(VOVworld) – Public attention has turned lately to Dien Bien in northwest Vietnam. It was here that the historic Dien Bien Phu battle took place 60 years ago, putting an end to French colonial rule in Vietnam. 

The Dien Bien Phu victory on May 7, 1954 brought big changes to Dien Bien, the home of many ethnic minority groups. Life in Dien Bien has changed for the better and these days the city of Dien Bien is beautifully decorated with red flags, flowers, and banners celebrating the resounding Dien Bien Phu victory. 83-year-old Le Van Lan of Thanh Hoa province is one of the thousands of visitors who have come to Dien Bien this year. Lan says he is impressed with the city’s growth: “This is my second visit to Dien Bien. I’m moved and proud of the sacrifice of the soldiers who fought for national independence. I see that the historical relic sites have been refurbished and are being taken care of better than the last time I was here. Dien Bien has had a total facelift.”

Pham Ba Mieu, who took part in the Dien Bien Phu campaign, says he is proud to witness the positive changes in his home city. After the campaign, Mieu and his comrades helped the locals to clean up the battlefield and develop the economy. Mieu says he will never forget the difficult days they went through to rebuild Dien Bien: “It was a very hard time. There was no paved road and we had to carry food and medicines when we went to help people in remote villages. Life has changed dramatically since then and people are now better off. Roads have been paved even in the most remote area.”

State investment has been helping Dien Bien reduce its poverty and accelerate its socio-economic development. Poor ethnic minorities have been given farm land, houses and clean water and funding has been provided to especially disadvantaged areas to stimulate the local economy. Lo Thi Se of Muong Phang commune, Dien Bien district, says: “We now have electric lights and clean water. We no longer go hungry.”

Nguyen Huu Hiep, Vice Chairman of Muong Ang district’s People’s Committee, says a government program to support poor districts has been in place there for 3 years. Thanks to this program, more than 1,100 households have been given houses and more than 10,000 households have been given production support. Approximately 30 public facilities have been built. Hiep says: “The people have been helped to escape poverty. The poverty rate in Muong Ang has fallen from 68% in 2011 to 47%. We are trying to get that figure below 40% by 2015.”

Thanks to state investment and efforts by the local administration and people, Dien Bien province’s poverty rate has fallen to 35%. Its GDP growth rate between 2011 and 2013 was 9.6% while per capita income has grown to about 1,000 USD a year. The transportation infrastructure has been upgraded and more than two thirds of the households now have access to electricity. Dien Bien is striving to achieve economic growth of 12% and an annual per capita income of 1,100 USD by 2015. It expects to reduce its poverty rate to less than 15% by then. Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Pham Xuan Coi says many measures are underway to achieve sustainable poverty reduction: “Poverty reduction will be one of our primary tasks in the coming years. We will help the people understand their responsibility and help them escape poverty. Improving political leadership will be a key to achieving sustainable socio-economic growth.”

Dien Bien’s recent achievements have brought it closer to its goals of reducing poverty and becoming one of the most developed provinces in Vietnam’s northwestern region.