Following Uncle Ho's words, striving to make Hai Duong a "model province"

65 years ago, on April 1, 1959, President Ho Chi Minh visited and worked with the Hai Duong Provincial Party Committee. This was the third time Uncle Ho visited the province, right at the time when the entire army and people of Hai Duong were enthusiastically competing in labor production, achieving many outstanding achievements in the movement to build agricultural cooperatives, intensive farming, collective animal husbandry, and irrigation in the fields...

During this visit, at the Provincial Party Committee headquarters, Uncle Ho focused on working with comrades in the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee, the Administrative Committee and cadres of the provincial departments and branches. He praised the achievements of the people and cadres of Hai Duong, especially in agricultural production and the cooperative work exchange group movement. He advised that the province needs to promote the increase of crop productivity to ensure the completion and surpassing of the plan. It is necessary to focus on drought prevention, to prevent drought from lasting, and to apply more fertilizer to rice and crops. Regarding the dike work, it is necessary to try to complete it well before the rainy season... He reminded: "We must be determined and turn the determination of the Party and the Government into the determination of the masses. Cadres, party members, and youth union members must be exemplary in all work. Leading cadres must stay close to reality, grasp the focus and comprehensiveness, and focus on applying specific instructions. It is necessary to strengthen the Party's leadership, focus on developing new Party members, and actively educate and raise socialist awareness among Party members, union members and the masses."

Although the time Uncle Ho worked at the Provincial Party Committee headquarters was not long, his gestures, actions, and advice left the Party Committee, army, and people of Hai Duong with sacred and profound feelings.
In response to Uncle Ho's sacred and noble sentiments, Hai Duong Provincial Party Committee launched an emulation movement to build irrigation works throughout the province, promoting participation in the construction of the Bac Hung Hai irrigation project. Right in the spring of 1959, a short emulation campaign was carried out to complete the winter-spring crop production plan, concentrating forces to fight drought. Responding to the movements launched by the province, cooperative labor exchange groups organized group water bailing. Typically, Toan Thang and Le Loi communes (Gia Loc) gathered 16 waterwheels and 224 buckets, and people took turns bailing water continuously for weeks. Thanks to that, in mid-April 1959, Hai Duong province saved over 14,800 hectares of drought-affected fields. The whole province planted over 95% of the main winter-spring rice area, an increase of over 2,600 hectares compared to 1958; nearly 7,400 hectares of crops were planted.
With high determination in irrigation and drought prevention, by the end of 1960, the whole Hai Duong province had achieved the greatest achievement compared to before in terms of the volume of excavation and embankment of irrigation works with over 19 million m3 of soil, mobilizing over 100,000 people to participate; the whole province had restored nearly 8,000 hectares of fields abandoned for many years due to lack of irrigation water, converting over 70% of the one-crop rice area into two crops. With outstanding achievements in irrigation work in the first 6 months of 1960, on September 30, 1960, Hai Duong province was honored to receive the Best Emulation Flag from President Ho Chi Minh for its achievements in irrigation; in 1961, Hai Duong province continued to be awarded the Second Class Labor Medal.

Implementing the policy of developing agricultural production to a new level of the Provincial Party Committee, agricultural cooperatives in the province have boldly applied many new scientific and technical measures to cultivation along with improving agricultural tools. A typical example of this movement is Vu La Cooperative (Nam Dong commune) which established a workshop to produce agricultural tools, specializing in the production of improved weed harrows, ox carts, rice transplanters, water wheels, etc. The value of local industrial production in 1960 was equal to that of 1958 and 1959 combined. The province has built a mechanical workshop, a state-owned brick and tile factory. Handicraft production in 1960 exceeded the State's plan by 24%.

Implementing Uncle Ho's teachings on consolidating and developing work exchange groups, the cooperative movement in Hai Duong took place strongly. In early 1958, the whole province had only 5 pilot agricultural cooperatives, by the end of 1959, 50% of the production households in the province had joined cooperatives. In 1960, the cooperative movement developed rapidly, the whole Hai Duong province had a total of 1,814 village-scale agricultural cooperatives, accounting for 91.6% of the total number of farming households. The above results further strengthened the farmers' confidence in the cause of socialist revolution, educating, enlightening and attracting farmers to work collectively, creating a solid foundation for the North to become a great rear base for the South to fight against the US and save the country.

