Promoting heroic historical traditions, firmly building the homeland

In the heroic atmosphere of the historic April days, every citizen of Binh Thuan fondly remembers the sacred moment 49 years ago: the Day of Liberation of the Homeland (April 19, 1975) and the Day of Complete Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30, 1975). Nearly half a century after that triumphant song, overcoming countless difficulties and challenges, the Party Committee, government, military, and people of Binh Thuan have been striving to build their homeland, and the changes today bear a truly proud mark.

A glorious historical journey

President Ho Chi Minh's call, "We would rather sacrifice everything than lose our country, we would rather die than be enslaved," has become a sacred command in the minds and hearts of every Vietnamese person. Under the wise leadership of the Party and President Ho Chi Minh , the army and people of the entire country overcame countless difficulties, achieving glorious victories, culminating in the General Offensive and Uprising of Spring 1975, ending with the complete victory of the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign, liberating the entire South and unifying the country.

Liberation Army captures and liberates Binh Thuan. (Archival photo)

To achieve that victory, the army and people of Binh Thuan and Binh Tuy continuously attacked and rose up for 51 days and nights (March 8, 1975 - April 27, 1975), completely liberating their homeland, reunifying the country, and bringing North and South together as one nation. Going back in history to April 9, 1975, the leaders of Military Region VI and Binh Thuan province decided to establish the Binh Thuan Liberation Command. From April 10 to 12, the armed forces of Military Region VI, the province, and Ham Thuan district captured several key enemy targets on Highway 8, from An Phu to Tan An, Tan Dien... On the afternoon of April 17, 1975, Tuy Phong district was liberated. On the morning of April 18, 1975, Hoa Da, Phan Ly, and Hai Ninh districts were liberated in succession. At 8 PM on April 18, 1975, our forces attacked Phan Thiet. The enemy quickly disintegrated, laying down their weapons and surrendering to the liberation army. At 9 AM on April 19, 1975, the Military Governing Committee took over Phan Thiet. On April 23, 1975, Ham Tan was liberated. With the support of the 382nd Naval Regiment, on the night of April 26, 1975, the 482nd Battalion of the province, Company 490, and some cadres from Tuy Phong district crossed the sea to Cu Lao Thu Island (Phu Quy). At 4 AM on April 27, 1975, our troops opened fire and attacked. After more than an hour of fierce fighting, the enemy laid down their weapons and surrendered. Cu Lao Thu – the last remaining territory of Binh Thuan – was completely liberated.

Provincial Conference Center. Photo: N.Lân

After 51 days and nights (March 8 - April 27, 1975) of continuous attacks and uprisings, the army and people of Binh Thuan and Binh Tuy completely liberated their homeland, contributing to the great victory of Spring 1975, the complete liberation of the South, and the reunification of the country. Throughout more than 21 years of tenacious fighting, the army and people of Binh Thuan achieved many glorious victories, worthy of the 12 golden words bestowed by the Party and State: "Self-reliance, self-strength, glorious fighting, glorious victory."

Keep moving forward

After liberation, the Party Committee, military, and people of Binh Thuan focused on overcoming the consequences of war, gradually restoring and developing the economy . After 49 years of liberation, the Party Committee, government, military, and people of Binh Thuan have upheld the heroic spirit and character of the land and people of Binh Thuan, achieving significant accomplishments in various fields. From a province facing many difficulties, the Party Committee, military, and people of Binh Thuan have strived to achieve many positive results in all aspects. The economy has developed quite rapidly, with economic growth consistently higher than the national average, creating a clear transformation in the growth model; improving production capacity and the scale of the economy.

Le Duan Street - Phan Thiet City. Photo: N. Lan

Notably, in 2023, Binh Thuan province successfully seized opportunities, overcame difficulties and challenges, and achieved many positive and comprehensive results in various fields, meeting and exceeding the targets for 14 out of 17 key socio-economic development indicators. The brightest spot was the continued growth in the three sectors identified as the province's economic pillars. The province's economy continued to grow significantly. The province's economic scale reached over 100 trillion VND; the Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) in 2023 increased by 8.1% compared to 2022, ranking 14th out of 63 provinces and cities and 4th out of 14 provinces and cities in the North Central and Central Coastal regions. This is a remarkable improvement, considering that in 2022 it only increased by 7.75%, ranking 45th out of 63 provinces and cities nationwide and 10th out of 14 localities in the region. Average per capita income reached 54.3 million VND, an increase of 5.1% compared to 2022.

A view of Phan Thiet city. Photo: N. Lan

In 2023, the province welcomed 8.35 million tourists, an increase of 45.98%; tourism revenue was estimated at VND 22,300 billion, an increase of 63%. Industrial production value increased by 3.8%, with the electricity production and distribution sector increasing by 11.66%. Agricultural production remained stable. The New Rural Development Program continued to receive attention and guidance for implementation; to date, the province has 2 districts and 74 communes meeting the new rural development standards; of which, 4 communes have achieved advanced new rural development standards. In addition, the socio-cultural sector has seen many positive changes, the quality of education has improved, social security and welfare have been well implemented, the poverty rate has decreased; and per capita income increased by 5.1% compared to 2022. Digital transformation has yielded initial results, notably the city of Phan Thiet has put into operation the Smart City Operations Center. Urban and rural areas continue to be invested in and upgraded, becoming more beautiful and modern than before. National defense, security, order, and social safety in the province are maintained...

Commemorating the 49th anniversary of the liberation of Binh Thuan province (April 19, 1975 - April 19, 2024) and the 49th anniversary of the liberation of Southern Vietnam and national reunification (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2024), we recall the glorious history of our nation, look back at the journey of fighting, building, and developing the country; express our gratitude to the generations of our ancestors, our compatriots and comrades from all over the country who contributed their strength, resources, and blood to the cause of liberating our homeland; and feel even more proud of our civilized nation, our heroic people, our glorious Party, and our great President Ho Chi Minh. From there, we gain a deeper understanding of the values ​​and lessons learned from the practical struggles of the nation, further strengthening our will and determination to successfully implement the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress and the Resolution of the 14th Binh Thuan Provincial Party Congress, term 2020-2025, contributing to the cause of building and firmly defending the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland.

Source: https://baobinhthuan.com.vn/phat-huy-truyen-thong-lich-su-hao-hung-vung-buoc-xay-dung-que-huong-118243.html