"It is not too much to say that it has grown 100 times."

Former Director of the Department of Finance, former Director of the Provincial Statistics Office - Huynh Minh Son recounts the years when Long An still had many difficulties.

During the fierce war, Long An, like the whole country, faced many difficulties and hardships. “My hometown is Can Giuoc. Back then, when you stepped out, you would see mud and swamp. The Tan Tap area used to be just wasteland, with only crabs and crabs living there. Now, that area is a modern international port. Transportation, education, economy, etc. are all developed. I think it is not too much to say that Long An is 100 times more developed than before!” - former Director of the Department of Finance, former Director of the Provincial Statistics Office - Huynh Minh Son shared.

Mr. Son said that 50 years ago, the alley leading to his house was a small, muddy and deserted dirt road. When his family moved in, there was no electricity or running water. The family of three generations had to rely on electricity from the school next door to light a single light bulb. In those years, oil lamps were widely used, and there were few industrial establishments in Tan An town.

Tan An in those years was not yet developed as described by author Thach Phuong in Long An Gazetteer: During the time of French colonialism and American imperialism, Tan An town did not change much. The whole town had only National Highway 1 and a few other main roads paved.

Mr. Son said: “At that time, if I wanted to go to Can Giuoc to visit my family, I had to go from Tan An to Ho Chi Minh City and then back. But now, many new routes have been opened, so I can go any way I want, quickly and conveniently.”

When he was still fighting, young soldier Huynh Minh Son and his comrades often talked about peace, but no one could imagine what peace would be like, how life would change then? In the days when even a bicycle was a luxury, he did not dare to think of the day when each family could own 2-3 motorbikes like today. He also did not think of the time when his children and grandchildren would be able to use smartphones, connect to the Internet and be taken care of in their education from a young age.

The border area in Dong Thap Muoi is no longer a barren field but has become prosperous after 50 years of national reunification (Photo taken in Thanh Tri commune, Kien Tuong town)

If in the past, during the war, the search for knowledge was a difficult journey, after 50 years of national reunification, children can go to school from the age of 3. The whole province with nearly 600 educational institutions from kindergarten to high school with more than 17,000 teachers is the clearest proof of Long An's current care and development of education. Hundreds of billions of VND are spent to invest in upgrading facilities, teaching equipment, and attracting good teachers to develop high-quality education in the province. In the 2024-2025 school year, Long An has 23 students winning prizes in the national excellent student competition. Of which, 1 student was called to participate in the 2025 Olympic team selection exam.

“After the long resistance war, the homeland suffered many losses and pains. Now, society has developed in all aspects. In particular, the young generation has been trained and nurtured systematically, becoming useful citizens for society. Today's achievements are the result of the outstanding efforts of the Party Committee, government and people in the province as well as the whole country,” said retired cadre Huynh Minh Son.

Historic decisions

After 50 years of national reunification, Long An has risen from one of the least developed provinces in the Mekong Delta region to become one of the leading provinces in economic development.

“50 years ago, Long An province only had a few southern districts such as Can Duoc, Tan Tru, Chau Thanh that could produce two rice crops. The Dong Thap Muoi region was almost deserted, there were almost no roads, it was still very deserted! People had to eat corn mixed with corn. Regarding industry, there was almost nothing except a few small factories in Tan An such as Cau Voi Textile Factory, rice milling factory” - former Provincial Party Secretary - Le Thanh Tam said.

Former Provincial Party Secretary - Le Thanh Tam talks about Long An's historic decisions

To get the "sweet fruit" as today, the Party Committee and the Long An government have made bold and correct decisions on exploiting Dong Thap Muoi, subsidizing wages, etc. National Highway 62 was formed, marking the journey of "advancing to Dong Thap Muoi" of Long An. A route connecting the town to the border area, significantly shortening the distance to the border districts, not only helps develop the economy but also contributes to protecting the border. National Highway 62 was built by human power on the vast marshy land, becoming the pride of Long An to this day.

The wage subsidy policy has contributed to “untangling” the economic bottleneck, helping to improve people’s lives, and laying the foundation for future developments. Since the difficult years, with the courageous, determined and daring spirit of the Party Committee, the government and the consensus of the people, Long An has developed day by day and improved its position.

In 2024, the province's rice output will reach more than 3.1 million tons. The province will have more than 2,000 newly established enterprises; hundreds of kilometers of roads completed; more than 230 products meeting OCOP standards;... Long An is a province in the top 10 in attracting investment nationwide and was voted as one of the top 10 localities attracting large enterprises in 2024. Disbursement of public investment capital will reach 100%. Export turnover will reach 7.5 billion USD,... From there, the average GRDP per capita will reach 107 million VND/year and the poverty rate will decrease to 0.56%.

The province's economic structure is shifting towards industrialization and modernization, but the agricultural sector is still of interest. The application of high technology in agricultural production is emphasized.

Combine harvesters harvest rice in Tan Thanh district (in the Dong Thap Muoi region of the province)

Coming to Dong Thap Muoi today, there will no longer be the image of "armies" of hired workers from the Western provinces coming to harvest rice like before. Instead, there are combine harvesters, seeders, spraying planes, fertilizer spreaders, etc. working in the fields. Farmers are no longer "muddy-handed" but proficient in techniques and technology. The picture of Long An after 50 years of liberation is opened with bright colors.

Through the stories of historical witnesses, who directly took up arms against the enemy and contributed to the cause of building and developing Long An, we clearly see the miraculous changes of the province after 50 years of national reunification. From a desolate land, Long An has risen to become a dynamic and prosperous province. That is the result of the unceasing efforts of the Party Committee, government and people of Long An through many generations./.

Guilin

Source: https://baolongan.vn/50-nam-dat-can-no-hoa-a194360.html