Spring paths of Nghe An homeland

Springhas arrived at the coastal commune at the head of Nghe An. Each East wind carries the fresh breath of the ocean gently caressing. At this time, Quynh Lap fishing port (Hoang Mai town), 140 ships and boats from Hoang Sa fishing grounds have returned, carrying full of shrimp and fish. The calls and laughter of the boat owners, crew members, people working in fishing logistics, and traders can be heard.

Quynh Lap fishing boats return after a trip at sea. Photo: Thanh Cuong

TetThe arrival of Spring has dispelled all the difficulties of the old year... Fishermen in Quynh Lap commune are used to natural disasters, storms and waves. They have always been resilient in staying at sea to exploit seafood and protect the Fatherland. But unexpectedly, last year, Quynh Lap commune was invaded by the "epidemic" of Covid-19 twice, with approximately 100 F0 and hundreds of F1 (the first time in May, the second time in November). The forced isolation, blockade, and social distancing; and the fact that exploited seafood was discriminated against by a part of the people, making it difficult to sell, and sold at low prices, have greatly affected the economic and social life of the people.

The pandemic has temporarily passed, life is gradually returning to peace. Meeting at Quynh Lap fishing port, Mr. Phan Van Hai - Chairman of Quynh Lap Commune Fisheries Association had a faint smile on his face. Mr. Hai confided: “The impact of the pandemic has made the situation of catching and trading seafood very difficult. Many ship owners are exhausted, do not dare to go to sea, many crew members are planning to quit their jobs. But then, Resolution 128 was issued, making the fishing industry gradually revive. After a long trip at sea, many ships and boats have docked with large catches. On average, on this sea trip, the workers on board have an income of 10-15 million VND, enough to have a full Tet. The ship owners have also somewhat relieved their worries”...

At Ms. Le Thi Nhung's seafood shop in Tam Tien village, Quynh Lap commune, people are bustling in and out to pack goods for export to localities in and outside the province. Ms. Nhung excitedly said: "Goods are selling smoothly. The best-selling items are dried squid, mackerel, and squid. These are also products often bought as gifts during the Lunar New Year. Prices have increased slightly."

All worries of life are temporarily put aside, giving way to joy and family reunion. Photo: Documentary

After the turmoil, on the eve of Tet, the houses in Quynh Lap fishing village were brightly decorated, the roads were cleaner and more spacious. The trucks came and went in an orderly manner. There was no longer any chaos, people gathered in groups of five or seven. A very new way of life had been formed.

Mr. Nguyen Van Nho - Chairman of the People's Committee of Quynh Lap commune shared: "After all, the people of the commune are more confident and united to defeat the Covid-19 epidemic. Now life is back to normal, but everyone has trained themselves to practice the "5K" habit to fight the epidemic, not to gather in crowds, be alert to risks... With unity, determination and effort, in the new year, life will certainly improve and be more prosperous."

Spring has come, the warm breezes seem to make the flowers more brilliant on the roads from the coast to the mountainous areas of Nghe An. The flower fields and eco-tourism areas on the red soil of Phu Quy become fresh, welcoming visitors from near and far. The same goes for Hon Mat eco-tourism area and hotel. Just over 4 months ago, this tourist area was a desolate, barren land. It was born right at the time when the whole province was implementing Directive 16 and now the tourist area has become a new destination on the tourist map of Nghe An.

Spring flowers at Hon Mat tourist area. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Mr. Dang Trong Tan - Director of the tourist area shared: Previously, this tourist area was approved and invested. But the old investor did not have enough capacity to carry out the project so it had to be abandoned. The tourist area is in a very beautiful location, leaving it abandoned is a waste. As children of the homeland, we felt very sorry, so we joined hands to build it. At the time of starting work, we only thought that the epidemic would take a long time to end, but then when the rate of Covid-19 vaccination increased, everyone would have to live with the epidemic... We focused on building at lightning speed, and now the tourist area has taken shape. It is very gratifying that the number of visitors coming to visit and relax is very large. At this time of Tet, we are focusing on business, while at the same time implementing anti-epidemic solutions to ensure sustainability.

The further and higher you go, the more new things you see. From Nghia Dan to Que Phong, many constructions, factories, and tourist areas are being built and springing up. Many garment factories and wood factories have just been established and are starting to operate.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hoai - Chairman of the People's Committee of Quy Chau district happily reported the good news from his hometown: "Last year, a large number of workers who lost their jobs due to the Covid-19 pandemic returned home. Right from the beginning, the district directed local businesses to increase the exploitation of raw forest materials; construction businesses prioritized recruiting local workers. Thanks to that, many jobs were created, people had income to take care of their lives, and had a decent Tet.

