The love between Nghe An and Quang Ngai provinces
(Baonghean.vn) - After more than 60 years of friendship, the relationship between the army and people of Nghe An - Quang Ngai provinces has become increasingly close and has always been nurtured and preserved by later generations...
Tra - Lam love
Since the early 1960s, the US imperialists began to use the Special War strategy, increasing military aid to the Republic of Vietnam army to carry out the plot to permanently divide our country. In the South, the Republic of Vietnam government tried to establish strategic hamlets with the aim of eliminating the Southern Liberation Army guerrillas from the population for easy destruction. During this period, the struggle for national liberation and national reunification encountered numerous difficulties.
Faced with that situation, the Party Central Committee and President Ho Chi Minh decided to shift the political struggle to armed struggle to deal with the enemy's sinister plot. Since then, the North has become a great rear base to support the South in the struggle for national reunification. To encourage and support the army and people of the South in the struggle, the "For the beloved South" movements; the North-South twinning movements have been vigorously carried out. In addition to localities such as Hai Phong twinning with Da Nang; the three provinces of Quang Binh - Quang Tri - Thua Thien twinning with each other; Thanh Hoa twinning with Quang Nam, Ha Tinh with Binh Dinh; or representing the three regions of the North, Central and South, Hanoi - Hue - Saigon... Nghe An has been assigned by the Central Committee to twinning with Quang Ngai.
After the twinning, throughout the war years, the army and people in Nghe An province launched many emulation movements in production and fighting for Quang Ngai in particular and the South in general with the spirit of "not a pound of rice is missing, not a soldier is missing". Like other northern provinces and cities, Nghe An also welcomed many children of Quang Ngai in particular and southern provinces and cities to be raised and cadres from the South to be recuperated.
In addition to the twinning relationship between Nghe An and Quang Ngai provinces, some localities in the two provinces have also established twinning relationships with each other: Quynh Luu district established twinning relationship with Binh Son district, Nam Dan with Mo Duc, Nghia Dan with Ba To, Quy Chau with Tra Bong, Thanh Chuong with Duc Pho... Among those twinning localities, the twinning relationship between Thanh Chuong and Duc Pho is worth mentioning. After more than 60 years, this twinning relationship is still as strong and enduring as ever.
To better understand the sisterhood relationship between Thanh Chuong and Duc Pho districts, we went to Thanh Chuong to meet Mr. Dang Anh Dung - former Standing Deputy Secretary of Thanh Chuong District Party Committee, who has spent many years meeting, connecting, and building solidarity between the two localities. According to Mr. Dung, the friendship between the two localities of Nghe An - Quang Ngai in general and Thanh Chuong - Duc Pho in particular did not start until 1960, but at least appeared since the period of 1930-1931.
Going back in history, in the years 1930-1931 under the leadership of the Indochinese Communist Party (the predecessor of the Communist Party of Vietnam), the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement took place in Nghe An - Ha Tinh. This was the peak of the revolutionary movement in the years 1930-1931. The movement was brutally suppressed by the French colonialists and their puppet government, however, the movement resonated, bringing many lessons for the Party in leading the people to fight for national independence later.
Especially after the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement was "white terrorized", at the end of September 1930, implementing the policy of the Party Central Committee and the Central Region Party Committee, right after the first Quang Ngai Provincial Party Congress (June 1930), the Quang Ngai Provincial Party Committee had a policy of launching a "sharing fire" struggle with the Nghe - Tinh Soviet movement; protesting against the French colonialists and their henchmen's brutal suppression of the Nghe Tinh people.
In particular, under the direct leadership of Comrade Nguyen Nghiem - Secretary of Quang Ngai Provincial Party Committee and Comrade Phan Thai At - Deputy Secretary of Quang Ngai Provincial Party Committee, Duc Pho District Party Committee held a conference, outlining a plan to organize a protest to occupy Duc Pho District Office. More notably, Comrade Phan Thai At was a revolutionary senior born and raised in Nam Son village, Linh Son commune (Anh Son) - a native son of Nghe An who participated in the fight and built forces in Quang Ngai province.
In the early morning of October 8, 1930, a large-scale demonstration took place with the participation of nearly 5,000 people of Duc Pho district. The demonstrators stormed the district office, burned official documents, records, seals, freed prisoners in prison, hung flags, distributed leaflets... The demonstration to occupy Duc Pho district office took place and ended quickly, but it was a timely and decisive action, contributing to sharing the fire with the Soviet - Nghe Tinh movement. At the same time, it laid the first bricks for the foundation of solidarity and strong friendship between the two localities in the future.
Fostering solidarity
From the historical twinning, today Nghe An and Quang Ngai continue to develop their cooperative relationship to a new height. Notably, on July 24, 2023, the leaders of the two provinces organized the signing of a development cooperation program, aiming to promote cooperation in the direction of quality, efficiency, and maximize the potential and advantages of each locality for mutual development. Notably, the memorandum of understanding on the development cooperation program between the two provinces in the coming time has up to 10 contents.
In particular, both provinces are interested in coordinating and sharing experiences in building and implementing the Provincial Planning for the period 2021 - 2030, with a vision to 2050. Strengthening coordination in implementing Resolution No. 26 of the Politburo on socio-economic development and ensuring national defense and security in the North Central and Central Coast regions to 2030, with a vision to 2045.
In addition, the Dung Quat Economic Zone Management Board and the Southeast Nghe An Economic Zone Management Board are also oriented to study and sign association agreements to share experiences and support and cooperate in development, focusing on creating conditions for enterprises in the two Economic Zones to have the opportunity to meet, exchange experiences, promote and introduce products; seek opportunities to connect investment chains, supply, production, consumption of goods and services between enterprises to improve production and business efficiency, promote production development, and contribute to economic growth of the two provinces.
Cooperate and support in developing clean agriculture, organic agriculture, trade promotion, advertising, branding, linking, consuming agricultural products, OCOP products, high-tech agricultural products between the two provinces. Support connecting tourism service businesses, connecting tours between the two localities. At the same time, support and cooperate in building and developing smart cities. Cooperate in training human resources in areas where the province has advantages, training highly skilled workers suitable to market requirements...
Today, in the two provinces of Nghe An and Quang Ngai, there are still many places that bear the mark of the old friendship. In Quynh Luu, there is Binh Son canal, An Ngai irrigation lake; in Tan Ky, there is An Ngai farm or Nghia Hanh commune; and in Vinh city, there is Tra Bong hotel… all of which are named after places and localities of Quang Ngai province or combined with the names of the two provinces.
It can be seen that, from a certain perspective, the twinning movement between Nghe An and Quang Ngai during the previous war and the development of the association in the present era is an inseparable part of the great national unity bloc. It not only has the meaning of spiritual encouragement, sharing, and companionship in terms of emotions and material things, but also demonstrates the truth that "Vietnam is one, the Vietnamese people are one. Rivers may dry up, mountains may wear away, but that truth will never change", as President Ho Chi Minh once affirmed.
