House building season in Thao Chu Phin

The last months of the year always bring a special atmosphere to the highland villages. For the ethnic people in the old Thao Chu Phin commune, now Sin Cheng commune, this is the time of leisure farming, people build houses together. The new, spacious houses are not only the pride of each household but also a mark of the strong change of this land.

Returning to Thao Chu Phin after many years, I was surprised by the changes in this land. The road connecting National Highway 4D through the center of Sin Cheng commune to Thao Chu Phin is being renovated and upgraded. Many sections have been completed with asphalt, making the journey to one of the most remote areas of the old Si Ma Cai district easier and shorter than before.

On the way to the commune, Mr. Vien Dinh Hiep - Chairman of the People's Committee of Sin Cheng commune could not hide his joy when showing us the changes in the village. He had just taken a photo in Thao Chu Phin village, where a villa-style house had just been completed.

"Journalists, if you visit the village, you will see many spacious houses like this along the way," Mr. Hiep said proudly.

Mr. Hiep's words made me even more curious. Halfway up the mountain, where there seemed to be only simple roofs, now there were spacious, stately houses.

As he said, on the way, I not only saw new houses but also felt the bustling atmosphere of a "big construction site" present in the middle of the highlands. The sounds of concrete mixers, saws, trucks carrying materials... echoed throughout the mountains and forests.

Standing out right at the beginning of the road leading to Thao Chu Phin village is the two-story house of Mr. Ma Seo Senh's family. The construction team is busy working on the roof, marking the final steps to complete the house before Tet.

Mr. Senh shared: “For many years, my wife and I worked far from home, our biggest dream was to build a decent house. Now that dream has come true, I feel more motivated to continue working and take care of my children's future.”

Not far from Mr. Senh's house, Mr. Hang Seo Vang's family house is also being assembled with formwork, preparing to pour the roof. At nearly 70 years old, Mr. Vang planned not to build a new house, but with the encouragement of his children, he was determined to build a solid house.

He confided: "The whole village now has well-built houses. My family must also try to not only improve our lives but also contribute to beautifying the village."

From the center of the old Thao Chu Phin commune, we followed the newly expanded concrete road to San Cha village, where the Thu Lao ethnic people live. The small village is located in the middle of a valley surrounded by overlapping rocky mountains, but what surprised us most was the spaciousness and grandeur of the houses built here.

From afar, large and beautiful two-story houses appeared in the middle of the mountains and forests. Coming closer, we were truly overwhelmed by the scale and design of each house. Mr. Tai Seo Minh, a villager, and his team of workers, his relatives, were completing a two-story house with an area of over 100 m²/floor.

Mr. Tai Seo Minh shared: “When I was working for hire in the lowlands, I saw people building beautiful houses, so I remembered that image and told myself to work hard and save to build one like that. Now, that dream has come true.”

According to Mr. Luu Xuan Thuong - Head of San Cha village, the movement of helping each other build houses has existed since ancient times. In the past, when building wooden houses, the whole village would exchange labor to help each other. Now, even when building houses, that tradition is still maintained. All households in difficulty receive support from the people, from materials to human resources. It is this spirit of solidarity that has helped San Cha become one of the villages with the highest rate of solidly built houses in the commune, with 75% of households having built houses.

“The new houses not only help people have a more comfortable life but also demonstrate the change in the highlands,” said San Cha Luu village chief Xuan Thuong proudly.

Choosing a high point to look out over the panorama from the old center of Thao Chu Phin commune down to the Green River valley, I felt like I was reliving the memories of more than ten years ago when I came here. At that time, the gravel road, which made riding a motorbike so bumpy that my hands were numb, has now been paved with smooth asphalt. Areas that used to have a few thatched roofs have now grown into rows of spacious, stately houses.

Under the gentle sunlight of the last day of the year, the highland landscape appears like a vivid picture, terraced fields ready for the new crop, interspersed with sturdy new houses halfway up the mountain. This is not only the result of the State's support policy but also the effort and solidarity of the people here.

The changes in the highlands of Thao Chu Phin do not stop at new houses. With increasingly improved infrastructure, people's lives have gradually improved. Support programs not only help households escape from temporary housing but also open up many opportunities for economic and cultural development for the ethnic communities here.

Saying goodbye to Thao Chu Phin in the late afternoon, I still lingered on the images of new houses, smooth roads and bright smiles of the people here. The changes in this land not only demonstrate the effectiveness of support policies but also bring hope for a brighter future for the people of the highlands.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/mua-lam-nha-o-thao-chu-phin-post888186.html