The peaceful sound of the gong in the Liangshan mountains.

Mr. Luong Duc Tham, Head of the Security and Order Team of Luong Thien village, rings the security alarm in the residential area.

Following the police force of Luong Son commune, we arrived at the house of Mr. Luong Thanh Dung, the head of Luong Thien village, just as three gongs rang on the wall of his stilt house. A few minutes later, Mr. Dung's phone rang incessantly. On the other end of the line, a woman's anxious voice asked, "What's the matter, Mr. Dung?" Mr. Dung explained, "Mr. Luong Duc Tham, the head of the security and order team, just rang the gong for me to announce that the young men in the village should gather for their military service examination. Rest assured, everyone..."

For the people of Luong Thien village, each gong beat carries a unique message. The three short, regular gong beats that Mr. Tham just struck are the "peace signal," usually sounded only at 10 p.m., reminding villagers to check their doors and windows and be careful with firewood before going to bed.

Luong Thien village currently has 318 households with 1,444 inhabitants, of which about 70% are ethnic Thai people. The village is large and divided into 6 sections by Highway 30A, so two security bells are needed to ensure timely and consistent transmission of signals. Since the implementation of the "Security Bell - Peaceful Village" model, the villagers' compliance has significantly improved. At exactly 10 PM, when the bell rings, both shop owners and customers voluntarily close their doors and leave. Families holding weddings or other celebrations with loud music also proactively lower the volume upon hearing the bell's signal. The bell not only reminds people of the time but also reminds everyone to maintain peace and order.

Not only effective in Luong Thien village, the "Security Alarm Bell - Peaceful Village" model is also maintained in Minh Quang village, located along National Highway 47. As an area stretching along the highway with heavy traffic and numerous shops and rest stops, the risk of security and order violations is always present. Given this unique situation, the Minh Quang village security team has placed a security alarm bell on a high hill so that its sound can be heard throughout the residential area. They maintain a consistent alarm schedule to remind residents to be vigilant, protect their property, and avoid gathering at night; this is also closely coordinated with patrols after curfew hours.

In January 2025, during a night patrol with a bell signaling the start of a patrol, Mr. Hoang Van Minh, Head of the Security and Order Team of Minh Quang village, coordinated with the commune police force to detect Le Ngoc Minh illegally using drugs, and promptly compiled a report for processing.

According to Nguyen Xuan Dong, Chairman of the People's Committee of Luong Son Commune: The commune currently has 2,129 households with 9,510 inhabitants, scattered in independent residential clusters. Based on the specific characteristics of the area, the commune has established 7 self-governing security and order teams, each consisting of 3 members responsible for a residential cluster. The "Security Alarm Bell - Peaceful Villages" model was implemented in October 2020, initiated by the commune's police. To date, the entire commune has installed 9 alarm bells, including 1 at the commune's People's Committee office and 8 at village cultural centers or the homes of the security and order team leaders. Since the model was implemented, the security and order situation in the area has improved significantly, with theft, fighting, and brawling decreasing by approximately 90%. The movement of all citizens protecting national security is becoming more profound; the spirit of self-prevention, self-management, and self-protection among the people has been noticeably enhanced.

The model of using a security alarm for peaceful living in Luong Son not only creates a civilized way of life in the residential area, but also awakens the sense of responsibility of each citizen in preventing and combating crime, working together to maintain peace in the village.

Text and photos: Tang Thuy

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/tieng-keng-binh-yen-noi-nui-doi-luong-son-271907.htm