At the foot of the beloved Hoang Lien mountain

Yen Bai - Yen Bai - Lao Cai will become one, the ethnic people of the two provinces will again live together warmly at the foot of the majestic Hoang Lien mountain with a peaceful life flowing along the Red River with heavy red alluvium.

A corner of Yen Bai city today.

>> Yen Bai - Lao Cai provinces evaluate cooperation results and agree on plans to arrange and merge provincial administrative units

The news of the merger of Yen Bai and Lao Cai provinces, to me, was not surprising. I am sure of it. Because when I was still in university, my teacher - Professor Nguyen Van Ba ​​(Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics ) said: "Hoang Lien Son province is too big, it is really difficult to travel. Leaders of distant districts such as Than Uyen, Bac Ha, if they need to go to Yen Bai town to report and ask for the opinion of provincial leaders, it will take two days, after reporting, they will return to the district for another two days, not to mention having to go down to the commune, with such a distance, many things will be... done. Moving forward, the province will have to be separated."

Then my teacher Ba affirmed: "Separate for a while, then merge again. Sounds contradictory, right? But no, society will develop more and more, roads will get better and better, means of transport will become more and more modern, distances will naturally shorten. Not to mention communication, science and technology, management level, economic and social life will develop... The merger will take place, at that time, not only will it not affect anything but it will also reduce the administrative apparatus".

After listening to the teacher's detailed explanation, I understood and looked forward to the day the province would be separated so that my father would not have to go on a business trip far from home (at that time my family lived in Nga Quan commune, now Cuong Thinh commune after the merger, Tran Yen district). My father had been away for decades at the border, from Bat Xat to Cam Duong, Bao Thang, and the nearest was Bao Yen, but he could only come home once a month to visit.

Noi Bai - Lao Cai Expressway connecting Yen Bai - Lao Cai provinces creates conditions for new development steps for Lao Cai province after the merger.

At the end of 1991, Hoang Lien Son province was divided into two provinces, Yen Bai and Lao Cai. My father moved to Yen Bai for work and now Yen Bai and Lao Cai have merged. So what my teacher said was 100% correct. I really admire him! Unfortunately, my teacher has passed away, my father has also "returned to his ancestors" and could not witness the merger of Lao Cai and Yen Bai provinces, witness the important event, witness the joy of the big family of ethnic groups at the foot of Hoang Lien mountain coming together in the truest sense.

It is worth celebrating because it is not only a historical milestone, the viewpoint and direction of the Party Central Committee, but it is also suitable for current conditions and circumstances, suitable for the inevitable trend of the times. Unification to create strength, to have a large enough development space and to take advantage, especially the potential and strengths of each region in the integration trend.

Due to historical requirements, the two provinces of Yen Bai and Lao Cai were separated, however, both are still located in the Northwest region of the Fatherland, carrying many similarities in natural conditions, potential, advantages for socio-economic development and revolutionary historical traditions.

Yen Bai - Lao Cai share the Red River, carrying heavy alluvium all year round. In the future, it will be a major waterway for inter-provincial trade from Lao Cai to Hai Phong.

Take my family as an example. My father worked for more than 30 years in the districts of Lao Cai province. My eldest brother and several of my uncles and aunts all joined the army and fought directly in Y Ty, Cam Duong, Si Ma Cai, and Bac Ha. My two cousins, one died on February 17, 1979 in Lao Cai town, and the other died a day later while protecting the Apatite factory during the war to protect the northern border of the Fatherland. Our family is divided into two, living in two provinces. Among them, the young grandparents' family lives in the Bun bridge area, Bao Yen district, just one stream away from Lang Thip commune, Van Yen district... Telling the story of the family and the lineage shows that, although we are two provinces, we are still one. If we consider the thoughts and feelings of each individual, each family, each lineage, or more broadly, we are still within the community of Vietnamese ethnic groups.

Economically, during the separation period, each locality has taken full advantage of its potential and advantages, taken advantage of, and mobilized domestic and foreign resources for investment and development, and achieved extremely important achievements.

If Lao Cai has a bustling provincial capital city, the total budget revenue of the province in 2024 will reach over 13 trillion VND... thanks to the potential of minerals, tourism, especially the border gate economy, Yen Bai with the development policy in the direction of "green - harmony - identity - happiness" always has stability and even development, the face of agriculture, rural areas, and farmers is improving. Tran Yen district is the first district in the Northwest region to meet the rural standards (new 2019). In 2024, Yen Binh and Van Yen districts will reach the new rural finish line (the whole province has 5 districts and towns meeting the new rural standards, including: Yen Bai city, Nghia Lo town, districts: Tran Yen, Yen Binh, Van Yen). In 2025, Yen Bai province strives for over 60% of villages and hamlets in especially difficult communes to meet the new rural standards; the quality of life of rural residents is improved.

A corner of Lao Cai city today.

