Top ten events of Quang Tri in 2023

The central province of Quang Tri has selected the best 10 events in 2023 as follows:

1. Fourth round of the conference for Party's newspapers in the Central Coastal and Central Highlands regions

From April 21 to April 23, 2023, Quang Tri Newspaper hosted the fourth round of the conference for the Party’s newspapers in the northern, central coastal, and central highlands regions. Themed “Media in Defending the Ideas of the Communist Party in the New Era,” the conference gathered nearly 400 delegates who were leaders, reporters, and editors from 42 Party newspapers.

Through discussions, the participants delivered new ideas and creative solutions to improve the performance of their newspapers in defending the theories of the Communist Party, especially when the country is suppressed by global uncertainties in politics and attacked by enemies in the cyber world.

2. The Vietnam Culture – Culinary Festival 2023: "The soul of the nation - The taste of the homeland"

From April 28 to April 30, 2023, Gio Linh District People’s Committee, Quang Tri Provincial People’s Committee, and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism launched the Vietnam Culture – Culinary Festival 2023 with the theme “The Soul of the Nation - The taste of the homeland” at the Cua Viet Town.

The festival featured nine artisans, professional cooks, and 74 units nationwide, attracting more than 10,000 visitors daily. The festival was a great opportunity for Quang Tri and other provinces and cities to present and promote local cultural and culinary values, people, and landscapes to domestic and international tourists.

3. Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the headquarters of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam

On the night of June 10, 2023, the Office of the Government and Quang Tri Province organized a ceremony to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the headquarters of the Republic of South Vietnam’s Provisional Revolutionary Government (PRG). The anniversary aimed to reaffirm the role, meaning, and importance of the event, and recall and educate young generations about the heroic tradition of the Vietnamese people in fighting foreign invaders

Fifty years ago, after the signing of the Paris Peace Accords, the Politburo decided to relocate the headquarters of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam from Tay Ninh Province to the liberated zone in Quang Tri Province’s Cam Lo District.

4. Celebration of the 55th anniversary of Khe Sanh Victory and Huong Hoa Liberation

Local authorities and people in Huong Hoa District on the night of July 7, 2023, celebrated the 55-year milestone since the victory of Khe Sanh and the liberation of Huong Hoa, which was marked on July 9, 1968. As part of the celebration, from July 3 to July 5, Huong Hoa District authorities hosted a public art performance at the Khe Sanh Stadium, involving more than 300 performers and musicians from nine localities in the province.

Fifty years ago, Huong Hoa District’s Khe Sanh Town was among the focal attacking points targeted by the Vietnamese army under the uprising and attack campaign in spring-summer 1968. On January 20, 1968, the Route 9-Khe Sanh operation began. On July 9, our army defeated Ta Con fortress and liberated Huong Hoa District, marking the turning point in the fight against the US army.

5. "Meet Thailand" – Strengthening Vietnam-Thailand relations

The “Meet Thailand” Conference was held on August 4 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Thai Embassy in Vietnam, and the Quang Tri Provincial People’s Committee to commemorate 10 years of the Vietnam-Thailand strategic partnership and 47 years of the Vietnam-Thailand diplomatic relations. The conference, as the first one hosted by the province, was a chance for more than 400 delegates from public and private sectors in the two nations to discuss potential partnerships and cooperations.

As part of the conference, a Vietnam-Thailand expo opened in Dong Ha City, featuring 40 pavilions. At the expo, 12 Thai food and beverage companies joined a trade promotion event in both online and offline formats. On August 3, Dong Ha City hosted an event to promote the province as a converging point on the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC).

6. Activities to honor invalids and martyrs, educate fishermen for better aquatic exploitation

On the occasion of the 76th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs“Day (July 27), a delegation of the Vietnam Journalists” Association on July 19-20 visited Quang Tri Province and conducted multiple activities to honor invalids and martyrs who had sacrificed for the independence and unification of the country.

