The changing 'currents' in the 'Land of Lotus'

The Tien River flows out to the sea, like Dong Thap’s journey towards the future. From the “generous flow” of history, the “tolerant flow” of culture, to the “connecting flow” of trade, the “pioneering flow” of innovation – all are merging into one “development flow” of Dong Thap today and tomorrow.

On a clear morning in early August, we returned to My Tho city, where a conference was held to seek opinions from central and local leaders of different periods on the draft documents of the Dong Thap Provincial Party Congress for the 2025-2030 term, with a vision to 2045.

Dong Thap today is like a harmony between nature, people and the desire for development. The Tien River, for generations, has quietly embraced this land, nurturing each grain of alluvium, each heart of the simple villagers. The river is not only a flow, but also a culture, a history, an underground stream in the consciousness of each person in this land, just like the loyal, honest, and simple qualities of the Western region of Dong Thap people.

Along the Tien River, we see floating markets, fishing villages, and craft villages along the river that are always bustling. Islands such as Long Khanh, Tan Thuan Dong, Tan Thoi… are like green gems among the river islands, being developed into "ecological islands", "craft village islands", "creative islands" - where every inch of land becomes a story, every person is the main character of today's transformation.

There are Tram Chim National Park, Gao Giong Melaleuca Garden, vast lotus fields... everywhere the green of life appears. But above all, this place contains many layers of heritage. Not only is it a shelter for birds and fish, but it is also a place that preserves the souls of communities living in harmony with nature for many generations.

This was suggested and oriented by Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Le Minh Hoan, an outstanding son of Dong Thap with profound vision, who gave great suggestions and directions for the comprehensive development of Dong Thap in the future when he gave suggestions to the provincial leaders on the direction of Dong Thap's development until 2045 in the draft Political Report of the province before the upcoming Party Congress.

Coming to Dong Thap today, it is not difficult to find large-scale industrial parks, diverse enterprises with modern machinery, technology, and operations. Dong Thap is quietly but with great determination to build a revolutionary development model: agriculture is not only rice, fish, fruit trees but also a high-tech value chain, a processing industry, innovation, a "multi-layered economy ", a multi-industry, multi-field linkage in the development process. Here, people not only produce, but also do tourism, design experiences, create services... All are making efforts every day to unleash the potential of the gateway land of the Mekong Delta.

Provincial Party Secretary Le Quoc Phong and Provincial People's Committee Chairman Tran Tri Quang visited the booth of typical products of Lai Vung district (formerly).

From pangasius, which was once considered a "cheap product", Dong Thap is determined to bring it to a new level: clean breed, clean farming, high technology, green processing, seafood export worthy of the national brand. Linking small to large, organizing fish farming communities, fishing clubs, new-style cooperatives, thereby forming pangasius industry clusters and associations applying new technology, ensuring environmental criteria, reducing emissions, managed by artificial intelligence tools, advanced traceability.

Students study and research red reishi mushroom cultivation model at Dong Thap University.

In Dong Thap, the economy is no longer limited to indicators, but is measured by emotions, by community cohesion, by the ability to create jobs and new confidence for farmers.

When talking about the development orientation of Dong Thap until 2045 with the writer, Dong Thap Provincial Party Secretary Le Quoc Phong shared: With the viewpoint of solidarity, joint efforts, unanimity, one vision, one goal, one aspiration, Dong Thap identifies the general goal as "Building a clean and strong Party organization and political system. Promoting the strength of great national unity, arousing the aspiration for development and the will of self-reliance and self-reliance of the people.

"We strive that by 2030, Dong Thap will become a province with rapidly developing industry, a pioneer in building ecological agriculture, modern countryside, civilized farmers, among the leading developing localities in the Mekong Delta, improving people's lives, advancing culture and society, and maintaining national defense and security.

At the same time, by 2045, it will become a modern agricultural and eco-tourism center of the Mekong Delta, a leading locality in the country in a number of agricultural fields, developing advanced industry, a livable place, where people have a prosperous and happy life," Secretary Le Quoc Phong emphasized.

After more than 7 years of journey, Dong Thap now has more than 150 guild halls, "digital cooperatives" have been born, like green shoots of the season of aspiration.

We went to a club in Sa Dec, sat with the "farmer leaders" to discuss the crops and learn how to sell products through e-commerce platforms. They talked about AI, QR codes, and traceability technology, full of excitement for the new things.

A farmer in his 60s smiled gently: "In the past, we only knew how to transport rice to the market to sell. Now, thanks to the club, I know about value chains, experiential tourism, and digital transformation." The statement is both simple and touching because here, intellectuals do not stand in the lecture hall, but are integrated into the fields and into every life.

Flower Village and Tam Que Clubhouses have monthly activities.

The Association – where the philosophy of local development based on community strength is becoming a vivid reality. No one is just a listener, everyone is a subject of action. Because people do not rely on anyone else, but look back at themselves: see what they have, what they know, what they can do. Community thinking sees each person as part of the solution, no one is on the outside, no one is left behind.

From there, we envision "technology fields", "smart villages", "innovation centers" in the countryside. Where agricultural graduates start businesses with organic rice varieties and strive to build large model fields. The Government's "Sustainable Development Project of 1 million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice cultivation associated with green growth in the Mekong Delta by 2030" is being effectively implemented throughout the "Nine Dragons" land. Where rural students learn STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) from primary school. Where each commune and ward has a core cooperative that both produces and organizes services and accesses the global value chain.

Speaking at the conference to contribute ideas to the draft documents of the Dong Thap Provincial Party Congress for the 2025-2030 term, with a vision to 2045, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Le Minh Hoan said: "To develop a sustainable locality, not only projects or capital are needed, but most importantly, it is necessary to sow trust, sow aspirations, and sow knowledge in the hearts of the people."

Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Le Minh Hoan visits the Dong Thap Mango Festival.

That’s right. Dong Thap today does not develop by concrete or administrative orders, but by trust and orders from the heart. That is, trust in the people themselves, in the staff at the grassroots level, in the strength of the community, in the Tien River, in the land of Dong Thap Muoi – great streams converging into a stream of development aspirations.

The Tien River flows out to the sea, like Dong Thap's journey towards the future. From the "generous flow" of history, the "tolerant flow" of culture, to the "connecting flow" of trade, the "pioneering flow" of innovation - all are merging into one "flow of development".

We left My Tho in the gentle afternoon sunlight. On the road that runs alongside the Tien River, a Dong Thap woman sat next to a basket of lotus, water lilies, snakehead fish, and fish sauce for sale to visitors. An image of a simple life, where each person is a creative link in the common development chain.

That flow will continue. But today, we believe: Dong Thap has begun to reach out to the ocean with a warm heart and an open mind, to move forward – firmly and proudly./.

According to baochinhphu.vn

Source: https://baoapbac.vn/kinh-te/202508/nhung-dong-chay-doi-thay-o-dat-sen-hong-1047836/