Giao Ha Commune (Giao Thuy) meets model new rural standards in 2023. (Photo: Dang Khoa)

From building new rural areas to developing advanced and exemplary new rural areas

After more than 15 years of implementing the National Target Program on New Rural Construction, up to now, the whole province has 3 districts: Giao Thuy, Xuan Truong and Truc Ninh recognized by the Government as meeting advanced new rural standards; 143 communes meeting advanced new rural standards, accounting for 97.95% and 54 communes, accounting for 37% of the communes meeting new model new rural standards. Among the model new rural communes, there are 20 communes outstanding in the field of education, 18 communes outstanding in digital transformation, 8 communes outstanding in culture, 3 communes outstanding in health, 3 communes outstanding in security and order and 2 communes outstanding in production. In the districts and communes meeting advanced new rural standards, the model has changed and strongly developed in terms of transport infrastructure, irrigation, health, education and cultural life. Rural innovation does not stop at meeting the standards, but has increasingly appeared many civilized, modern and sustainably developed rural models.

Dong Chien village is one of 14 pioneering villages in building a smart village model in Hong Quang commune (Nam Truc). Being present in Dong Chien village on the occasion of preparing to celebrate the historic April 30th anniversary, we clearly felt the pride in the revolutionary tradition, the joy and excitement with the achievements in building a smart, model new-style rural village of the local people. The image of a rich, civilized countryside with a smooth asphalt road system, rows of green trees on both sides of the road, rows of red flags with yellow stars fluttering, high-rise buildings close together, schools, cultural houses, spacious and convenient sports areas... surprised many people. That is the result of the efforts, dynamism, creativity, solidarity and unity of the Party Committee, government and people in the village. Talking to us, comrade Nguyen Duy Hung, Secretary of the Dong Chien village Party Cell, said: In order to successfully build the smart village model, the Party Cell has issued a thematic resolution to lead, direct, and mobilize the active and responsible participation of the community. The village has established a Community Digital Technology Team, deployed the installation of free wifi points at the village cultural house with a 50Mbps broadband internet connection to ensure safe exploitation and use techniques, and information security to serve the people. In addition, the commune installed 97 security camera points; organized training for 6,850/8,989 people on knowledge and skills to participate in using digital platforms, mobile applications and online public services provided by state agencies. Thanks to that, up to now, people in the village can operate proficiently when using online public services, declaring and processing all kinds of records by smartphone, selling online, accessing information, etc.

Hong Quang commune is one of the first communes recognized as meeting the outstanding model new-style rural standards in the cultural field of Nam Truc district. This achievement is thanks to the determination, consensus, and joint efforts of the Party Committee, the government, the business community, entrepreneurs, and people in the commune. The Party Committee of the commune has issued a specialized resolution identifying the construction of a model new-style rural area as one of the key, regular, and continuous tasks of Party committees, governments, and people in villages and hamlets. Promoting the economic, cultural, and social advantages of the locality, the effective operation of the political system, the Steering Committee for the construction of a new-style rural area of ​​the commune focuses on leading, directing, and implementing drastic and synchronous solutions to build a model new-style rural area in the area. The emulation movement "All people join hands to build a new-style rural area" has been actively participated in by cadres, party members, and people. The commune regularly promotes propaganda and mobilization to create consensus and unity among cadres, party members and the community to mobilize all resources to build a model new rural area. The commune's departments, branches and organizations have all developed plans and implemented the Model New Rural Area Construction Program.

To successfully build a model new rural commune with outstanding culture, the People's Committee of Hong Quang commune has focused on investing and creating conditions for traditional cultural values ​​and heritages to be maintained and strongly promoted in people's lives. The commune is interested in preserving and promoting the value of the diverse system of local tangible and intangible cultural heritages such as festivals, traditional craft villages, singing, ca tru singing, rowing, including many famous traditional festivals: Xam Temple Festival; Temple, pagoda, and shrine festival in Rach village (water puppetry festival); Lac Na Temple Festival, Thi Temple Festival... In particular, promoting the traditional values ​​of Nam Chan water puppetry troupe, the commune has coordinated with the District Department of Culture and Information to report to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Department of Performing Arts, and the Ford Foundation for funding to organize training courses for 50 members who are the next generation of the water puppetry troupe and the core of Cheo singing and Van singing clubs; At the same time, invest in building and upgrading Thuy Dinh with a budget of over 300 million VND...

