Building Dong Nai into a model city of dynamic, modern, civilized, and happy development

Vu Hong Van stressed that in a joyful and enthusiastic atmosphere, the Party Committee, authorities, and people of Dong Nai City were honored to welcome Party General Secretary and State President To Lam, along with incumbent and former leaders of the Party and State, international delegations, and distinguished guests to the ceremony announcing the National Assembly’s Resolution on the establishment of Dong Nai City.

On behalf of the City’s Party Committee, authorities, and people, Vu Hong Van expressed profound gratitude to the Politburo, the PCC’s Secretariat, the PCC, the National Assembly, the Government, and central commissions, ministries and agencies for their attention and special support for the Party Committee and people of Dong Nai City.

Vu Hong Van, Member of the PCC, Secretary of Dong Nai CPC, and Head of the City National Assembly Delegation, speaks at the ceremony. Photo: Cong Nghia

Acknowledging the guidance of Party General Secretary and State President To Lam, Secretary of Dong Nai CPC Vu Hong Van emphasized that this represents both a political directive and an important orientation for Dong Nai City to focus its leadership and direction on implementation efforts, thereby mobilizing resources for development.

“The CPC is determined to transform aspirations into concrete action, potential into momentum, and advantages into strength for development; to build a clean and strong Party Committee and political system; and to develop a contingent of officials with sufficient political mettle, intellect, and an innovative spirit, who dare to think, dare to act, and are determined to join the entire country in realizing the aspiration of building a strong and prosperous Vietnam,” affirmed Vu Hong Van.

Recalling the history of the formation of the Dong Nai land, Vu Hong Van stated that in the spring of 1698, Marquis Nguyen Huu Canh, under the direction of Lord Nguyen Phuc Chu, traveled south to administer the region, established Tran Bien Garrison, won the people’s support through wisdom and benevolence, and consolidated the administrative apparatus. He also encouraged land reclamation, developed the bustling trading port of Pho Islet, established territorial sovereignty, and laid a solid foundation for the reclamation and expansion of the nation’s territory. From that time, the region of Tran Bien–Bien Hoa - Dong Nai officially became an administrative territory of Dai Viet.

According to the CPC Secretary, the name Tran Bien–Bien Hoa, Dong Nai is not merely a historical name or an administrative entity but also reflects the statecraft and nation-building vision of previous generations in formally establishing the country’s territorial sovereignty over Dong Nai and the broader southern region.

Throughout its development, Dong Nai has been proud to be a land where diverse cultures converge and distinctive cultural values are preserved and promoted. A notable highlight is the Tran Bien Temple of Literature, a symbol of the tradition of learning and righteousness that upholds education as the foundation and talent as the key factor.

Vu Hong Van affirmed that these factors have helped shape the distinctive character and spirit of the people of Dong Nai, who are loyal, compassionate, generous, steadfast, and hospitable, and consistently nurture the aspiration to contribute and the determination to rise in every period of national construction and defense. The people of Dong Nai have used their sweat to reclaim the land and their blood to safeguard it, contributing to the establishment and protection of the nation’s territorial boundaries.

Referring to the resilient revolutionary tradition of the Dong Nai land, the CPC Secretary stated that since the Party assumed leadership, through the nation’s sacred struggles for national liberation and defense, generations of people in Dong Nai have upheld the tradition of “fighting foreign aggressors when they invade and rising up against internal enemies,” remaining steadfast in following the Party. The people of Dong Nai have fought and sacrificed for the nation and have always taken pride in the heroic years of this resilient revolutionary land.

From Red Phu Rieng, the cradle of the first workers’ movement of the Vietnamese revolution; Ba Ra Prison, where many steadfast revolutionary soldiers were imprisoned; and the uprising at Tan Hiep Prison, a shining symbol of the indomitable spirit, courage, and unwavering faith in the Party and the revolution among the people of Dong Nai; to War Zone D, a resilient revolutionary base and a key resistance stronghold in the southeastern region; Ta Thiet Military Base, regarded as the “strategic brain and heart of the southern battlefield,” where the order for the general offensive on Saigon was directly issued, paving the way for the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign; and the Sac Forest, where special task force soldiers became legendary for their indomitable will, courageous spirit, and unique art of people’s warfare of the Vietnamese nation.

