Thousand year tradition of Dien Chau land

(Baonghean)- Dien Chau is an ancient land; it belonged to Hoai Hoan department since the Hung King period, but it was not until 627 that the name Dien Chau officially appeared. After 1390 years of the name, the name Dien Chau has been associated with the development of the country.

Comrade Chu The Huyen - Deputy Secretary of the District Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Committee of Dien Chau district gave an interview to Nghe An Newspaper on the occasion of the 1390th anniversary of the name Dien Chau.

PV:Can you give us an overview of the 1,390-year history of the name Dien Chau?

Comrade Chu The Huyen:The book “Dai Viet Dia Du Toan Bien” compiled by Phuong Dinh Nguyen Van Sieu stated: “Dien Chau Long Tri district, formerly Trung Nghia district, also called Dien Thuy district. In Trinh Quan year, Quang Duc was abolished, Hoan Chau land was cut and established as Dien Chau… there were 7 districts: Trung Nghia, Long Tri, Vu Lang, Vu Kim, Hoai Hoan, Tu Nong, Vu Dung”. Combined with the national and private history books: “Kham Dinh Viet Su Thong Giam Cuong Muc”, “Dai Nam Nhat Thong Chi”, “Lich Trieu Hien Chuong Loai Chi”, “Nghe An Ky”, scientists at the scientific discussion on September 11, 2005 agreed that there was enough scientific basis to determine with certainty that the name Dien Chau appeared in the first year of Trinh Quan under the reign of Emperor Thai Tong (627).

Central view of Dien Chau district. Photo: Sach Nguyen

Dien Chau is an ancient land; it belonged to Hoai Hoan department since the Hung King period, but it was not until 627 that the name Dien Chau officially appeared in the country's history. The area was sometimes large and sometimes small, but since its appearance in 627, Dien Chau has played the role of a district-level administrative unit, and through many successive dynasties from the Tang Dynasty to autonomous dynasties such as Khuc (905 - 923), Duong (931 - 938), Ngo (93 - 965), Dinh (9680 - 980), Tien Le (98 - 1009), Dien Chau still stood independently as a separate district.

Thus, the name Dien Chau dates back to 627, although the area has changed over time, it is still the same as Hoan Chau. Hoan Chau is a change from Duc Chau. Duc Chau has existed since the Liang Dynasty (502 - 507) divided from Cuu Duc. Cuu Duc was originally established during the Ngo Dynasty (220 - 280) separated from Cuu Chan District of the Han Dynasty. Dien Chau under the Han Dynasty was the land of Ham Hoan District, under the Tang Dynasty it was Phu Dien and An Nhan Districts, then changed to Dien Chau, under the Ly and Tran Dynasties - it was Dien Chau Road, under Le Quang Thuan (Thanh Tong) it was changed to Dien Chau Prefecture under Nghe An Province, it governed the two districts of Dong Thanh and Quynh Luu, in the 18th year of Minh Mang, Yen Thanh District was added (it governed three districts: Dong Thanh, Quynh Luu, Yen Thanh).

After the August Revolution, specifically after the resistance war against France, in 1954, the Dien Chau provincial capital, which was then a district, was moved to the Dien Chau junction. At first it was called the district capital, but on February 23, 1977, according to Decision No. 619 VP/CP of the Minister and Chief of the Prime Minister's Office, it was called a town. Dien Chau town, including the Dien Chau headquarters, is expanding and developing day by day. It is the political center of Dien Chau, but it is located at the position where National Highway 1 and the North-South railway pass through, the junction of National Highway 7 to Laos, close to the sea and has the Bung River flowing through... so it has the potential to be a prosperous economic and cultural center.

Panorama of Cuong Temple. Photo: Sach Nguyen

PV:Carrying forward the 1,390-year tradition, Dien Chau has changed a lot. Especially after 30 years of renovation, the district has made many breakthroughs in all fields, isn't that right, sir?

Comrade Chu The Huyen:Being a land blessed with many advantages by nature, with sea, rivers, and fertile land. Dien Chau people are hard-working, industrious, and indomitable in the struggle, along with the tradition of studiousness and academic achievements that are famous in the region...

All of these advantages have contributed to changing the face of the ancient Hoan Chau and present Dien Chau: Always taking the lead in applying scientific and technological advances in the direction of industrialization and modernization, promoting the preservation of traditional crafts. At the same time, promoting internal resources, taking advantage of external resources to create an open mechanism to attract investment projects in production and business. The economic structure has shifted towards increasing the proportion of construction industry and services. A number of small industrial parks have been established, creating growth in economic development such as Dien Hong Small Industrial Park, Thap - Hong - Ky Industrial Park, Loc - Tho, Garment Factory in Dien Phong, Dien Hung Fishmeal Factory, Dien Ngoc...