Thai Quy Chau girls visit the fields. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Adapting flexibly to the Covid-19 pandemic, entering 2022, Quy Chau district has directed to raise the plan for exploiting planted forests, increasing the planted forest area, in order to create jobs and income for ordinary workers. In addition, the district has focused on calling for businesses to invest and open factories in the area. Currently, a number of investment projects in the area have begun to receive capital allocation; 1 industrial garment factory linking vocational training and job placement has come into operation with 150 workers; currently the factory is opening 2 more branches in Chau Binh and Chau Binh communes (2 communes with a large number of repatriated workers). In 2022, it is expected that 2 factories processing wood panels and bars will be built, at least 1 factory will come into operation.

In the stream of people going up the mountain for Spring, many tourists have been seen in small groups returning to Co Muong Homestay (Chau Kim commune, Que Phong district). Co Muong Homestay was established and put into operation in September 2021; including 3 participating households; creating jobs for 5 regular workers (not including the homeowner), with an income of 5 million VND/month. On weekends, Co Muong is always full of guests. Guests can order 8-10 tables of food. Coming to Co Muong, visitors can enjoy the culture, folk songs, folk dances and cuisine of the Thai ethnic group. This is an ideal resting place on the journey to explore Sao Va waterfall, Bay Tang waterfall, Hua Na hydroelectric reservoir, Chin Gian temple...

Co Muong Homestay is ready to welcome guests. Photo: Thanh Cuong

In front of the Co Muong Homestay area, there is a beautiful natural stream with many precious aquatic products. According to Mr. Luong Van Son - Chairman of Chau Kim Commune People's Committee: Currently, along with focusing on converting crops and livestock. From common rice varieties to Thai specialty sticky rice varieties, clean vegetables, yellow flower tea; from pig farming to goat farming, following the farm model. Besides, the commune is also building models to preserve precious local aquatic products to serve tourism... Co Muong was born in the pandemic and was successful. On this momentum, in 2022, the commune will have another tourist area to preserve the culture of the Thai community built and put into operation, promising to create many jobs for people as well as promote production and service activities.

This Tet, Chau Kim commune is determined to keep the "green area absolutely safe". Chau Kim commune has been doing very well to fight the epidemic and protect the green area. The commune has focused on propagating to people to well implement the "5K" recommendations, as well as clearly understand the anti-epidemic plans; established 54 community Covid teams in 6 villages, regularly grasped and reported the appearance of strangers in the area; counted and collected the phone numbers of all children working outside the locality, set up a Zalo group to propagate as well as create conditions for children to declare early when returning to have a plan to handle and prevent the epidemic from the beginning (according to statistics, the whole commune has 83 people working far away, have, are and will return during Tet).

Peach blossoms bloom, signaling spring in the western region of Nghe An. Photo: Duc Anh

On the road to Western Nghe An in the spring, people and vehicles from the remote district of Que Phong to the remote district of Ky Son and vice versa are bustling. The hills are green, the villages are prosperous. On the fields, on the plantations, after a bumper crop, newly planted rice, corn and cassava cover the land with green.

Mr. Luong Van Thanh - Vice Chairman of Nhon Mai Commune People's Committee (Tuong Duong) said: Last year, the commune was invaded by the Covid-19 epidemic but the economic life of the people was not much affected. The reason is that the epidemic time fell during the off-season. Workers who lost their jobs and returned to their hometowns had jobs right away, harvesting cassava, then planting rice and corn. Now these returning workers have all been vaccinated 2-3 times, waiting for Tet to end, they will go find new jobs in industrial parks. Nhon Mai Tet this year is still very happy...

Tet is near, Chom Lom village, Lang Khe commune (Con Cuong) has also returned to a new normal state. The first Covid-19 infection in this village was discovered on December 10, 2021. And then, through testing, 7/7 villages in the commune had infections with 151 F0. Chom Lom village alone was identified at level 4... With many active measures implemented, Chom Lom in particular and Lang Khe in general have overcome the epidemic. Infected people are all healthy and have returned home. "If the epidemic and natural disasters cause harm, people will have to pay for the land" - Ms. Lo Thi Hoa, a resident of Lang Khe commune, shared her determination when entering the spring production of sugarcane and rice.

Mr. Luong Dinh Viet - Vice Chairman of Con Cuong District People's Committee shared before Spring: After 1 year of fighting the pandemic, the most optimistic and joyful thing is that people have become more steadfast and adaptable. Everyone has better awareness, more solidarity and more trust in the leadership of the Party and State. Last year, despite many difficulties, Con Cuong district achieved all economic and social goals; social order and safety were ensured. As the New Year comes, Con Cuong district will continue to promote its strengths in agricultural and forestry production to develop the locality and build a prosperous life./.