Together with the army and people nationwide, the people of Dong Nai achieved many glorious victories, including the La Nga Victory, a heroic ambush on the southern battlefield, and the Phuoc Long Victory, in which the liberation forces dealt a decisive blow to the Saigon puppet administration, making Phuoc Long the first province in the South to be completely liberated.

Notably, in the final days of April 1975, in the Xuan Loc area of Dong Nai, the liberation forces, with the revolutionary heroism of the People’s Army, shattered the enemy’s final steel defensive line. The battle made an important contribution to the Great Spring Victory of 1975, leading to the liberation of the South and the reunification of the country. Those glorious chapters of history embodied the heroic spirit of Dong Nai and fervent patriotism, as countless people of Dong Nai fought and sacrificed heroically for the nation’s independence and freedom.

Alongside its heroic historical legacy, the Dong Nai land has also been endowed by nature with a rich ecosystem of rivers, lakes, mountains, and forests, including the gentle Dong Nai River, the vast Tri An Lake, and Chua Chan and Ba Ra mountains, which create magnificent natural landscapes and hold profound cultural and historical significance for Dong Nai. The area is also home to Cat Tien National Park, Bu Gia Map National Park, and Ma Da Forest, recognized as a world biosphere reserve and regarded as the “green lungs” and an invaluable biodiversity treasure of the nation.

Reviewing Dong Nai’s nearly 330 years of formation and development, Vu Hong Van emphasized that from a wild and marshy land, generations of predecessors, through their industrious labor and spirit of self-reliance and resilience, overcame countless hardships and sacrifices to transform forests into fertile fields and scattered settlements into prosperous and densely populated communities. Their efforts have shaped the new appearance of Dong Nai today, enabling the locality to rise as a land of agricultural prosperity and a dynamic key industrial powerhouse of the southeastern region.

CPC Secretary stated that following the merger on July 1, 2025, Dong Nai City has a natural area of nearly 13,000 square kilometers, a population of approximately 5 million people, and an economic scale of around 700 trillion VND, creating new development space and a new urban landscape for Dong Nai. Dong Nai City also possesses a valuable resource in its contingent of youthful officials with political resolve, intellect, and management capacity to administer a modern, dynamic, and creative urban area, thereby contributing more substantially to the country’s overall development.

“In this solemn and emotional moment, the Party Committee, authorities, and people of Dong Nai City express profound gratitude to previous generations who devoted their efforts to reclaiming and developing the land, while also paying tribute to heroic martyrs, Vietnamese heroic mothers, heroes of the People’s Armed Forces, wounded and sick soldiers, and all those who fought and sacrificed for the peace and independence of the Fatherland and for the freedom and happiness of the people.”

CPC Secretary also expressed sincere gratitude to the Politburo, the PCC’s Secretariat, the PCC, leaders of the Party, the National Assembly, the Government, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, central commissions, ministries and agencies, and leaders of provinces and cities for their great attention and heartfelt support for the Party Committee and people of Dong Nai City.

He also respectfully expressed gratitude to generations of Dong Nai leaders over periods, who have devoted their intellect, dedication, courage, and sense of responsibility to laying the foundation and creating momentum for the city’s development today. At the same time, he paid tribute to labor heroes and the business community for their tireless contributions to generating material wealth for society.

The CPC Secretary also extended sincere thanks to officials, Party members, members of the armed forces, experts, scientists, workers, farmers, writers and artists, religious dignitaries, reputable individuals among ethnic minority communities, and people from all walks of life, as well as natives of Dong Nai who are living, studying, and working across the country and abroad, for their unity and joint efforts toward the goal of building a prosperous and strong Dong Nai.

Vu Hong Van affirmed that the Dong Nai CPC will implement and successfully fulfill the advice of Party General Secretary and State President To Lam: "Unity is a timeless truth."

“With the motto of “One mind top to bottom”, “Smooth coordination across the board”, Dong Nai City is determined to demonstrate stronger resolve, greater efforts, and more decisive action in building the city into a model of dynamic, modern, civilized, and happy development. The city aims to become an important growth pole, joining the entire country in striving to achieve the goal of making Vietnam a developing country with modern industry and upper-middle income by 2030, and a developed, high-income country by 2045, advancing firmly with the nation into a new era – the era of national rise,” emphasized Vu Hong Van.