New rural areas "light up" highland villages

Create a green - clean - beautiful landscape

In early November, we had the opportunity to return to Lao Chai 1 village. Through observation, we saw that the road was paved with smooth concrete; the houses were spacious and sturdy; along both sides of the road, many kinds of flowers were blooming, clearly demonstrating the change in awareness and action of the people here. The roads and alleys were cleaned, signs were put up for "self-managed road"; the movement of "clean house, beautiful garden" spread throughout the village, women and youth actively planted flowers and trees.

A corner of Lao Chai 1 village (Khun Ha commune).

According to comrade Cu A Chu - Secretary of Lao Chai 1 village Party Cell, this change is thanks to the support policies of the Party, the State and the mobilization of commune cadres in implementing the movement "All people join hands to build new rural areas". With the spirit of "the State and the people work together", cadres go to each house to propagate and explain each criterion in building new rural areas; mobilize party members and village elders to be exemplary in donating land to build roads and moving barns away from home. If in the past, many households still had the mindset of waiting for the State, now people proactively discuss, contribute and join hands to implement each small item in the new rural program.

A notable point in Lao Chai 1 is the “Green Saturday” movement that is maintained regularly. Every Saturday morning, people, along with youth union members and women’s union members, clean up, clear grass along the roadside, and collect garbage.

Spacious, clean houses attract tourists to Lao Chai 1 village.

Implementing the movement "All people join hands to build new rural areas", the village mobilized people to contribute 2,350 working days to build village roads, cultural houses, and village alleys; mobilized 1,540 working days to build 250m of stairs around the village and 12 viewing huts; mobilized people to contribute 11 million VND to build 1.3km of rural lighting lines. Built 65 solar-powered lampposts with a total cost of 110.5 million VND... Up to now, 100% of households have access to the national grid; 100% of households have hygienic toilets; 100% of households have livestock pens.

Ms. Chang Thi Hang in Lao Chai 1 village excitedly said: “In the past, every house was poor, the dirt roads were slippery in the rainy season, motorbikes could not enter, children had to walk to school, the elderly and sick had difficulty going to the commune health station. Since 2011, implementing the national target program on new rural construction, with the State's support for cement, everyone enthusiastically participated in contributing to road construction. The roads are now open, electricity is available in every alley, everyone has more motivation to do business than before.”

Mong ethnic women in Lao Chai 1 village preserve the traditional beeswax painting craft.

The transformation of Lao Chai 1 is a clear demonstration of the spirit of “State and People working together”. The flower roads, stone fences, and clean and beautiful lifestyle today are the foundation for a model new rural future in the Lai Chau highlands – where people live in harmony with nature, maintain their identity, and build a prosperous and happy life.

Building new rural areas associated with community tourism development

Currently, Lao Chai 1 village has become a typical example in building new rural areas associated with developing community tourism, preserving the unique cultural values of the Mong ethnic group. In 2024, Lao Chai 1 village was recognized as a 3-star OCOP community tourism village, marking an important development step and affirming the right direction in building a tourism model associated with preserving ethnic culture.

Many cultural and artistic activities are maintained in Lao Chai 1 village.

To attract tourists to the village, people actively decorate the landscape from the village gate, the house gate bearing the cultural mark of the Mong ethnic group. In addition to planting flowers, people actively plant orchids to create a green - clean - beautiful landscape for the village, and increase income, especially during holidays, orchids have high economic value.

Along with that, the village encourages people to boldly invest in homestay, food services, and ethnic cultural experiences. In particular, the village built a product exhibition house and assigned the village community tourism cooperative to manage it. Currently, the cooperative has 14 members taking turns on duty, selling local agricultural products such as honey, wild tea, and renting traditional costumes of the Mong people. Every year, the village maintains the "Huong sac ban Mong" festival with special activities: rice cake pounding competition, playing the flute, dancing and singing. Thanks to that, every year, the village welcomes thousands of domestic and foreign tourists to visit and experience.

Lao Chai 1 villagers keep the environment clean.

Mr. Le Duc Duc - a tourist from Quang Ninh said: "The first time I came to Lao Chai 1 village, I really liked the climate here, the people are enthusiastic and friendly. In particular, the homestays are decorated in a style close to nature, the motifs are imbued with the beauty of the Mong ethnic group. I hope to have the opportunity to bring friends and relatives to Lao Chai 1 to feel all the beauty, humanity as well as the dishes of the people here.

In addition to focusing on developing community tourism, the people of Lao Chai 1 village have actively transformed the structure of crops and livestock; implemented intensive farming; and developed a temperate fruit tree growing model. Thanks to that, the people's lives have increasingly improved, the poverty rate is 29.78%, and the average income is 48 million VND/person/year.

Comrade Bui Thi Hoa - Vice Chairman of Khun Ha Commune People's Committee affirmed: Lao Chai 1 is one of the bright spots of the commune in mobilizing people to join hands in building new rural areas. We will continue to replicate the model, at the same time, mobilize resources to invest in infrastructure, support livelihoods, and provide vocational training to help people develop a sustainable economy on their homeland."

From a poor and backward village, Lao Chai 1 has risen to become a bright spot in the new rural construction movement of Khun Ha commune. That success is the crystallization of the Party's will and the people's heart, of consensus, creativity and aspiration to rise in the highlands of Lai Chau.

Source: https://baolaichau.vn/xa-hoi/nong-thon-moi-thap-sang-ban-vung-cao-618441