Son La celebrates 130 years of establishment: An agricultural miracle amidst the clouds

On the evening of October 10, at Tay Bac Square, the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee, and Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Son La province held a ceremony to celebrate the 130th anniversary of the province's founding (October 10, 1895 - October 10, 2025).

Party Central Committee member, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Le Minh Hoan; leaders and former leaders of the Party and State; delegates of the Lao People's Democratic Republic; leaders of central and provincial departments, ministries and branches attended the ceremony.

Delivering a commemorative speech, Son La Provincial Party Secretary Hoang Quoc Khanh said that on October 10, 1895, Son La province was established with the initial name of Van Bu and in 1904 it was changed to Son La.

Son La Provincial Party Secretary Hoang Quoc Khanh delivers a speech commemorating the 130th anniversary of the province's founding. (Photo: Quang Quyet/VNA)

During the process of formation and development, the ethnic groups here have created a land rich in unique and valuable traditions.

After 130 years of construction and development, the people of all ethnic groups in Son La province, under the leadership of the Party Committee, have stood side by side with the whole country to continue promoting heroic traditions, overcoming all difficulties and challenges, and achieving great achievements in all fields.

The economic structure has shifted in a positive direction, in the right direction and in line with the economic development goals of the province. Agricultural production has developed in a sustainable direction, associated with the application of high technology and processing industry.

Total product in the province in 2025 is estimated to reach 83,000 billion VND, GRDP per capita in 2025 is estimated to reach 62 million VND/person/year.

The province focuses on developing culture and society, taking good care of people's health and life; building an advanced culture imbued with national identity; promoting the application of information technology and digital transformation; focusing on improving the quality of education and training to develop human resources to meet the requirements of the new era.

People's lives are stable; the poverty rate according to the poverty line for the 2021-2025 period decreased from 21.66% in 2021 to over 7% by the end of 2025. The province has completed the work of eliminating temporary and dilapidated houses in the area; the solidarity of ethnic groups has been consolidated; national defense and security have been maintained.

The work of Party building, rectification and consolidation of the political system has been focused on, implemented comprehensively, synchronously and effectively. The province maintains a special cooperative and friendly relationship with 9 Lao provinces; building a peaceful, friendly, stable and comprehensively developed Vietnam-Laos border.

At the ceremony, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Le Minh Hoan emphasized that 130 years is a long journey crystallized by the sweat, intelligence, and patriotism of many generations of Son La people, of mountain villages, and ethnic people who, together with the whole country, have defended the border and built the Fatherland.

Son La preserves a sacred memory, where every inch of land is soaked with sweat, tears and blood of many generations, blending with the glorious feats of arms of the nation.

Also according to Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Le Minh Hoan, the country is unified, Son La continues to face the war of poverty, backwardness, and division by mountains and rugged terrain.

Continuing the heroic tradition, the will and belief of the Son La people once again created a victory of intelligence and determination in peacetime. Rising from hardship, Son La, a sloping land, the source of the Ma and Da rivers, has now become the agricultural capital of the Northwest region, confidently entering a new stage, the stage of sustainable development, integration and creativity.

Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Le Minh Hoan presents the President's First-class Labor Medal to Son La province. (Photo: Quang Quyet/VNA)

Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Le Minh Hoan affirmed that right in the "steep Northwest" with many difficulties, the Party Committee, government and people of Son La together created an agricultural miracle amidst the clouds.

From the corn and cassava fields of the past, Son La has risen to lead the North in terms of fruit growing area. Moc Chau plums, Song Ma longans, Yen Chau mangoes, Thuan Chau passion fruit, Son La coffee… have spread the flavor of the Northwest mountains and forests around the world.

Along with that, the green tea hills, ecological farms, community models and roads opening the way for tourism, trade, knowledge, technology... are continuing to tell the proud story of change of the land that persistently turns difficulties into motivation. Son La farmers confidently participate in community institutions, plant trees together to protect the forest, do agriculture together while thinking about tourism, ecology, and culture.

"The world is changing very quickly. But there are values that always last, which are the spirit of solidarity, self-reliance and the desire to rise up. Son La has been, is and will continue to be a land of will and creativity; a "storyteller" of the Northwest mountains and forests in the era of the country's rise. Development is not only reflected in economic growth figures but also includes the vitality of each village, the smile of each person, and the belief of the young generation," said the Vice Chairman of the National Assembly.

On this occasion, on behalf of the Party and State leaders, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Le Minh Hoan presented the First Class Labor Medal of the President to the Party Committee, government, army and people of all ethnic groups in Son La province for their outstanding achievements in developing fruit trees, contributing to the economic and social development of the Northwest region and the cause of building socialism and defending the Fatherland; and presented the Third Class Labor Medal to Secretary of the Son La Provincial Party Committee Hoang Quoc Khanh and Standing Deputy Secretary of the Son La Provincial Party Committee Lo Minh Hung for their outstanding achievements in contributing to the cause of building socialism and defending the Fatherland.

After the ceremony, a special art program was elaborately staged with many unique singing and dancing performances recreating the heroic history of the army and people of Son La in the struggle for national independence and freedom, the cause of building and defending the Fatherland, and the achievements in socio-economic development, national defense and security of Son La.../.

(TTXVN/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/son-la-ky-niem-130-nam-thanh-lap-ky-tich-nong-nghiep-giua-may-ngan-post1069600.vnp