New life in the cradle of revolutionary homeland

New life in the cradle of revolutionary homeland

Pac Bo "wears a new coat"

Pac Bo – a sacred land associated with the history of the Vietnamese revolution, located in Truong Ha commune, Cao Bang province – where Km0 is located, the starting point of the legendary Ho Chi Minh trail, which is changing strongly every day. From a “red address” marking Uncle Ho’s first steps when returning to the Fatherland in 1941, Pac Bo today is not only an attractive destination for domestic and foreign tourists, but also a vivid symbol of change and sustainable development of a borderland rich in tradition.

Border guards and police of Truong Ha commune regularly visit households to inquire and propagate the law.

Returning to Pac Bo in July 2025, we clearly felt the changes here. Clean concrete roads threaded through the small alleys; houses were built spaciously; people's lives were increasingly improving. Many households owned their own cars, boldly investing in economic development, both preserving traditional culture and taking advantage of opportunities from tourism and trade and service activities.

Mr. Hoang Van Soai, Head of Pac Bo Hamlet, said: The hamlet currently has 90 households with 383 people, of which nearly 60 households are involved in business and providing services to tourists. “Thanks to the attention and support from authorities at all levels, Pac Bo is making strong changes. People have more jobs, their income has increased, and their lives are increasingly prosperous,” Mr. Soai happily shared.

Today, Pac Bo has been planned as a special national relic site, with a well-invested infrastructure system. On both sides of the roads in the hamlet are corn fields, sugarcane fields and green fruit gardens, creating a landscape that is both familiar and attractive to tourists. Mr. Vuong Van Quan, a business household in the Lenin stream area, said that his family rented a kiosk to sell souvenirs, local specialties and soft drinks to serve tourists. The husband sells goods, the wife takes photos, his family life is quite comfortable.

According to Mr. Quan, the peak tourist season usually falls in April, May and June every year. However, from July onwards, when the rainy season begins, the number of visitors decreases significantly. “Sugarcane juice is very popular in the summer. Previously, we had to import it from other places, but now people have proactively grown sugarcane all year round, ensuring both quality and convenience in preparing raw materials,” Mr. Quan added.

The combination of service business and agricultural production has helped many Pac Bo households have a stable income and become well-off. Village Secretary Duong Thi Bich Hop said that since 2018, people started selling goods at kiosks near Lenin Stream. After a period of stagnation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of visitors increased again in 2024. Currently, this area has 34 kiosks, creating jobs for many local workers. "People's lives have changed significantly, income has increased, and life has improved," Ms. Hop shared.

Having lived in Pac Bo all his life, Mr. Duong Chi Quan, the nephew of Mr. Duong Van Dinh, who welcomed Uncle Ho back to the country, is now 80 years old. As a veteran of the anti-American resistance war, he witnessed every step of change in his homeland.

Mr. Quan emotionally shared that from a poor mountainous area, the village has changed day by day. People's lives have improved significantly, many households are both farmers and traders, with stable incomes, no longer in poverty like before. "Children can go to school. Many families have cars, life has improved, everyone is at ease doing business. Security and order are good, there are no social evils, we can leave our cars on the street all night without worrying about them being stolen. These changes are truly precious and appreciated by us," Mr. Quan said.

Sharing with us, Mr. Quan said that until now, the memory of meeting Uncle Ho in 1961 is still intact in him. “At that time, I was able to present flowers to him. Uncle patted his head and told him: Pac Bo youth must be good and study well, in the future, we will build the country to be more and more prosperous”, he said. From that teaching, I volunteered to join the army in 1967, fought in the Southern battlefield, then worked and stayed with Pac Bo until today. The changes today are the way for us to carry out Uncle Ho's advice in the past”, Mr. Quan proudly said.

