We returned to Bom Bo, Binh Minh Commune, Bu Dang District, Binh Phuoc Province on the occasion of the province's 50th Anniversary of Bu Dang District Liberation Day (December 14, 1974 - December 14, 2024), when the Spring atmosphere was spreading throughout every street and corner. It can be said that Bom Bo has never been so bustling. From bombs and bullets, suffering during the war, this land is now rising to become a rich, prosperous and prosperous countryside... The Lunar New Year bonus of At Ty 2025 increased by 13% compared to the Tet bonus of Giap Thin 2024, in which the average at FDI enterprises is 8.24 million VND/person. In the congratulatory letters, the leaders of Vietnam and Russia emphasized that the friendship between Vietnam and Russia has overcome the challenges of history, affirming its strong vitality and growing. With box office revenue reaching more than 56 billion VND after only 1.5 days of release, Tran Thanh's "The Four Guardians" set a record as the fastest film to reach the 50 billion VND mark. The warm and sunny weather made the flow of people going up to Lang Son for spring travel bustling. Many tourists from all over the world have come to temples, pagodas, shrines... to worship, pray for fortune and peace. We returned to Bom Bo, Binh Minh commune, Bu Dang district, Binh Phuoc province on the occasion of the province's celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of Bu Dang district (December 14, 1974 - December 14, 2024), when the Spring atmosphere has spread to every street and corner. It can be said that Bom Bo village has never been so bustling. From bombs and bullets, suffering during the war, this land is now rising to become a rich and prosperous countryside... Attached to the forest and the village for generations, now the Xo Dang people in Mang Den land, Kon Plong district, Kon Tum province have overcome themselves, stepped out of the village to learn and built traditional stilt houses with their own hands, preserving culture for tourism. A great change of the Xo Dang community in this poetic land. Together with the whole country, the Soc Trang Provincial Party Committee is actively implementing preparations for the Party Congresses at all levels for the 2025 - 2030 term, towards the 14th National Congress of the Party. On the occasion of the beginning of the New Year 2025, the reporter of the Ethnic and Development Newspaper interviewed Mr. Lam Van Man, Secretary of the Soc Trang Provincial Party Committee on this content. Ethnic and Development Newspaper. This afternoon's news on January 23, 2025, has the following notable information: Tree planting festival "Forever grateful to Uncle Ho" Spring At Ty. Sweet Dien grapefruit Bac Son. The soul of the mountains and forests in the green Chung cake. 84 years ago, on the occasion of the Spring of Tan Ty 1941, the ethnic people of Truong Ha commune, Ha Quang district, Cao Bang province were honored and proud to represent the people of the whole country to welcome Uncle Ho after 30 years of his wandering to find a way to save the country. That was the first Spring that he returned to directly lead the Vietnamese revolution, to bring spring to the nation with our Party. The implementation of the National Target Programs (MTQG), especially the MTQG Program 1719, has important significance for socio-economic development, contributing to solving the most urgent problems of the lives of ethnic minorities and mountainous areas of Gia Lai. Reporter of the Ethnic and Development Newspaper had an interview with Chairman of the Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee Rah Lan Chung about the results and solutions to continue effectively implementing the National Target Programs in the area. The ancestor worship ceremony during the Lunar New Year of the Muong ethnic group in Hoa Binh is one of the unique spiritual cultural features, containing many cultural and religious values, and at the same time reflecting a part of the unique identity of the Muong community here. Nearly 300 years old, the Go Market Festival (Tuy Phuoc district, Binh Dinh) still maintains the tradition of sellers not challenging, buyers not bargaining, buying and selling as a form of praying for luck. For a lucky and peaceful new year, homeowners need to prepare a full and thoughtful offering tray on the second day of the Lunar New Year. Below are suggestions for the offering tray on the second day of the Lunar New Year At Ty 2025 for the 3 regions of the North, Central and South.

