Change in the heroic lands

From “red” soil to sweet gold

At the end of August 2025, we returned to Ba Hon in Hon Dat commune, which bears the marks of many heroic battles and feats of arms of our army and people in the two resistance wars against France and the US. From afar, the Hon Dat, Hon Me, and Hon Queo mountain clusters stand tall in the middle of the green plain, becoming silent witnesses of history. At the foot of the mountain, the asphalt road winds, red flags with yellow stars flutter in front of the roofs. Mr. Tran Van Minh - a resident at the foot of Hon Me mountain said: "Nowadays, riding a motorbike is very fast, but in the past, cadres and soldiers used to walk through the forest and climb mountains."

The rural road in Vinh Binh commune is concreted. Photo: THUY TIEN

Ba Hon used to be a vital weapons transit point on the legendary Route 1C, a place stained with the blood of nearly 1,000 soldiers from all over the country. In the Ba Hon National Historical Site - Scenic Area, stone steles are engraved with the names of the fallen, some of whom were new recruits, some of whom were regimental officers who died before the battle ended.

We stopped at the grave of People's Armed Forces Hero Phan Thi Rang - a loyal girl who has gone down in history. The B52 bomb crater of the past is now a well, with lotus flowers blooming all year round as a symbol of life reviving from loss. The remains of planes, tanks, helicopters, bomb shells... are displayed in the relic site, telling the story of a time of "rain of bombs and bullets". This place has now become a "red address" for traditional education for the young generation. Huynh Thao Nguyen - a student living in Hon Dat commune, was moved: "We understand that today's peace is exchanged for countless sacrifices, so we must try to study hard to show gratitude and be worthy of our ancestors".

From the fiery red land, Hon Dat today continues to write a new chapter of prosperity. This place is famous for its golden, sweet Hoa Loc mangoes, like the revival of the homeland. Mr. Nguyen Thanh Do - Director of Ba Hon Mango Cooperative said: "We started with only 30 hectares, now up to nearly 400 hectares. Each hectare produces about 6 tons of mangoes, with a stable income. Thanks to mango trees, many people have escaped poverty and their children have been able to study properly."

Not only mangoes, rice fields are also growing green. People have shifted from small-scale farming to large-scale fields, combining two crops with a sustainable shrimp-rice model. More than 8,000 hectares are linked to consumption under contracts, significantly reducing the situation of "good harvest, low price". The total rice output of Hon Dat commune in the past 5 years is more than 1.3 million tons, affirming its position as a key production area of the province. Currently, the whole commune has 4 agricultural cooperatives, 24 stable cooperative groups, 3 3-star OCOP products, opening up opportunities to improve local agricultural products.

Base area changes clothes

Leaving Hon Dat, we went to the communes of U Minh Thuong - a revolutionary base, a symbol of resilience and the desire for freedom. After the war, each roof was rebuilt, each vegetable bed and rice field was cultivated. The once desolate alum-covered lowlands were revived and became prosperous countryside. In the central areas of the communes, the roads were paved, and almost 100% of the inter-hamlet roads were concreted. Thatched houses were now replaced by spacious brick houses. Electric lights, wifi, and televisions were present in most families. In the fields, the rice was golden, the shrimp-rice model was thriving, with shrimp output of tens of thousands of tons/year. Modern irrigation technology helped people cope with drought and unseasonal rains. Many households escaped poverty, and some even bought cars.

Heroic Vietnamese mother Vo Thi Xung, residing in Vinh Hoa commune, welcomed us in her cool house shaded by coconut trees. She recalled: “My house was burned down by bombs three times. In the early post-war period, Vinh Hoa was in dire need of everything, but thanks to the Party’s leadership and the people’s solidarity, the commune overcame its difficulties.”

According to Secretary of Vinh Hoa Commune Party Committee Nguyen Hong Phong, shrimp-rice, crop and aquatic models are highly effective. Average income per capita reaches 70 million VND/year, poor households are 3.06%, households using safe electricity reach 99.7%.

Not only Vinh Hoa, the new rural appearance is taking shape throughout the region. The communes of Vinh Binh, An Minh, Dong Hoa, Vinh Phong, Vinh Thuan also have a fairly high average income per capita, from 65 - 79 million VND/year. Many effective economic models bring profits of 300 - 500 million VND/year to farmers. This change is the result of the process of learning, adapting and renewing production thinking. In Vinh Thuan commune, there are currently 6 cooperatives and 25 cooperative groups. An Bien has 21 cooperatives and 25 cooperative groups. Vinh Hoa has 9 cooperatives and 35 cooperative groups. These numbers show profound innovation in agricultural production. Mr. Le Van Ut, resident of Vinh Hoa commune, said: “Previously, I only knew how to farm in the traditional way, which was hard work and had low productivity. In recent years, thanks to increased technical training, I know how to combine shrimp - rice, fish - color for high economic efficiency, with profits of hundreds of millions of dong each year.”

From the land that was once heavily devastated by bombs, the people built their homeland with their own hands. The transformation is not only about new bridges or growth figures but also about how they preserve their memories, continue the revolutionary spirit, live fully with the land, with faith and continue to write their aspirations.

TU MINH - THUY TIEN

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/doi-thay-o-nhung-vung-dat-anh-hung-a427807.html