Taking advantage of the potential of their homeland, Pac Bo people have boldly transformed their economic structure. Many typical agricultural products such as plums, persimmons, melons, red-fleshed dragon fruit, sturgeon, egg-laying chickens, etc. have gradually become typical local products. A typical example is Mr. Nong Thanh Bang - from a poor household, he has now built a farm, grown fruit trees, and supplied commercial chickens to restaurants in the area. Many other households have also succeeded with clean agricultural models, such as raising sturgeon, growing melons, or developing homestays associated with eco-tourism. These models not only increase income but also contribute to changing the economic face of Truong Ha commune. From a purely agricultural commune, trade and services have now accounted for about 25% of the commune's economic structure. Along with the efforts of the people, the locality has also received large investments from the State in infrastructure and support programs, creating a solid foundation for sustainable development in the new period.

"Red address" on the journey back to the source

Pac Bo - A special national relic site, this place is not only the pride of Cao Bang but also an indispensable destination in the journey "back to the source". The image of "Mr. Ke", "Old Thu" (the affectionate name that the people gave to Uncle Ho during the time he was active and led the revolutionary movement here) is still imprinted in the people's memories, adding motivation for Pac Bo today to develop in the new rhythm of life.

Tourist Nguyen Thi Huong (Ho Chi Minh City) shared: “The first time I came to Pac Bo, I was very impressed with the wild, fresh beauty and was moved when I saw with my own eyes the historical relics associated with Uncle Ho”. According to her, with the clear Lenin stream, Coc Po cave, the stone table where Uncle Ho worked... Pac Bo is not only a tourist destination but also a place to foster patriotism and gratitude to previous generations.

Every year, the number of tourists visiting Pac Bo National Special Relic Site is constantly increasing. In particular, during the recent April 30 - May 1 holiday, this place recorded a record number of visitors with about 22,000 people. However, according to Mr. Hoang Van Soai, the number of overnight visitors is still very modest. "We really hope to be supported in developing a community tourism model with a clear direction for local people to participate. When visitors stay longer, many services will be expanded, creating more jobs and increasing income," Mr. Soai expressed his hope.

However, for the local people, development does not mean losing cultural identity. Mr. Soai affirmed: “To have sustainable tourism, we must preserve the wild beauty, cultural identity and special historical value of Pac Bo. Tourists come here not only to admire the scenery, but also to relive sacred memories, feel the revolutionary spirit, understand the people of the border area, and from there be ready to contribute to improving community life.”

Along with the desire to preserve the sacred memories of the revolutionary homeland, Mr. Duong Chi Quan expressed his wish to receive support from the State to restore the four original stilt houses of his family on the old land - where Uncle Ho's footsteps were imprinted in the early days of his return to the Fatherland. "If those houses are rebuilt, it will not only be a destination bearing the mark of time, but also a place for the younger generation to touch history, to better understand the arduous revolutionary journey of Uncle Ho and the people of the border area", Mr. Quan shared.

Pac Bo is not only a land of heroic history, but also holds a strategic position on the national border. Here, Pac Bo Border Control Station always stands side by side with the people to protect the security of the border area and preserve the special National Monument. Senior Lieutenant Hoang Dau Quy, Head of the Reconnaissance Team of Soc Giang Border Guard Station, said: "The security situation in the area is always guaranteed, people's lives are stable and improving". The Border Guard force closely coordinates with the Commune Police to patrol, maintain the border and landmarks, and actively propagate the law, support production and help people stabilize their lives - contributing to strengthening the military-civilian relationship on the border of the Fatherland.

Captain Nong Van Gioi, an officer of Truong Ha Commune Police, shared: “Pac Bo is a sacred red address, where the young generation seeks their revolutionary roots. Working here is a great honor and responsibility, we always strive to preserve peace for this historic land”. Thanks to the close coordination of the forces, security in Pac Bo and neighboring hamlets is always stable, social evils are pushed back. People are assured to develop the economy, build a prosperous life, contributing to preserving the image of Pac Bo as peaceful and friendly.

Source: https://cand.com.vn/Phong-su-tu-lieu/nhip-song-moi-o-chiec-noi-que-huong-cach-mang-i778425/