Nghi Thu Ward (Cua Lo Town) is determined to build a unit that meets urban civilization standards.

(Baonghean) - Nghi Thu is the central ward of Cua Lo coastal tourism urban area, with 600m of coastline, natural area of ​​371 hectares, with 1,180 households, 4,280 people, 10 block units. In the area, there are 62 agencies, hotels, motels, 84 student accommodation facilities; more than 100 service kiosks of all kinds, Cua Lo II High School; Nghe An College of Tourism and Commerce, VINAMILK Milk Factory, Trang An Confectionery Factory.

Looking back at history, in 1954, Nghi Thu was established on the basis of Thu Lung village, separated from Hop Chau commune, Nghi Loc district. As a locality with a very early revolutionary movement, Thu Lung village Party Cell was established along with the birth of Nghi Loc district Party Committee in 1930.

As soon as it was established, the entire Party, the entire army, and the entire people of Nghi Thu focused on the task of healing the wounds of war, serving the cause of national construction, fighting for national reunification, organizing the reception and care of cadres and soldiers from the South who had gathered, and at the same time mobilizing all forces, mass organizations, cadres and people in all forms to fight against imperialism and its reactionary lackeys. The unit made many great contributions in terms of human resources and resources to the frontline and building a strong rear.

Panorama of Nghi Thu ward (Cua Lo town). Photo: Sy Minh

In the period of 1955 - 1956, the locality proactively promoted agricultural development, creating momentum for new development steps in rural areas and being an important favorable condition for the successful construction of agricultural cooperatives. From 1958 to 1964, together with the homeland and the country, the Nghi Thu Party Committee and government successfully implemented the Party's guidelines on socialist transformation and socialist construction in the North; built agricultural cooperatives, economic development tasks, built new socialist people, built three red rural flags, carried out the land reclamation movement, went to build new economic zones...

During the period 1965 - 1975, the Nghi Thu Party Committee and government led the people to implement the Party's guidelines, build and protect the socialist North, support the revolution in the South, and unify the country with the determination: All for the frontline, all to defeat the American invaders.

With the slogan "not a single pound of rice is missing, not a single soldier is missing", Nghi Thu provided 963 people to join the army, 76 people to join the youth volunteer force, 523 people to join the frontline laborers, without a single case of desertion; contributed 1,200 tons of rice, 404 tons of meat of all kinds, 384 tons of sea fish.

During the great resistance wars of the nation, 103 Nghi Thu children heroically sacrificed their lives on the battlefields and while on duty in the locality, 89 comrades were wounded soldiers, they left behind a part of their blood and bones for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland, dozens of civilians died, hundreds were injured; many warehouses, schools, bridges, and traffic culverts were destroyed by bombs and mines... Up to now, the ward has 6 Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, 1 Hero of the People's Armed Forces, 1 comrade was awarded the rank of general.

Along with the development efforts of Cua Lo town, since its establishment, the Party Committee and people of Nghi Thu ward have continued to promote tradition, take advantage of all the advantages of the area located in the center of Cua Lo tourism, rapidly change the economic structure, expand service business sectors, exploit potentials and strengths, build a strong Party and political system, successfully carry out all tasks of socio-economic development, national defense and security set out in the Resolutions of Party Congresses of each term.

Up to now, the average annual economic growth rate of the locality has reached 14.6% (of which: agriculture increased by 10.3%, industry - construction increased by 17%, trade - services increased by 11.5%); the economic structure has shifted in the right direction, from an economy mainly based on agricultural production; up to now, the proportion of agricultural economy is only 7%, trade services and construction industry account for 93%; average income per capita reached 38.5 million VND; total budget revenue in the area in 2016 reached over 7.8 billion VND; economic - social infrastructure has been invested and built synchronously. Currently, the whole ward has built 8 km of asphalt road 5 - 7 km wide, 22 km of concrete road, 2 km of graded road, 5 km of drainage ditches, with funding from the ward budget and people's contributions with a total investment of nearly 28 billion VND.

Service development in Nghi Thu ward. Photo: Sy Minh

The culture and society of the ward have undergone many strong changes. Up to now, all 3 schools have been built spaciously, with classrooms, multi-functional high-rise buildings, auxiliary facilities, and teaching and learning equipment fully equipped with a total investment of nearly 20 billion VND; the ward has been a leading unit in the comprehensive education movement for many years, 3/3 schools have been recognized as meeting national standards; of which the Primary School has met national standards at level 2.

Cultural, information and sports activities are constantly developing, the rate of cultural families reaches 95%, 10/10 hamlets, 3/3 schools are recognized as cultural units, of which 3 blocks are recognized as provincial units. The ward is the first locality of Cua Lo town to be granted a certificate of recognition of a commune meeting cultural standards by the Provincial People's Committee in 2004. At the same time, the ward invested and mobilized people to contribute over 1.5 billion VND to renovate historical and cultural relics including Bau Loi temple, Long Tu pagoda and the temple and tomb of General Phung Phuc Kieu, which have gradually become spiritual and cultural sites for the people of Nghi Thu and neighboring localities.

The ward regularly pays attention to people's health care, the ward health station is one of the first 5 units in Nghe An province to be recognized as meeting 10 national health standards. National defense and security are strengthened, politics and society are stable, social order and safety are ensured. The National Target Program on Hunger Eradication and Poverty Reduction is effectively implemented, the poverty rate has decreased to below 2.0% (according to current criteria); the material and spiritual life of the people has been significantly improved; the strength of solidarity has been promoted.

Continuing to promote the tradition of the heroic unit of the people's armed forces and the cultural unit, Nghi Thu ward is determined to unite and strive to successfully implement the Resolution of the 30th Ward Party Congress; speed up the urbanization process, effectively solve social problems, and soon bring the locality to the level of a rich and civilized tourist city./.

Phung Trong Tho

(Chairman of Nghi Thu Ward People's Committee)