Lao Cai promotes information and propaganda work and foreign information in border areas.

Over the past 5 years, the foreign information work in the border area of Lao Cai province has been implemented synchronously and effectively, demonstrating the harmonious combination of the "soft" power of culture and the "hard" power of border defense. The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Provincial Border Guard Command have implemented programs and activities that have brought about practical results.

Strong border from the base

During the 2021-2025 period, the Provincial Border Guard coordinated with the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to organize 6,986 foreign information dissemination sessions in 25 border communes, attracting more than 150,000 people to participate. Border guard officers and soldiers also maintained 5,264 activities and study sessions at border posts, disseminating laws and raising awareness for more than 160,000 officers, soldiers and people.

Innovative models have been deployed synchronously, typically: "Twinning of Stations and Stations", "Twinning of residential areas on both sides of the border", "Vietnam-China Friendship Ambassadors", or bilateral and joint patrols with the Chinese border protection force. During this period alone, the two sides sent 1,319 diplomatic letters, organized 145 talks, 128 bilateral patrols and 145 joint patrols, contributing to strengthening trust, enhancing exchanges, understanding and cooperation between the border forces of the two countries.

The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Provincial Border Guard have proactively coordinated, exploited and effectively operated foreign information platforms, creating a synchronous propaganda network from the province to the grassroots. The Lao Cai Provincial Foreign Affairs Information Portal (doingoailaocai.vn) has become an official propaganda channel, posting thousands of news, articles and photos vividly reflecting the foreign policy of the Party and State, as well as the achievements in socio-economic, cultural and tourism development of the locality. The "Sea and Islands - Border" column was built with the coordination and regular provision of information by the Border Guard, updating hundreds of news and articles each year to serve the propaganda work and the struggle to protect national border sovereignty.

At the same time, the two sectors coordinated to manage and operate 02 Foreign Information Clusters at Lao Cai International Border Gate and Kim Thanh International Road Border Gate No. 2, producing more than 1,500 media products including images, videos, documentaries, promotional clips... introducing the political, economic, cultural - social and tourism potential of the locality. Thanks to the close connection between the propaganda force and the local border guards, the foreign information clusters have become "bright spots" promoting the image of Lao Cai - a dynamic integration gateway of the Northwest region, while spreading the message of a peaceful, friendly and developed border.

The 2025 Lao Cai Province Border Area Mass Art Festival attracted a large number of cadres, soldiers and people to participate, creating a strong influence in foreign propaganda work, strengthening trust and responsibility to protect the Fatherland's fence.

Strengthening the relationship between the army and the people at the border of the Fatherland

Along the Lao Cai border, cultural, sports and artistic activities are held as vibrantly and bustlingly as the big festivals of the ethnic groups. The programs "Mass Art Festival in the border area of Lao Cai province", "Cultural Festival of ethnic groups in the border area", "Spring Border Guard warms the hearts of the villagers", "Sports Competition of ethnic minorities"... are not only artistic playgrounds, but also bridges connecting the army and people, spreading the spirit of solidarity, patriotism and pride of the border.

Notable among them is the 2025 Border Area Mass Art Festival, a vivid demonstration of the effective coordination between the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Provincial Border Guard. Since its first organization in 2022, the Festival has become a much-anticipated festival for the border community. In 2025 alone, the program attracted 12 mass art troupes with 60 unique performances, bringing together more than 300 non-professional actors from 26 border communes, wards and towns and 11 border posts. Each performance is a story through music, dance, and traditional costumes - where people and soldiers sing together about the Fatherland, the border, and the Vietnam-China friendship.

Not only a cultural activity, the Mass Arts Festival also contributes to building a solid "people's heart position", a bridge connecting the government, armed forces and people in border areas. Through the language of folk art, the message of national solidarity and the responsibility to protect the sacred sovereignty of the Fatherland is conveyed gently and deeply, adding new vitality to the grassroots cultural movement at the country's border.

In addition to artistic activities, the spiritual life of officers, soldiers and people in the border areas is regularly cared for. At 11 border posts, a system of border bookcases with more than 26,000 books and documents is maintained, with more than 4,800 books and 2,700 newspapers circulated to each village and unit. These simple "border libraries" have become cultural highlights, where knowledge and patriotism are cultivated through each page of books and newspapers.

Not stopping at propaganda, the two sectors also joined hands for the community, carried out many social security activities, and supported people to overcome difficulties after natural disasters. During the floods in Bac Ha, Bat Xat, Muong Khuong, Van Ban, the image of border guards and grassroots cultural and information officers wading through mud, rebuilding roofs, rescuing property, and helping people stabilize their lives became a beautiful image in the hearts of the people. Tens of billions of dong in socialized resources were mobilized to build "Great Unity Houses", "Mr. Houses", support poor households, policy families, and studious students, demonstrating the spirit of "serving the people" with specific and practical actions.

From that close coordination, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and its affiliated units have mobilized thousands of Tet gifts, books, and learning equipment to hand out to the people; coordinated with the Border Guard to organize humanitarian programs such as "Helping children go to school", "Adopted children of Border Guard Station", helping dozens of students in border areas have better learning conditions. Each gift, each scholarship is a bond of love - the way cultural workers and border guards together build the future, keeping the border peaceful and beautiful.

From those outstanding results, in the period of 2026-2030, Lao Cai will continue to improve the effectiveness of coordination between the two sectors, closely linking the tasks of developing culture, tourism, and foreign information with border protection and national sovereignty. The focus is on building a professional and modern foreign information system, promoting digital transformation of the press, improving communication capacity, and promoting the cultural values of border areas in promoting the image of Lao Cai to domestic and international friends.

The coordination between the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Lao Cai Provincial Border Guard has been helping to promote the strength of foreign information with mass mobilization and border defense work, creating a solid position of people's hearts at the Fatherland's border./.