After more than 20 years of separation, Yen Bai and Lao Cai are still brothers. The leaders of the two provinces have always maintained a cooperative relationship in all aspects, accompanying and supporting each other for mutual development. The cooperation agreement between Lao Cai and Yen Bai was first signed on February 26, 2006. The two provinces have demonstrated a cooperative relationship of friendship, solidarity, exchange, and mutual learning. They are trusted partners, coordinating to organize many cooperative activities in various fields, strengthening cooperation in all fields to accompany and support each other for mutual development.

Accordingly, many cooperation programs between the two sides have been maintained and implemented, such as: The agricultural sectors of the two provinces have signed a Coordination Regulation in forest management, forest protection, forest product management and forest fire prevention and fighting in border areas. The two provinces have paid attention to and implemented synchronously the planning and development of traffic and urban infrastructure. Since then, cooperation in building traffic infrastructure linking Lao Cai - Yen Bai and regional linkages has achieved many results.

Currently, phase I of the Noi Bai - Lao Cai expressway has been completed; National Highway 70 has been upgraded. The planning of the 1,435 mm gauge high-speed railway Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong (passing through Yen Bai) and the railway connection between Lao Cai station (Vietnam) and Hekou Bac station (China) has been approved by the Prime Minister. In addition, the two sides also coordinate to invest in the construction of inter-district roads bordering the two provinces to serve the common socio-economic development in the region.

In the field of culture and tourism, together with Phu Tho, Yen Bai and Lao Cai have maintained and successfully implemented the "Tourism to the Roots" Program; Yen Bai and Lao Cai are also among the 8 provinces that have effectively maintained the Program of linkage and cooperation in tourism development of the 8 expanded Northwestern provinces and Ho Chi Minh City for many years.

Lao Cai border gate.

In the field of national defense and security, Yen Bai and Lao Cai are both located in the defense zone, under the direct command of Military Region II and the Ministry of National Defense; the work of ensuring security and order (SOT) is always maintained thanks to the coordination between the police of the two provinces. In particular, the border areas are always of interest to the Party Committee, government and police forces. In particular, the model of linking to ensure SOT in the border area between Minh Chuan commune, Luc Yen district, Yen Bai province and Viet Tien commune, Bao Yen district, Lao Cai province is highly appreciated by the Ministry of Public Security and requested to be replicated nationwide.

A new era of development has officially opened, promising many opportunities for more comprehensive and sustainable development thanks to the harmonious combination of potentials and strengths of both localities. Accordingly, with a strategic geographical location, being a gateway for trade with China through Lao Cai international border gate, an increasingly complete transportation system, railways, inter-provincial routes... will have more favorable conditions to attract investment, develop the regional economy and reach out to the region and the world.

The connection between the potential of industry, minerals, logistics services of Lao Cai with the advantages of agriculture - forestry and eco-tourism, community of Yen Bai will create a strong complementarity, contributing to promoting the economic restructuring towards modernity, greenness, sustainability. The cultural exchange of ethnic minorities and long-standing revolutionary traditions will be a solid foundation to multiply endogenous strength, promote the development of socio-cultural fields, tourism, improve the material and spiritual life and happiness index of the people.

There are still many cooperation programs between the two localities, coordination regulations between sectors, especially history, cultural traditions, business relationships between economic sectors; and the close ties between villages, clans, blood ties... between the people of the ethnic groups of Yen Bai - Lao Cai that cannot be fully mentioned within the framework of this article.

Comrade Tran Huy Tuan, Secretary of Yen Bai Provincial Party Committee affirmed: "The two provinces of Yen Bai - Lao Cai are excited and proud to have once shared the same roof of Hoang Lien Son. Today, we continue to promote the strength of solidarity, affection, and attachment, together develop, expand and elevate our level, to strive to become the economic, cultural and tourism center of the midland and mountainous region of the North, a bright spot in cooperation in border development and international integration, so that the people of all ethnic groups in the area can have an increasingly prosperous, developed and happier life, realizing the advice of President Ho Chi Minh when he visited Yen Bai and Lao Cai in September 1958".

Lao Cai and Yen Bai both share a long history of attachment and favorable natural conditions, rich in mineral resources, especially both localities are located on the dynamic axis of the Red River. These are important premises when merging the two provinces to become a "three-horse carriage", developing more strongly.

Yen Bai and Lao Cai are both located on the Hoang Lien Son mountain range.

Yen Bai - Lao Cai will become one, the people of all ethnic groups will be warm again at the foot of the majestic Hoang Lien mountain, their peaceful life will flow along the Red River with heavy red silt. Streamlining the payroll, building a state administrative apparatus to ensure efficiency, effectiveness, and efficiency is a major policy, an institutional revolution to bring the country firmly into the era of national rise. The process of arrangement inevitably has losses and disadvantages, but those are only small sacrifices, disadvantages of a personal nature... The greatest gain from the support of all classes of people over the past months is to sacrifice a small part of the individual for the benefit of the nation, the people, for the future of our children's generation, so that the whole nation can enter a new era, the era of national rise.

Le Phien

Source: http://baoyenbai.com.vn/11/348574/Duoi-chan-nui-Hoang-Lien-yeu-dau.aspx