Landscape of Yen Dinh town (Hai Hau) today. (Photo by Van Dai)

Along with promoting cultural values, paying attention to infrastructure investment creates a foundation for economic development, bringing stable income to the people. With its geographical location and synchronous transportation network, it is a favorable condition for Hong Quang to develop economic types, services and cultural exchanges with localities. The commune currently has 3 agricultural service cooperatives, plastic flower making, and mid-autumn star lantern making in Bao Dap village. Besides developing small-scale handicrafts, many people actively change the structure of crops and livestock to bring stable income. Thanks to that, in 2024, the average income per capita will reach over 91 million VND; agricultural production is based on the chain of linkage and product consumption. 100% of households use clean water, 100% of houses meet standards... The living environment is always bright - green - clean - beautiful, the traffic routes are clear, there is electricity for lighting at night, and social order and safety are maintained.

The program of building advanced and exemplary new rural areas creates a foundation for each village and commune to "speed up and grow" to create proud, friendly and livable countrysides.

Advanced and exemplary NTM space - development vision

During the implementation of the National Target Program on New Rural Construction in the province, the planning of rural spaces in the direction of civilization and modernity has always been considered by localities as the first and key important step. Planning on development space, rural planning, production areas... is moving away from fragmented and unconnected thinking to form clear functional spaces: residential areas, production, services, community activities, cultural conservation areas... associated with regional characteristics to develop on the basis of local identity. In addition, technical infrastructure including rural roads, electricity, clean water, drainage systems, telecommunications and internet are also gradually being synchronized and modernized. In many localities, infrastructure works, creating highlights in the construction of advanced and exemplary New Rural Areas, have also been oriented towards aesthetic, sustainable and environmentally friendly factors.

Comrade Tran Tung, Head of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Xuan Truong district, said: “With the attention and support of the central ministries, branches, the Provincial Party Committee, the People's Council, and the Provincial People's Committee; the efforts of the entire political system from the district to the grassroots level and the consensus and joint efforts of the people, Xuan Truong district has been recognized by the Government as meeting the advanced NTM standards in 2024. To successfully complete the goal of building an advanced NTM district, in the period of 2018-2024, the whole district has mobilized more than 3,085 billion VND to invest in building the criteria. Up to now, the urban and rural planning work of the district has been approved by the Provincial People's Committee. The rural appearance of the district has changed significantly and has had clear changes: The economy has developed quite well, agricultural production has achieved many positive results, the socio-economic infrastructure is increasingly spacious, synchronous, and modern; the fields of culture, health, education have developed comprehensively, the Traditional cultural values ​​are preserved and promoted. The grassroots political system is strengthened and consolidated, political security and social order and safety are maintained; people's material and spiritual lives are increasingly improved, and village solidarity is aroused. People always trust in the leadership of the Party and the State. The appearance of the countryside has truly changed in the direction of "bright - green - clean - beautiful - friendly, civilized".

It is noteworthy that in building the new rural areas, local Party committees, authorities and people always pay attention to preserving and honoring typical cultural values. These include traditional architectural works, traditional festivals and local handicrafts. The development of community tourism and craft villages associated with preserving traditional culture not only creates livelihoods for people but also creates a unique identity for each rural area. Community cultural and sports institutions are receiving investment attention, becoming places for exchange, improving people's knowledge, increasing enjoyment and developing spiritual life for people. The promotion of high-tech agriculture, digital economy, circular economy, connecting value chains and building agricultural product brands are the "key" to increasing people's income, which has also been formed in many localities. There are more and more rural enterprises, entrepreneurs, new-style cooperatives, and attracting investment from the private sector, creating momentum for rural areas to innovate and rise up in the new period...

Building an advanced, exemplary new rural area is not only about developing rural infrastructure but also demonstrating a development vision based on the perspective of taking people as the center, preserving and promoting cultural values ​​to create new resources for sustainable development. With the consensus of the entire political system from the province to the village and hamlet and the efforts to overcome difficulties of the people and businesses, the civilized, friendly and modern rural space of the province is gradually emerging, becoming the origin of sustainable living values, in harmony between people and nature.

Van Dai