Hai Duong has had the honor of welcoming Uncle Ho to visit 5 times. The visit on April 1, 1959 left many deep memories in the minds and feelings of the cadres, party members and people of Hai Duong province. Uncle Ho's simple and thoughtful teachings were not only meaningful at that historical moment but also provided great orientations for the Party Committee and people of Hai Duong throughout the process of building and developing from a purely agricultural province.

Over the past 65 years, keeping in mind Uncle Ho's teachings, the Party Committee and people of Hai Duong have always strived to promote patriotic emulation movements, successfully carrying out all revolutionary tasks in different periods. In the fight against foreign invaders, all classes of people in Hai Duong have stood up one after another. More than 300,000 children of Hai Duong enthusiastically joined the army to save the country; nearly 39,000 soldiers heroically sacrificed, over 4,000 mothers were awarded or posthumously awarded the title of Heroic Vietnamese Mother; more than 21,000 wounded soldiers and nearly 9,000 sick soldiers left their blood, bones and youth on the battlefields to contribute to the independence and freedom of the Fatherland. Those in the rear "plowed in one hand, gun in the other", implementing "not a pound of rice missing, not a soldier missing", each village became a fortress.

During the process of building socialism in the North and carrying out the national and democratic revolution in the South; performing the task of being both the frontline and the rear of the North and the South; during the period of merging and then separating Hai Duong and Hung Yen provinces, to the current stages of development and integration, Hai Duong has always followed Uncle Ho's teachings, devoting human and material resources on all fronts. In particular, after nearly 38 years of implementing the renovation process, especially after more than half a term of implementing the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress and the Resolution of the 17th Provincial Party Congress, Hai Duong has overcome difficulties and challenges, achieving positive results in all areas of social life.

Up to now, Hai Duong's economy has continuously had good growth steps. The economic structure has shifted towards increasing the proportion of industry and services. There has been a positive shift between economic sectors and regions in the province. The scale of the economy is increasingly large, currently ranking 11th out of 63 provinces and cities nationwide. The gross regional domestic product (GRDP) in the 2021-2023 period increased by an average of 8.58%/year. According to the General Statistics Office, Hai Duong's economic growth in the first quarter of 2024 reached 9.8%, ranking 6th in the country, and 2nd in the Red River Delta. The province's total budget revenue is estimated at 7,390 billion VND, equal to 37.6% of the annual estimate, up 29.3% over the same period last year. Since 2017, Hai Duong has balanced its budget.

Hai Duong is one of the first 5 provinces in the country to complete the task of building new rural areas. The cultural and social fields have developed stably and have many innovations. The education network and scale are increasingly suitable. The work of protecting and taking care of people's health has made much progress. Poverty reduction, job creation, and social security have been effectively implemented. The fields of national defense and security have been ensured. Foreign affairs have been strengthened and expanded. In particular, Hai Duong has promptly caught up with the trend of the times to accelerate the digital transformation process, focusing on economic development associated with environmental protection, ensuring social security, promoting the cultural identity and people of the East. These achievements are very important, creating a solid foundation for the province's development in the coming years.

From the vivid practice of studying and following Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality and style, thousands of outstanding collectives and individuals have emerged like thousands of flowers of good deeds, who have continuously worked enthusiastically and devoted themselves in all areas of social life, and have been commended and recognized by Party committees and authorities at all levels. Many outstanding collectives and individuals have been honored with awards from the Prime Minister and central ministries and branches.

Uncle Ho has passed away, but his feelings and teachings still resonate in the hearts of the people and soldiers of Hai Duong. The cadres, party members and people of Hai Duong are determined to soon turn their province into a modern industrial province and a "model province" as Uncle Ho always wished. The Party Committee and people of Hai Duong continue to arouse and promote the strength of solidarity and the glorious revolutionary tradition of the heroic homeland of Hai Duong, constantly promote the spirit of building and defending the country that Uncle Ho devoted his whole life to fostering; build a clean and strong Party and political system. Promote patriotic emulation movements. Well implement the study and follow of Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality and style according to Directive 05 of the Politburo and consider it a solid theoretical fulcrum and spiritual strength. Continue to promote the cause of industrialization and modernization. Focus on developing and implementing 5 main pillars including: High-tech industry and supporting industry; high-quality services; green, modern, smart urban areas; high-tech agricultural products and organic agriculture; ensuring social security and environmental protection. Resolutely, creatively, flexibly and effectively implement tasks and solutions for socio-economic development to create a solid momentum for victory...