In Quang Tri, the delegation gave 68 presents to revolutionary journalists and families of the late journalists who sacrificed during the wars. The delegation also financed the building of seven houses for the locals, delivered Tet gifts for low-income families and cattle for local invalids, gave 150 bikes and hundreds of scholarships and tablets to local students, and contributed some VND500 million ($20,570) to build more classrooms. The overall value of the gifts and sponsors was estimated at VND3 billion ($123,400).

On July 20, the Ho Chi Minh City Law Newspaper and Quang Tri Provincial People’s Committee co-organized the program “Together with fishermen to light up the lights on the sea” in Gio Linh District’s Cua Viet Town. With practical activities, related parties of the program are expected to raise awareness among local fishermen about legal and eco-friendly fishing activities and encourage them to continue their hard efforts to defend national sovereignty.

7. Celebration of the visit of the late Cuban President Fidel Castro to the liberated zone in Quang Tri

A ceremony was held in Dong Ha City on September 26 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the visit paid by the late Cuban President Fidel Castro to the liberated zone of the South in Quang Tri Province (September 1973 – September 2023).

In his remarks, President of the National Assembly of Popular Power and President of the Council of State of Cuba, Esteban Lazo Hernández, highly appreciated Vietnam’s togetherness and support for Cuba during the hard times. He pledged that Cuban generations would maintain and maximize the bond and brotherhood with the Vietnamese in the future.

On this occasion, the Vietnam News Agency, Quang Tri Province and Cuba’s Prensa Latina News Agency co-hosted a photo exhibition titled “Forever Strong Friendship between Vietnam and Cuba”, meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People’s Committee of Quang Tri Province and the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union awarded a drawing competition with the theme “Vietnamese and Cuban children in solidarity”.

8. Accomplished training on local and regional defense

From October 10 to October 12, 2023, the Training Command Center of the 4th Military Region organized a training drill on the provincial defense. The drill involved the provincial and district-level military forces with 14 workshops and 12 exercises. It aimed to test and intensify the quality of local armed forces and militants to prevent and respond to natural disasters, conduct rescue and defense operations, and perform urgent tasks in dealing with fires, building collapses, and exposures to hazardous substances.

The drill was attended by more than 8,500 individuals with some 250 vehicles and 1,100 guns and firepower. Particularly, the province deployed many modern devices and vehicles in the training drill, including tanks, armored vehicles, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on a large-scale operation field.

9. Celebration of the 100th birthday anniversary of General Doan Khue

A ceremony was held on October 27 in Dong Ha City by the Ministry of National Defense and Quang Tri Provincial People’s Committee to commemorate the 100th birthday anniversary of the late General Doan Khue, former Deputy Secretary of the Central Military Commission and former Minister of National Defense.

In his remarks, Senior Lieutenant General Luong Cuong, Director of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People’s Army, said that the ceremony is a special occasion to recall the life and career of the late General Doan Khue, who made significant efforts and impacts on the success of the national revolution and military.

On the same day, the Ministry of National Defense and Quang Tri Province co-organized a workshop to summarize the life career of the late General Doan Khue and draw lessons from his activities, with the participation of ministry leaders and other revolutionary cadres and activists. A day earlier, a memorial site dedicated to the late general was opened in Village 1, Trieu Lang Commune, Trieu Phong District.

10. Inauguration of Quang Tri Industrial Park and Quang Tri Airport

On December 15, Quang Tri Province kicked off the construction of the Quang Tri Industrial Park in Hai Lang District. The project involves Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park J.V. Co Ltd, Thailand-invested Amata City Bien Hoa JSC, and Japanese corporation Sumitomo, which form a joint contractor named Quang Tri Development Consortium Co Ltd. The project covers a total area of 481.2 hectares in the district’s Hai Truong and Hai Lam communes and Dien Sanh Town.

Total investment of the project is nearly VND2.1 trillion ($86.3 million), and it is expected to create jobs for 30,000-40,000 people.

On the same day, Quang Tri Provincial People’s Committee and investor consortium T&T Group – CIENCO4 inaugurated the Quang Tri Airport. The project spans Gio Quang, Gio Hai, and Gio Mai communes of Gio Linh District with a total area of 265 hectares and a total investment of VND5.83 trillion (nearly $240 million).

The Board of Editors - Huy Anh