New Can Tho City: Dynamic and rich in identity!

From July 1, 2025, the new Can Tho City will officially come into operation. The merger of the three localities of Can Tho, Soc Trang, and Hau Giang is not only a turning point in terms of boundaries but also a strategic push to form a regional economic and cultural center. The expectation of a new city: modern, green - clean - beautiful, prosperous, rich in identity, in which the cultural identity of ethnic minorities is preserved is spreading strongly, adding confidence to the breakthrough journey ahead.

► Venerable Ly Hung, Member of the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, Deputy Head of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in Can Tho City, Abbot of Pitu Khosa Rangsay Pagoda: Promoting the role and preserving the cultural identity of the Khmer people

The merger of Can Tho, Soc Trang and Hau Giang into the expanded Can Tho City is a major policy of the Party and State, in line with the aspirations of the People and has received high consensus and support from cadres, Party members and ethnic minorities in the region. This is a strategic step to form a modern economic - cultural - social center, creating a new driving force for the sustainable development of the Southwest.

After the merger, the new city has 120 Khmer Theravada Buddhist pagodas, 38 Sala Tene and over 2,000 monks; the Khmer ethnic group of over 400,000 people, accounting for about 15.5% of the population, continues to play a particularly important role. The Khmer people not only preserve their own identity but also actively participate in patriotic emulation movements, develop the economy and society, and build an increasingly renewed and prosperous homeland. The role of monks, the Association of Patriotic Monks and Khmer Theravada Buddhism continues to be a pillar of community unity, strengthening trust in the Party and the State.

Ngo listening race, a unique cultural feature of the Khmer people. Photo: Ly Then

Affirming Khmer culture is affirming part of the origin, contributing to the strength of the great national unity bloc, contributing to building Can Tho City to become a center of sustainable development, imbued with identity, rich in integration spirit. Therefore, the new Can Tho City needs to continue to improve social security policies, invest in infrastructure, especially cultural andeducational infrastructure in the villages and hamlets; nurture the next generation, honor artisans, develop community tourism associated with Khmer heritage; further promote the role of pagodas and monks in preserving identity, strengthening people's trust in the leadership of the Party and State.

► Mr. Danh Men, Deputy Head of Social Sciences-Khmer-Pali Department, Soc Trang Southern Secondary Pali Cultural Supplementary School: Expecting that the new Can Tho City will operate effectively and develop strongly in many fields

Not only the people, but also the cadres, civil servants, public employees, teachers and monks of the School strongly agreed to support and expressed their trust in the vision and determination of the Party and State in merging Soc Trang, Hau Giang and Can Tho City under the name Can Tho City.

We expect the new Can Tho City to create a breakthrough in socio-economic development, streamline the management apparatus and improve service efficiency, bringing many practical benefits to the people. When implementing a two-level government, the remaining officials will have full capacity, meeting the needs of serving the people, keeping up with the digital age. I always expect that the new Can Tho City will operate effectively, develop strongly in all fields and have many new policies to invest in developing the Khmer ethnic minority area. In particular, invest more in the Southern Soc Trang Intermediate Pali Cultural Supplementary School - where the monks are all monks studying in Khmer pagodas in the South, such as: continuing to implement preferential policies for teachers and monks of the school; paying attention to training and professional development for officials and teachers teaching Khmer and Pali; developing and publishing Khmer and Pali books specifically for teaching at secondary and high schools...

Mr. Son Tai, former Deputy Head of the Ethnic Affairs Department of Chau Thanh A district, Hau Giang province (old): After the merger, Can Tho city will grow stronger, worthy of being the regional center.

I am always interested in the development of the country, regularly following the Party's policies to propagate to ethnic minorities. Through monitoring, I see that the plan to arrange provincial-level administrative units for 3 provinces and cities: Can Tho City, Soc Trang and Hau Giang into a new centrally-governed city called Can Tho City, the administrative - political center located in Can Tho City is currently very suitable for the development of the country.

Becoming a unit directly under the Central Government, remote and isolated areas will have more conditions for development. Especially areas with a large number of ethnic minorities living in the two provinces of Hau Giang and Soc Trang (old). On the other hand, in terms of historical significance, Can Tho City is also Hau Giang Province (old) before the separation. As a Khmer ethnic group, I hope that after the merger, the new Can Tho City will develop even more, especially in areas with a large number of ethnic minorities living. When remote and disadvantaged areas develop, the new Can Tho City will flourish and grow stronger, worthy of being the center of the Mekong Delta region.

Mr. Ly Do, a prestigious person among the Khmer people in Ward 5, Soc Trang City, Soc Trang Province (old) : Very happy with the unification policy

When the three localities of Soc Trang, Hau Giang, and Can Tho City merged into the new Can Tho City, everyone and I were happy, agreed, and strongly supported this policy. Because the merger would be convenient for the people, eliminating the district level would make the commune level closer to the people, closer to the people to grasp their thoughts and aspirations. If people have anything related to the government, they just need to go to the commune. I think that handling administrative procedures is easy, convenient, and does not take as much time as before. With the two-level local government, the remaining officials are all professional, have good ethics, and are dedicated to serving the people.

Therefore, when Can Tho City first comes into operation, I hope that the leaders will continue to pay attention to implementing many policies to develop the Khmer ethnic minority areas, such as: prioritizing investment in rural roads, drainage systems in residential areas, street lights, supporting preferential loans for Khmer people to develop their family economy, taking care of the elderly, the disadvantaged, and people in especially difficult circumstances... In addition, it is necessary to pay attention to investing in medical stations, providing medical equipment and supplementing the number of doctors and medical staff to meet the needs of medical examination and treatment and disease prevention in the locality.

` Mr. Ma Luong Thien, a prestigious person among the Chinese people in Phu My commune, My Tu district, Soc Trang province (old): Paying attention to implementing well policies for ethnic minorities

Can Tho City is newly under the Central Government, so the leadership and direction will certainly focus on investing in synchronous, timely and effective economic and social development. In particular, priority should be given to remote areas, ethnic minority areas, ensuring that localities develop together and benefit together.

I expect that Can Tho City will not only change its administrative boundaries but also change its management and administration; arrange and assign a team of grassroots cadres who are dedicated, qualified, determined and resolute in carrying out political tasks, promoting economic and social development, serving and caring for the material and spiritual lives of the people, especially ethnic minorities, better than before the merger. At the same time, Can Tho City leaders need to pay attention to continuing to invest in transport projects and works; invest in the grassroots healthcare sector to meet the needs of medical examination and treatment for the people; pay attention to implementing policies for ethnic minorities. At the same time, step up the promotion work to call on domestic and foreign enterprises to invest in building industrial parks and clusters, in order to create jobs and income for the people, contributing to promoting economic and social development commensurate with being a centrally-run city to realize the era of national development together with the whole country.

Can Tho Newspaper Khmer Reporter Group

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/tp-can-tho-moi-ong-luc-va-giau-ban-sac--a188041.html