Keep the Ba Chẽ River flowing clean.

Ba Chẽ is a major river flowing along the length of the district, along with many smaller streams and springs, providing an abundant source of clean water for daily life and production for the people. Therefore, the task of protecting natural water resources, aiming for sustainable socio -economic development and environmental protection, has been given great importance by the district.

A view of Ba Chẽ town today. — The Ba Chẽ River flows along the entire length of the district.

Clean water reserves

The Ba Chẽ River flows northeast from Lương Minh commune and east from Thanh Lâm commune, passing through Ba Chẽ town before heading towards the sea, with a total length of approximately 80km. Including the streams south of Đồn Đạc commune, the river is estimated to be over 95km long. From the western branch of Lương Minh commune, the Ba Chẽ River extends to 150km.

Flowing from Luong Minh towards the town, the Ba Che River's channel rises, truly a river with a wide basin and many rapids and waterfalls. There are Truc Waterfall (Thanh Son commune), Khe Lanh Waterfall, Khe Ngai Waterfall (Nam Son commune), Da Vuong Waterfall, Khe O Waterfall, Song Cong Waterfall (Don Dac commune), Khe On Waterfall, Khe Lao Waterfall, Khe Xoong Waterfall (Thanh Lam commune), Khe Lay (Dap Thanh commune)... Mr. Nguyen Van Hoa, who has been a boatman on the river for 32 years, took us upstream to explore the river. He said that he doesn't know exactly how long the river is. He only knows that it could take a lifetime to explore every nook and cranny of the river.

Along with Lang Cang, many waterfalls cascade down into the stream. These small streams merge to form a river. The streams are like tiny threads woven into a long tapestry, a tapestry that the mountain girls have just finished knitting and draped over the strong shoulders of the giant man that is the Ba Chẽ mountain range.

Lang Cang Waterfall on the Ba Che River.

The Ba Chẽ River also provides moisture to the soil, allowing many local specialties to thrive, such as Don Dac sugarcane, Thanh Lam peanuts, Luong Minh cardamom and ginseng, Dap Thanh tangerines and pomelos, etc. The Ba Chẽ River's water is likened to a giant freshwater reservoir, a strategic reserve of clean water for major cities in Quang Ninh. The Ba Chẽ River's water is always clear and its cool, refreshing climate is ideal for developing attractive ecotourism . It's no wonder that since the French colonial era, many merchants have come here to build resort villas, combining them with the pleasure of hunting.

The river water also makes the shrimp and fish here tastier. Every now and then, we'd come across a small boat. Mr. Hoa said that he and his wife were out catching shrimp. Their fishing tools were very rudimentary, just a net. This shows how abundant the shrimp must be. In particular, the river shrimp and the river crabs of Ba Chẽ are famous delicacies. The clear blue river is also an ideal habitat for these crabs. This specialty has a sweet, rich, creamy taste, lots of roe, and a distinctive aroma unlike other types of crabs and shellfish. Mr. Hoa enthusiastically told me that if I wanted to eat even better seafood, I should follow him downstream across the Ba Chẽ bridge towards the sea. The seafood here is delicious not only because the Ba Chẽ river carries a lot of plankton, but also because the aquatic life here is bivalve, living in both saltwater and freshwater.

A mission for survival.

Given the unique characteristic of the Ba Chẽ River running throughout the district, forest protection is considered a vital task, closely linked to water resource protection. Thanks to the well-protected forests of Đồng Sơn and Kỳ Thượng in Hạ Long City, a portion of the forests in Sơn Động district (Bắc Giang province), and the forest area within the district, Ba Chẽ has basically maintained safe water levels and good water quality for many years. Practical investment in planting, caring for, and protecting forests has positively impacted the creation of water sources, providing water for rivers and streams in the area, and ensuring water stability for the people.

