Blurring Boundaries - Connecting Communities

When Hoa Binh was merged into Phu Tho province to form the new Phu Tho province, the border area between the two provinces, which had long had exchanges in trade, daily life and culture, was now "under one roof", marking a major turning point in administrative boundaries, regional development and in the mindset of the people in Truong Yen hamlet, Yen Mong commune, Hoa Binh city, Hoa Binh province (after the merger, Tan Hoa ward) and Go Da hamlet, Tinh Nhue commune, Thanh Son district, Phu Tho province (after the merger, Yen Son commune).

Over the past decades, Tan Bridge on Highway 70B, the natural boundary between the two provinces of Hoa Binh and Phu Tho (old), has become a symbol of solidarity after the merger.

Tan Bridge - a symbol of solidarity

Route 70B extends over Tan Bridge - the boundary between Hoa Binh and Phu Tho provinces, which is no longer an administrative boundary. On one side of the bridge is Truong Yen hamlet - the new Tan Hoa ward, on the other side is Go Da hamlet - the new Yen Son commune. The two localities of the two provinces are now under one roof.

Born and raised in the adjacent area, Mr. Dang Thai Cong, Go Da hamlet shared: Before, we were only separated by a bridge, but if we wanted to take our children to school or to see a doctor on the other side, we had to complete all the procedures and verification papers. Now it is different, everything is much simpler when the two provinces have merged into one.

For Mr. Cong, the merger is not just a change on paper, but also opens new doors for his family and many other families in this area, especially in terms of children's education. Ms. Nguyen Hong Nhung, Go Da hamlet, excitedly said: After the merger, we feel like the streets are closer to us. Before, studying, getting medical treatment, doing anything felt far away. Now that Hoa Binh and Phu Tho have merged into one, everything will be more convenient. "For decades, Tan bridge on Highway 70B has been the natural boundary between the two provinces. People still cross, trade, study, get medical treatment, live... as if there had never been a boundary. But every time it comes to paperwork and administration, it is quite complicated," Ms. Nhung shared. Now that Hoa Binh has officially merged into Phu Tho, becoming a part of the new Phu Tho province, the small bridge seems to have become a symbol of connection.

Not only Tan bridge but also for people in this border area, My market in My hamlet, Yen Mong commune has long been not only a transit point for agricultural products and goods between Thanh Son and Thanh Thuy districts (Phu Tho) and Hoa Binh city. Although it only meets in sessions, it has become one of the most important wholesale markets in the region, where people from Thanh Son, Tinh Nhue, Luong Nha, Yen Mao, Dao Xa... regularly bring goods and agricultural products to trade and buy and sell. Mr. Nguyen The Hai, a trader who has been trading for many years at My market, said: The market only meets once a week on Sundays, but the purchasing power is high. Now that the market has been merged into the province, we hope that it will be planned to become an official transit point because its location is very convenient. We hope that the change in administrative boundaries will help to facilitate trade connections between localities in the new province more strongly, instead of just stopping at the level of small-scale trading as before.

Dreams are not far away

One of the biggest joys for people in the border area after the merger is that their children will have more opportunities to access quality education . Ms. Nguyen Hong Nhung, Go Da hamlet, excitedly said: In the past, it was very difficult to send children to good quality schools such as Hoang Van Thu High School for the Gifted or Hoa Binh Industrial High School. Because they were from different provinces, the procedures were complicated, and there was no priority admission. Now our children can take exams and study at high quality schools that are still close to home.

For many years, children in communes in Thanh Son and Thanh Thuy districts (old) although less than 15km from Hoa Binh city, but want to study at high-quality schools such as Hoang Van Thu High School or Industrial High School (old Hoa Binh city) is impossible. Meanwhile, if they want to study at high-quality high schools, they have to go to Viet Tri, more than 80km from home.

For people in the border area of ​​Hoa Binh and Phu Tho provinces (old), the change in administrative boundaries is not only a merger on the map, but also a real integration of the community living on both sides of Tan bridge - which used to be a boundary but has now become a bridge connecting two lands and two communities.

Manh Hung

Source: https://baohoabinh.com.vn/274/202465/Xoa-nhoa-ranh-gioi-Gan-ket-cong-dong.htm