Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet worked with the key leaders of Lao Cai province (June 1992). Photo: Documentation

In January 1992, after 3 months of implementing party congresses at all levels, the first Provincial Party Congress (now reorganized as Congress X) was successfully held at the Assembly Hall of Lao Cai Apatite Complex. The congress made resolutions on issues of historical importance, inaugurating the process of rebuilding the homeland. Re-establishing the province, Lao Cai had to face many challenges left by history. Economic difficulties, 54% of households were poor; the infrastructure system was destroyed and degraded, 43 communes and most villages did not have automobile roads, electricity grids, telephones; underdeveloped industry; many communes were "having nothing in medical and schools”, 60% of children of the age could not go to school, rural security was unstable; The Vietnam - China border area, including the Lao Cai International Border Gate, has not been opened yet... The goal was that bringing Lao Cai out of the poor province soon set out by the Congress Resolution which was the desire of the ethnic groups in the province, that was the belief that urged the Party Committee, the government, and the Lao Cai ethnic minorities to enter a new era.

Recalling the months in the spring of 1992, welcoming the first Tet holiday at the meeting place at Tang Loong Industrial Park, Mr. Nguyen Quy Dang, former Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee said: "Happy spring in the exciting atmosphere of returning to Lao Cai but always thinking about many works. Starting to build the homeland with many difficulties in the first days of moving to the new province, the first priority is to settle farming and settle down for the people, to soon reduce poverty and hunger for more than tens of thousands of highland people. There is no time for "hot spots" in villages and hamlets, especially in areas with the large number of ethnic minorities who are easily manipulated and provoked by hostile forces. The first Tet holiday, the province's policy is "Tet near the people, return to the units", many delegations of provincial officials spreaded to the districts and communes, thoroughly spreading the new policy, the spirit, determined to rebuild the homeland of Lao Cai.

According to Mr. Tran Van Luan, Chairman of the Provincial Farmers' Association at that time, he said: As an official from Bac Ha, I was transferred to the Provincial Party Committee of Hoang Lien Son by my superiors, and when I returned to my homeland, I found that the lives of my people were so miserable. I always pondered, how to awaken the potential of farmers, accounting for over 87% of the province's population, of which 67% were ethnic minorities, shifting the economic structure of agriculture-forestry-breeding, to reduce poverty.

Mr. Nguyen Duc Thang, being the Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Propaganda Department, also said: The spirit of returning to Lao Cai was conveyed to the officials, party members and people when mastering the Resolution of the Congress as bringing the new spirit, firmly believe in the reform policy, in the major policy of the province. However, ideological work had to nurture trust when the reality was that life had been too difficult at that time, the transition from the subsidy mechanism to the new one was still awkward, and the border was not clear. Especially when the Soviet Union and the socialist countries of Eastern Europe disintegrated, ideological work had to thoroughly understand the basic content of the Resolution of the 7th National Party Congress, especially the basic content "The Platform of building the country in the transitional period to socialism, Strategies for social and economic stability and development up to the year 2000", providing innovative information to the officials and party members, and at the same time orienting public opinion, understanding the ideological developments to report to the province for timely direction.

Mr. Luong Xuan Mau, being the Secretary of the Bao Thang District Party Committee, directed the reception and arrangement of agencies from Yen Bai to Lao Cai still remembers the district offices, the people of Pho Lu town, Tang Loong town, Cam Duong commune; leaders and workers of Lao Cai Apatite Complex shared difficulties, giving up their offices and facilities to provincial agencies to move up. How deep was the human love when returning to Lao Cai, without the slightest hint of self-interest, all for the common good so that the provincial head offices would soon come into operation.

Administrative center of Lao Cai province nowadays.

Today, the leadership team of the “leading generation” back to Lao Cai are over 80 years old, many have passed away, when asked about old memories, they all said very sincere things that: At that time, the leadership system that pioneered did not dare to think about great things, only focused on directing the people to get out of poverty as soon as possible, maintaining border security, strengthening the political system from the units, and nurturing the will and determination to rebuild Lao Cai homeland.

Achievements in the first 10 years of rebuilding Lao Cai (1991 - 2001) are very proud, respectful and sacred. It is the roadmap to overcome difficulties and challenges in the special historical context of the country. The first event affirming the determination to rebuild the homeland was that General Secretary Do Muoi, during his visit to Lao Cai in April 1992, directed the implementation of the planning to build a provincial town right on the land adjacent to the devastation border after the war. Then, in August 1992, Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet visited and inspected the implementation of the State plan's objectives, and decided to directly respond to the proposals to remove difficulties of Lao Cai province. On May 18^th, 1993, the province opened a 34 km route of the Pho Lu - Lao Cai railway, restored Ho Kieu Bridge and reopened the Lao Cai - Ha Khau International Border Gate which had been locked for many years, opening new chapter in trading. In June 1993, the last agency of the province left the gathering area, where shared difficulties in the first days of moving to the new province, and returned to the provincial town. Thanks to the province's bold policy on settlement, the families of officials and civil servants in the province and town and many people who separated after the border war were granted residential land and started living again in indescribable joy.

The achievements in the years after the re-establishment date created great changes in socio-economic in Lao Cai, the difficulties of the re-establishment day were gradually solved; The border was opened, the first province in the Vietnam - China border area to complete the demarcation and marking on the field; The staff from the province to the units has gained a lot of practical experience and firmly entered the new millennium with the renovation of the country...