Society

The flags symbolizing "faith" in the Yen Trung religious community.

Diep Thanh • September 2, 2026 21:48

In September, the flagpoles in Yen Trung commune are replaced with new ones, brightly and prominently displayed against the blue sky and golden rice fields. All of this creates a simple yet vibrant image of a rural area where over 75% of the population are Catholic.

Author: Diep Thanh - Publication date: September 2, 2026

In September, the flagpoles in Yen Trung commune are replaced with new ones, brightly and prominently displayed against the blue sky and golden rice fields. All of this creates a simple yet vibrant image of a rural area where over 75% of the population are Catholic.

In September, visiting Yen Trung commune, you'll easily spot the red color of the national flag along almost every road. The flags are hung on tall, uniform poles, their vibrant red fluttering in the wind. Amidst the rice fields beginning to turn yellow, this red hue brightens every corner of the village, making it poetic and full of life.

Among the most beautiful village roads, one runs along the rice fields from Dong Son Parish to Hamlet 2. The beauty of this road comes not only from its scenery but also from the contributions of the local people. Households donated land and contributed money to build the road. The lush green trees along the road, worth hundreds of millions of dong, were also purchased and planted by some residents through voluntary contributions. While not a massive project, this village road with its trees and flags clearly demonstrates how the people of Yen Trung are working together to beautify their homeland.

Yen Trung is a newly formed commune created by merging three communes: Hung Yen Bac, Hung Yen Nam, and Hung Trung. After the merger, the commune has a natural area of ​​37.7 km² and a population of over 26,000 people. It is a semi-mountainous region with favorable conditions for livestock and poultry farming, as well as the cultivation of specialty crops, most notably Xa Doai oranges – a fruit that, during the Lunar New Year, is not only present within the commune and province but also travels with people to all parts of the country. However, while the roads, fields, and orange groves define the character of the countryside, it is the people themselves who give this land its depth.

What is special about Yen Trung commune is that over 75% of its population are Catholic. Therefore, the flagpoles displayed today are not simply a way to beautify the village roads. They are also a sign of a changing process in awareness and in the relationship between the government and the Catholic community, thereby creating consensus within the community.

Mr. Tran Van Hoa (born in 1962), Secretary of Hamlet 3, Yen Trung Commune, recalled the time when the locality campaigned to expand the flag-lined roads. “In 2022, upon receiving the directive, I, along with hamlet officials, went to campaign among families, the Parish Pastoral Council, and benefactors. Hamlet 3 was the first to successfully implement two flag-lined roads: one from the cultural center to Hamlet 4 and one along the main road in the village, totaling about 1.5 km in length with nearly 40 flagpoles. The cost at that time was nearly 30 million VND. The people wholeheartedly supported it because it represents the national flag,” Mr. Hoa said.

From one hamlet, the flag-lined streets were gradually expanded. Year after year, the flagpoles were regularly maintained and repaired, and faded and torn flags were continuously replaced with new ones contributed by parishioners. Hanging flags may be a movement, but keeping them dignified and clean requires the self-awareness of each individual. Those flags tell the story of consensus in Yen Trung commune...

It wasn't easy to achieve the current arrangement of flags and consensus between the government and the parishioners in Yen Trung commune. Before 2021, there were times when the Party committee, government, and church didn't truly understand each other. Some local movements, including the new rural development program, didn't receive adequate attention. During major national holidays, some parishes didn't have the custom of displaying the national flag.

The change begins with how the government gets closer to the people. (Mr. Hoang Duc An - Standing Deputy Secretary of the Commune Party Committee)Yen TrungHe said: “Not stopping at written documents and meetings, local leaders have approached the people with sincerity. On major Catholic holidays, the Party committee and the government coordinate activities at the commune's People's Committee headquarters, and are present to share the joy with the people. During neighborhood group meetings, officials are assigned to go down and join the people. These direct meetings, handshakes, and presence at important moments gradually create closeness.”

When people understand that what the government is aiming for also brings joy and practical benefits to the community, listening and consensus begin to form. “With the desire to maintain long-term consensus and unity, we believe that we must awaken patriotism in each citizen. The idea of ​​the flag-lined road was born from that thought,” Mr. An said.

Thus, a campaign was launched to elevate the status of the flag, encouraging people to display the national flag more seriously and respectfully. Priests, the Pastoral Council, the Youth Union, and the Farmers' Association all participated in implementing the campaign along each road. On smaller routes, the Fatherland Front and other organizations coordinated with the parish to carry out the campaign. With a spirit of competition and solidarity, the red color of the national flag gradually covered the village roads. From the consensus on flag-raising routes, that spirit continued to spread to many other activities. The parishioners also enthusiastically and selflessly supported the projects and construction of the new rural areas.

"What is admirable and respectable is that there are people who have made great contributions to their homeland but do not want to be mentioned. There are people who have contributed billions of dong to building new rural areas but refuse recognition," Mr. An recounted.

This spirit of unity is also reflected in sports movements. Most recently, at the youth football tournament, the entire commune had 23 teams participating. Each match attracted thousands of spectators and supporters. When a player played, the whole family came to cheer them on. As a result, sports and cultural movements are increasingly thriving. When people share the same joy, the distance between families, parishes, and between the government and the people seems to narrow.

After implementing the two-tiered local government system, the new team of officials continued to work alongside the Catholic community, staying close to the people and building trust in the new government system. Mr. Phan Bui Hieu, Deputy Chairman of the Inspection Committee of Yen Trung commune, said: "Previously, the new flag display was only implemented in Hung Nguyen Nam commune, but now it has been expanded to other areas, covering the entire Yen Trung commune. Each year, the locality replaces the national flag three times: on April 30th - May 1st, National Day on September 2nd, and Lunar New Year. On those same flagpoles, on Catholic holidays, people also display Catholic flags."

Walking along the roads of Yen Trung, amidst the green of the trees, the yellow of the rice fields, and the striking red of the national flags, one can feel the vitality of a transforming countryside. This transformation reminds one of a simple truth:HometownIt is only truly beautiful when the people work together in consensus to build it.