Faced with difficulties in accessing water for both domestic use and agricultural production in the highland communes, Ba Chẽ district has focused on investing in the construction of numerous centralized water supply projects. Currently, households in the area mainly use water from the following projects: Khe Lừa Lake (Lương Minh commune); Khe Lọng Trong reservoir (Thanh Sơn commune); Khe Mười reservoir and Khe Lầm water supply project in Tàu Tiên village (Đồn Đạc commune); and Khe Tâm reservoir (Nam Sơn commune). In addition, the district is renovating and upgrading the clean water systems in Đồng Loóng and Đồng Tiến villages (Thanh Lâm commune); Nà Làng and Khe Vang villages (Đồn Đạc commune); and Khe Nà and Khe Pụt villages (Thanh Sơn commune). Currently, the district has 54 clean water supply projects and 133 small-scale irrigation projects providing water for agricultural production to the people.

Since 2023, the District Party Committee has issued Resolution 11-NQ/HU dated April 26, 2023, on strengthening the Party's leadership over resource management, environmental protection, disaster prevention and mitigation, and the protection of the Ba Chẽ River, for the period 2022-2025, with a vision to 2030. After nearly two years of implementation, Resolution 11-NQ/HU of the District Party Committee has truly come to life, receiving the synchronized and active participation of Party committees, the Government, the Fatherland Front, political and social organizations, and all strata of people throughout the district, achieving many results in various fields and contributing positively to the socio-economic development of the locality.

Mr. Vu Thanh Long, Provincial Party Committee member and Secretary of the Ba Che District Party Committee, stated that after nearly two years of implementing Resolution No. 11-NQ/HU of the District Party Committee, positive results have been achieved. Notably, the management of resources, environmental protection, and disaster prevention and mitigation, particularly the protection of the Ba Che River, have received special attention; waste collection, transportation, and treatment have been strengthened; and infrastructure for providing clean water and domestic water has been ensured… resulting in improved and enhanced living environment quality for the people.

In the aforementioned Resolution, the protection of water resources and the conservation and regeneration of aquatic resources are among the particularly important contents. The District People's Committee has also made efforts and implemented many measures to protect this valuable resource, including coordinating with provincial departments and agencies to release tens of thousands of juvenile carp into the Ba Chẽ River to promote the breeding and regeneration of valuable aquatic resources. At the same time, they have strengthened propaganda and mobilization efforts to encourage people to absolutely refrain from destructive fishing methods, only harvesting aquatic species that meet the prescribed size requirements, in order to conserve and promote aquatic resources and enhance the economic value of the locality.

The Ba Chẽ River is also attractive because its banks feature the remains of an ancient pottery kiln dating back hundreds of years in Lang Moi village, Nam Son commune. Previously, there was no road access to the kiln; villagers had to travel by boat. Legend says that when strangers entered the village, they would immediately be stopped and questioned with a secret code. If they didn't answer correctly, they would be immediately expelled. Eventually, the ancestral craft faded away, and the ancient kiln closed, lying silently in the old forest. Due to the difficult access, the site has been preserved quite intact. Legend says that the remaining kaolin clay reserves in this area are very large, estimated at around 2 billion tons. However, Ba Chẽ district has decided not to exploit them yet to avoid the risk of "harvesting unripe crops," leaving a long-term asset for future generations.

The Dao ethnic group's cultural preservation area is located right on the banks of the Ba Chẽ River.

In the coming period, the district will focus on increasing the rate of access to clean water for rural residents; and implementing the demarcation of the Ba Chẽ river corridor for protection. To protect water resources, it is necessary to improve the quality of forests, increase forest cover, and increase the rate of centralized wastewater collection and treatment.

District Party Secretary Vu Thanh Long requested that the political system from the district to the grassroots level and all strata of the people continue to thoroughly and effectively implement the spirit of Resolution No. 11-NQ/HU of the District Party Committee; effectively implement the groups of tasks and solutions on strengthening the leadership and direction of Party committees at all levels, improving the effectiveness and efficiency of state management in environmental protection work associated with protecting the Ba Che River.

The section of the river was named Horse Neck.

At the same time, the district is effectively implementing the national strategy on biodiversity, strictly protecting the environment, and sustainably managing resources along riverbanks and streams; developing biogas models and applying technology in livestock production and agricultural and forestry production... The district is also strengthening inspection and supervision of compliance with environmental protection laws; rectifying and strictly handling violations, while simultaneously promoting and rewarding collectives and individuals who have made positive contributions to environmental protection.

Pham Hoc

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