Echoes from the Great Forest

From Dong Xoai City, along Highway 14, we drove about 40km to Minh Hung intersection, Minh Hung commune, Bu Dang district. Then we continued on the flat asphalt road, winding through green hills of coffee and cashew. On both sides of the road, there were newly built high-rise buildings, gradually replacing the simple long houses of the Xtieng people in the past. It took us nearly an hour by motorbike to find the house of Mr. Dieu M'Rieng, born in 1953, of the Xtieng ethnic group, residing in Duong 10 commune, Bu Dang district.

Mr. Dieu M'Rieng recalled his memories: “During the war, the Xtieng people grew rice on the fields and pounded rice with pestles, ready to leave their homes to follow the revolution. During the day, they grew wheat, and at night they stayed up all night pounding rice to feed the army. “The more rice, the more love”, immeasurable. Soc Bom Bo has become legendary and immortalized over time, when the names of the land, the names of the people, each river, and each mountain have imprinted the heroic memories of a time of war filled with bombs and bullets”.

Returning to Bom Bo village (now in Binh Minh commune, Bu Dang district), we met village elder Dieu Len, born in 1945, of the Xtieng ethnic group. Elder Dieu Len preserves memories of the heroic times of the village and is also an outstanding representative of the Xtieng people during the fierce years of war.

Born into a family with a rich revolutionary tradition, growing up in Bom Bo land. During the resistance war against American imperialism, old man Dieu Len participated in more than 40 battles, made many achievements, and was awarded many noble titles by the State.

Peace restored, returning to normal life, old man Dieu Len collected artifacts associated with Bom Bo, stories about the brave Bom Bo villagers of the past to educate the younger generation about revolutionary traditions...

Changes in the heroic homeland

After 50 years of liberation and 36 years of re-establishment, Bu Dang, a mountainous district with large land area, sparse population, a large proportion of poor households, and limited socio-economic infrastructure, has developed strongly. Up to now, the whole district has 16 communes and towns with about 150,000 people, the economic structure of the district has shifted in the right direction. The proportion of agriculture at the time of re-establishment of the district accounted for 90%, now it has decreased to nearly 40%; the proportion of industry increased to 26% and trade and services to 34%. The economy has grown quite well, people's lives have been significantly improved, the average income per capita reached 77 million VND/person/year; the poverty rate has decreased to 0.35%.

Today, the Bom Bo people still maintain their traditional cultural identity with folk songs, traditional dances and gongs in festivals. The restoration and construction of Bom Bo hamlet into a historical and cultural relic site is meaningful not only to the Xtieng ethnic people but also the pride of Bu Dang land, contributing to preserving revolutionary traditions and serving the goal of developing the local economy and tourism.

Mr. Dieu Coc, Xtieng ethnic group, in Bom Bo hamlet, Binh Minh commune, Bu Dang district

Socio-economic infrastructure has been invested in construction, inter-commune roads have been asphalted, 100% of inter-village roads have been hardened, 99% of households have used the national grid, cultural institutions from the district to the grassroots continue to be completed, 99.85% of households have used clean water, all communes and towns in the district have eliminated illiteracy and maintained the results of universalizing lower secondary education, 34/54 schools have met national standards. The rural appearance has changed significantly, with 13/15 communes meeting new rural standards (NTM), of which 3 communes have met advanced NTM standards. Duc Phong town is increasingly green, clean, beautiful, meeting the standards of a type V urban area.

With economic development, cultural identity is being preserved better by local authorities. Across the street from Dieu Len's house is the Xtieng ethnic cultural conservation area in Bom Bo commune with over 113 hectares, managed by the People's Committee of Bu Dang district.

According to the leader of the Bom Bo Xtieng Soc Cultural Reserve, the locality has 13 gong teams with about 70 artisans who know the art of gong performance, which has ritual and spiritual significance. The district also focuses on building the art of gong performance into a typical tourism product to perform at the Bom Bo Xtieng Soc Cultural Reserve, serving the people and tourists. From there, it effectively promotes traditional cultural values, improving the lives of the people here.

X'tieng ethnic cultural conservation area in Bom Bo: Serious degradation