Spring returns to Pò Hèn

Every year, after the Lunar New Year, Hai Son commune, Mong Cai city ( Quang Ninh province) welcomes convoys of vehicles carrying veterans, students, and others who come to offer incense at the Po Hen Heroic Martyrs Monument.

Continuing the tradition of our forefathers.

More than 43 years ago, on February 17, 1979, a fierce battle took place at Po Hen. 73 Vietnamese sons and daughters perished here, sacrificing their lives to protect the integrity of the national border.

Many delegations of officials and students regularly visit the Pò Hèn Memorial to the Heroes and Martyrs to offer incense.

They were 45 officers and soldiers from Border Guard Post 209 (now Po Hen Border Guard Post), a female officer from the Hai Ninh trade sector - Ms. Hoang Thi Hong Chiem, and 27 officers and volunteer youth from the Hai Son Forestry and Agricultural Farm.

Between 1979 and 1990, 13 more officers and soldiers of the Pò Hèn border guard unit fell while on border patrol duty. All 86 heroic martyrs were brought back and commemorated at the Pò Hèn Martyrs' Memorial Area.

Today, on the site of the former Pò Hèn Border Guard Post, a memorial has been built within the Pò Hèn Historical Relic Complex to commemorate the soldiers and civilians who fell there.

The memorial complex, constructed in 2018, covers an area of ​​86,000 square meters and includes the following components: a memorial monument, an incense burner, two memorial houses, two stone steles, a memorial house, gardens, roads, and greenery. The memorial monument itself is 16 meters high, clad in stone, facing north, and designed in the shape of three hands clasped together embracing a yellow star, symbolizing the Kinh, Tay, and San Chi ethnic groups working together to protect the country's border.

While offering incense and paying respects to the heroic martyrs, many delegations also presented gifts to students in Hai Son commune, Mong Cai city, who have achieved good academic results.

Late one afternoon in mid-February, while offering incense at the Pò Hèn Martyrs' Memorial, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyễn Quốc Nam, Commander of the Pò Hèn Border Guard Post, emotionally shared: With a long history of victories and achievements, the Post has twice been awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces.

Following in the tradition of their forefathers, the officers and soldiers of the unit always work together with the government and people of Hai Son commune to overcome all difficulties, build this place into prosperous settlements, and together firmly protect national sovereignty and border security, thus living up to the sacrifices of their ancestors.

"In particular, over the past period, the unit has advised on and successfully implemented the program of twinning villages between residents on both sides of the border, thereby jointly building a peaceful, friendly, cooperative, and mutually developing border," Lieutenant Colonel Nam said.

The story of those who have passed away in the memory of a veteran.

Sitting in his family's spacious house in Khe Su village, Thuong Yen Cong commune, Uong Bi city, 73-year-old veteran Truong Van Don emotionally recounted: Before the war, Mr. Don and his comrades were assigned to the Bac Phong Sinh border guard station under the People's Armed Police Post 209 (now Po Hen Border Guard Post), located about ten kilometers from the post headquarters.

Veteran Truong Van Don, 73 years old, emotionally recounted his memories of his time at Po Hen.

In the early morning of February 17th, while Mr. Don and his comrades were on duty at the station, they suddenly heard artillery fire coming from the unit's location. At the same time, loud explosions echoed from the direction of the station headquarters.

Mr. Don and his teammates quickly moved into their fighting positions, but seeing no enemy approaching, the entire team moved to the rear.

Wiping away the tears streaming down his wrinkled cheeks, Mr. Don choked up as he continued, "My brothers and I endured hunger and thirst, making our way through the jungle to find our way back to our unit. When we reached the high hilltop behind the outpost and looked back, we saw that our unit had been riddled with bullets."

At that moment, the enemy troops were lining up at the outpost, preparing to retreat to the other side. Therefore, we had no choice but to hide in the forest and wait for reinforcements from the rear."

Upon hearing about the development and prosperity of the Pò Hèn valley today, Mr. Đôn said: Nearly a decade ago, when he was still healthy, he regularly went up to light incense for his fallen comrades. But in recent years, he suffered a stroke and has difficulty walking, so he hasn't had the opportunity to return.

"Watching TV and reading newspapers, we were deeply moved to see that the lives of the Pò Hèn Border Guard Post and its people are becoming more stable and prosperous, and that the Pò Hèn historical site is being renovated and regularly visited by people offering incense."

"Our comrades will surely be smiling in the afterlife knowing that their sacrifice will always be remembered by the Fatherland and the people," Mr. Don shared emotionally.

Connecting transportation, building up Pò Hèn

Sitting in his spacious office at the headquarters, Ninh Van Sang, Chairman of the People's Committee of Hai Son commune, said that as one of the most remote mountainous communes of Mong Cai city, the commune has over 90% ethnic minority population.

National Highway 18C, passing through the center of Hai Son commune, was put into use in early September 2023, opening a new chapter for this area to progress alongside the lowlands.

Due to the unique geographical characteristics and limited farming practices of the local people, especially the sometimes very difficult transportation infrastructure, the lives of the people are still mainly based on self-sufficiency, resulting in very low incomes and a large number of poor households…

And then, all those difficulties and obstacles faced by Hai Son were overcome when a series of connecting transportation projects were invested in.

The biggest impetus for this historical border region truly came about when National Highway 18C, running from the center of Mong Cai City through the area, was invested in, upgraded, and put into use from the beginning of September 2023.

The commune chairman said that phase 1 of the project to renovate and upgrade National Highway 18, extending from Bac Phong Sinh border gate (Hai Ha district) to National Highway 18B, has a length of 6.6km, a total investment of over 77 billion VND, and has been in operation since 2020. However, the section from the commune center to Mong Cai City is still narrow, with many steep slopes and deep ravines, and is in poor condition.

Therefore, phase 2 of the project connecting the Mong Cai Border Economic Zone to the Bac Phong Sinh Border Economic Zone via the center of Hai Son commune has been implemented since July 2021 with a total length of 13.83km. This is a Class III transport project, with a design speed of 60km/h, a roadbed width of 9m, a road surface width of 6m, and a total investment of 297 billion VND.

The project contributes to gradually upgrading and completing the border ring road connecting the transportation infrastructure between National Highway 18A, National Highway 18B, and National Highway 18C to form a comprehensive transportation network serving socio-economic development needs, helping localities develop land resources, develop production, and helping communes in the area complete the criteria for building new rural areas according to the approved plan.

Thanks to its well-connected transportation network, trade and travel have become more convenient, helping Hai Son develop day by day.

The route also serves as a driving force to promote trade, attract investment projects, alleviate poverty for ethnic minorities, and contribute to the rapid development of the Mong Cai Border Economic Zone and the Bac Phong Sinh Border Economic Zone, thereby strengthening economic exchange and friendly cooperation between Vietnam and China.

"In parallel with the investment in renovating and upgrading National Highway 18C by higher authorities, the commune is also urgently mobilizing resources to complete rural transportation infrastructure, connecting within the region and between regions."

As a result, the transportation network in the area has been fully developed, facilitating trade and the development of commodity-oriented production.

"To date, the commune no longer has any poor or near-poor households according to the provincial standards, and the majority of households are well-off or better," Mr. Sang added.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/ngay-xuan-tro-lai-po-hen-192250213155318244.htm