villages, hamlets, and residential areas, with 19 ethnic groups living together. According to the leaders of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of the province, from the beginning of November to November 18th every year, 100% of residential areas in the province organize the National Unity Day with many lively and meaningful activities. These activities focus on visiting, giving gifts, and supporting disadvantaged families with housing and environmental sanitation. They also organize recreational sports activities and cultural exchanges to foster a spirit of national unity among the people.
For the ethnic minority communities in Dien Bien, the National Unity Day has truly become an indispensable political event in the community. It's not only an opportunity for all people to participate in community activities and strengthen neighborly bonds, but also a forum to promote the people's right to self-governance, contribute ideas to build increasingly prosperous and beautiful residential areas, and sign emulation agreements to contribute to the successful implementation of local socio-economic development tasks.
Source: https://baodienbienphu.com.vn/tin-tuc/van-hoa/219646/dien-bien-vui-hoi-ket-doan
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