Giant freshwater prawns in Dien Chau. Photo: Mai Giang

In the district, there are 9 large projects invested by enterprises with a total registered capital of nearly 1,500 billion VND, of which over 1,000 billion VND has been implemented. The whole district has 475 non-state enterprises, more than 6,000 individual business households, contributing to economic transformation and development and creating jobs for 4,500 to 5,000 workers annually. Every year, enterprises contribute an average of over 50 billion VND to the budget.

Along with that, sea tourism and eco-tourism areas are being formed and developed, typically Dien Thanh beach, Xuan Duong lake, Dien Lam eco-tourism area. New urban areas have appeared, traffic systems, canals, and electricity networks have been invested in and built widely and spaciously. Cultural life has been preserved and promoted, and social issues have been addressed.

The National Target Program on New Rural Construction has become a widespread movement, supported and responded by the people. By mid-2017, 17/38 communes had been recognized by the Provincial People's Committee as meeting the new rural standards. For many years, Dien Chau District Party Committee has been clean and strong. It is the leading district in the province in many fields: the number of communes meeting the new rural standards is among the top in the province; for many years, it has been the leading flag in the education career in both quality and the movement to build national standards; it is the district with the highest number of communes meeting level 2 standards in the province in terms of health; national defense and security are maintained, social order and safety are ensured.

Ships dock. Photo: Nguyen Sach

PV:With the goal of building Dien Chau to develop rapidly and sustainably, striving to achieve new rural district status by 2020 and be in the top of the province's districts, the district Party Committee has continuously achieved strength; what solutions does the district have, comrade?

Comrade Chu The Huyen:In the 2015 - 2020 term, Dien Chau has set out the direction to accelerate growth, continue to develop fields, industries and products that have affirmed their advantages, and at the same time aim to develop industries and products that apply science and technology, have high added value, save raw materials, energy, and are environmentally friendly. Strongly develop industries, small-scale industries, craft villages, services and tourism, considering this as a breakthrough in economic development. Focus on improving the quality of human resources to meet development requirements. Pay attention to developing socio-cultural fields, strengthening national defense, ensuring political security, social order and safety. Enhance the leadership capacity and fighting strength of the Party organization, build an increasingly strong political system.

Papaya growing model brings high income to Mr. Nguyen Van Ba's household (Dien Lien commune, Dien Chau district). Photo: Quang An

To achieve that goal, the district focuses on the following key solutions: Mobilizing and effectively using resources. Promoting existing potential and advantages in addition to exploiting external resources. Continuing to promote investment attraction, increasing investment in infrastructure development, especially key infrastructure to serve as the basis for economic development.

Economic development is associated with the development of culture, health, education, training, environmental protection, progress, social justice and improvement of the quality of life for the people, gradually reducing the poverty rate, ensuring social security; promoting the application of science and technology; focusing on training and attracting human resources, especially high-quality human resources to meet development requirements.

Closely combine socio-economic development with strengthening national defense and security. Continue to innovate thinking, strengthen the leadership role of the Party, the management and operation efficiency of government apparatus at all levels, and enhance comprehensive development cooperation with other localities. Proactively prevent and mitigate natural disasters and prevent the effects and impacts of climate change.

Checking the quality of rural roads in Dien Phuc commune (Dien Chau). Photo: Mai Giang

In addition, the District Party Committee focuses on planning and planning management, completing socio-economic development. Focus on shifting the agricultural economic structure towards large-scale commodity production. Focus on developing the marine economy, strengthening fisheries infrastructure. Have breakthrough solutions to strongly develop industry, focusing on developing advantageous industries. Actively coordinate with the Southeast Economic Zone to promote infrastructure construction, attract investment. Along with development, it is necessary to build people in the new period.

The Dien Chau District Party Committee also raised its determination to further innovate its leadership methods, improve the capacity and fighting strength of grassroots party organizations; promote the exemplary pioneering role of cadres and party members, and build a truly strong Party organization in terms of ideology, politics and organization. Implement the resolutions of the term Congress into action programs, projects and plans to organize good implementation and bring the resolutions into life.

PV:Thank you comrade!

Thanh Hien

(Perform)