The flowering seasons help bring back the green to the countryside.

From moss-covered old walls and weed-filled roadsides to the empty spaces in front of the village entrance gate... everything is being transformed by the colors of flowers and the nurturing hands of the villagers. Behind the vibrant flower-lined streets, the murals, and the impressive entrance gates lies the enduring collective effort of the community.

Youth union members in Sam Son ward, in coordination with volunteer clubs and local residents, collected garbage and dredged the drainage ditches in the Trung Moi Mural Village area.

From flower-lined streets to a shift in lifestyle.

A weekend morning in Uoc Thanh village, Quang Ninh commune, begins with the sound of bamboo brooms sweeping up trash on the still-damp concrete road. Along the road leading into the residential area, potted bougainvillea and rows of ornamental trees have just been trimmed. A few women carrying scissors, buckets of water, and small sacks stroll leisurely along the familiar road, each knowing their part of the task without needing any prompting.

While pulling out weeds growing around the base of a tree, Ms. Dam Thi Can, Head of the Women's Association of Uoc Thanh village, shared: "The village road is clean, with flowers and trees, so it feels much more pleasant to walk along than before. We've gotten used to doing this, and if we don't come out to take care of it for a few days, we feel like something is missing."

Initially, in Quang Ninh commune, it was just a few short stretches of road managed by women's associations, with members contributing labor and seedlings for trial planting. As the village roads gradually became brighter, greener, and cleaner, more households began to participate. From 2022 to the present, the Women's Union of Quang Ninh commune has built and maintained 15 flower-lined roads and roads lined with ornamental trees, totaling nearly 3km in length; placed more than 350 pots of bougainvillea along residential roads; and installed 650 signs reading "Clean House - Beautiful Garden" and "Clean House - Beautiful Alley" at households. More than 1,000 members regularly participate in environmental sanitation activities, tree care, and maintaining the self-management model.

These activities didn't stop at just a movement. On the fourth Sunday of every month, the branches conduct general cleaning, mow grass, care for flowerbeds, and maintain the "Women's Association Rose Garden" model. From these regular work sessions, environmental preservation gradually became a habit.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong, chairwoman of the Women's Union of the commune, said: "The most difficult thing is not planting another flower-lined road, but maintaining that road for many years. If we only do it as a trend, the trees will die and the road will deteriorate very quickly. To maintain it long-term, people must consider it their own responsibility."

Building on the model of flower-lined streets, the Women's Union of the commune continued to mobilize the installation of approximately 300 public trash cans and organized training on sorting household waste. A cleaner street gradually led to changes in the environmental habits of many families.

The road improvements in Quang Ninh are not an isolated story. In many rural areas of Thanh Hoa province, women's association members continue to contribute to changing the face of the countryside through small things like planting trees, keeping roads clean, sorting waste, or donating land to expand pathways. Between 2021 and 2025, women's associations at all levels throughout the province undertook nearly 4,600 projects and tasks; planted nearly 1.5 million trees and supported the construction of approximately 5,600 waste sorting pits. Behind this are thousands of man-days of labor, the removal of fences, and nearly 510,000 square meters of land voluntarily donated by members to expand rural infrastructure. Many models such as "Green House," "Clean Garden - Beautiful House - Green Fence," and "Women's Waste Collection Group" are no longer just planned activities. In many places, sweeping alleyways, tending trees, and keeping roads clean has become a routine for the people.

Unleash your inner strength.

About 10km from Quang Ninh commune, along Nguyen Thien Thuat road, in Trung Moi residential area, Sam Son ward, dozens of youth union members and local people waded into the canal to collect garbage, clear bushes, and dredge the waterway. In some sections, the mud was knee-deep. The work lasted for many hours under the early summer sun, but the rhythm of labor was almost uninterrupted. This activity was carried out by the Sam Son Ward Youth Union in coordination with the "We - Save The World" Club, the "36 Green" group, and local people to beautify the tourist area.

Nguyen Huu Tuan, secretary of the ward's youth union, said: "Maintaining a clean environment is not only about preserving the landscape, but also contributes to maintaining the image of our homeland in the eyes of tourists. Therefore, charitable activities for the environment are regularly maintained."

From campaigns launched in Sam Son to many other localities, the mark of Thanh Hoa's youth is increasingly evident in building new rural areas and improving the living environment. By 2025, youth union branches at all levels throughout the province will implement 5,230 activities related to building new rural areas; renovate 32km of rural road lighting; build 17 model roads and plant over 510,000 new trees.

While the flower-lined roads in Quang Ninh demonstrate the perseverance of women's association members in preserving their living spaces, the activities of young people add new resources to rural areas through their pioneering spirit. Different approaches, yet they converge on one point: arousing people's responsibility towards the place where they live.

Flowers will change with the seasons, and trees may need to be replanted after a storm. A clean road today could be littered with trash tomorrow if no one is there to maintain it. But as long as there are still women who wake up early to sweep the alleys and streets, and young people who are willing to wade into muddy water to clear the waterways, many villages in Thanh Hoa province will become bright, green, clean, and beautiful.

Text and photos: Tang Thuy

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/nhung-mua-hoa-giup-lang-que-xanh-lai-288566.htm