70 years of construction and development
In May, the whole province is living in the heroic atmosphere of the victory day. Along Dien Bien Phu city’s streets, flags, flowers, banners, and posters are hung in all the corners. At historical relic sites, there are a large number of tourists coming to the province on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu Victory (May 7, 1954 - 2024). Seven decades have passed, war veteran Bui Kim Dieu from Residential Quarter No.9, Him Lam ward, Dien Bien Phu city still bears in mind all fierce battles during the Dien Bien Phu Campaign.
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A corner of Dien Bien Phu city, Dien Bien province |
He felt joyful on the day marking the anniversary of the victory. Visiting Hill A1, the Dien Bien soldier was moved as the province has changed positively. “Dien Bien now has changed so much. The city is full of bright colors of spacious urban and new-style rural areas. The roads have been widened and are clean and beautiful, and many houses with tiled roofs, flat roofs, and high-rise buildings have been built,” said Dieu.
The operation of Dien Bien Airport since December 2023 plays an important role, ensuring smooth traffic, contributing to boosting potential for economic and tourism development in Dien Bien in particular, and the Northwestern region in general. In addition to the care of the Party, State via policies for hunger eradication, poverty reduction, and sustainable socio-economic development, the provincial authorities always promote Dien Bien Phu traditions and solidarity, overcome difficulties, so as to gradually integrate with the whole country. The locality also focuses on agricultural and forestry production, together with trade, services, tourism, and more. Each year, the Dien Bien Phu battlefield relic complex attracts tens of thousands of domestic and foreign tourists to visit and learn about the history and cultural traditions, bringing high revenue to the locality.
Reportedly, in 2023, the gross regional domestic product (GRDP) in the province reached nearly VND 15 trillion, an increase of 7.1% over the same period in 2022. The poverty rate decreased by 4.32%; while average income per capita was about VND 48 million per year. In the first quarter of 2024 alone, the province’s growth rate reached 6.07%, ranked 4 out of 14 provinces in the Northern midland and mountainous region and ranked 25 out of 63 provinces and cities nationwide. The number of tourists to Dien Bien reached nearly 450 thousand people, an increase of 146% over the same period last year, among others.
New vision
Last mid-March, the Dien Bien provincial People’s Committee held a conference to announce Dien Bien provincial planning for the 2021-2030 period, vision to 2050, paving the way to the provincial development basing on its advantages of geographical potential. Specifically, its goal of the planning until 2030 is that turning Dien Bien into a well-developed province in the Northern midland and mountainous region; and one of the tourism, service and medical hubs of the region.
Notably, Dien Bien has selected three breakthrough stages, consisting of finalizing mechanisms and policies and improving competitiveness; completing the socio-economic infrastructure system in a synchronous and modern manner with a focus on investing in transport infrastructure; applying science and technology and innovation in combination with developing and improving human resources quality. Meanwhile, it has also identified four economic driving forces.
According to Secretary of the Dien Bien provincial Party Committee Tran Quoc Cuong, the planning is an important basis for the province to implement socio-economic development, defense and security enhancement, thereby protecting the national borderline and conducting integration and foreign affairs, etc. The provincial planning also states the vision, scenarios, and measures, while bringing opportunity and promoting production capacity and value of each locality in the area, contributing to the development of the province.
Translated by Minh Anh