Digital transformation promotes the development of new rural areas.

From smooth concrete roads and vibrant flowerbeds to golden rice terraces at the foot of the mountains, Hun village, Chieng Coi ward,Son La provinceThere are remarkable changes underway.

This achievement is due not only to the sound policy of building new rural areas, but also to the promotion of digital transformation, especially the provision of free Wi-Fi coverage, which has contributed to improving the material and spiritual lives of the people here.

The cultural center in Hun village, Chieng Coi ward, Son La province, has been newly built and equipped with free Wi-Fi, making it convenient for residents to access the internet. Photo: Van Ngoc

Having made an appointment beforehand, we arrived at Hun village. Mr. Tong Van Yen, Party Secretary and Head of Hun village (Chieng Coi, Son La), proudly introduced his village: Hun village has 228 households with 1,153 inhabitants, home to the Thai, Tay, and Muong ethnic groups. To date, 100% of the main village roads and alleyways have been concreted and equipped with streetlights; houses have been renovated to be spacious and clean.

The average per capita income has reached 60 million VND/year, and the poverty rate has dropped to only 1.3%. Hun village has met 16 criteria and 44 indicators of a standard new rural village, and notably, it has met all 7 criteria for a model new rural village in terms of rural culture.

According to the Party Secretary and Head of Hun village, a notable highlight in the journey of building a new rural area in Hun village is the application of information technology and digital transformation in community life. Since 2024, free Wi-Fi has been installed at the village's cultural center to serve residents' internet access, thereby opening up opportunities for people in the village to access knowledge and connect with information for learning, exchanging experiences in production, developing the economy, increasing income, and improving their spiritual lives.

Farmers in Hun village, Chieng Coi ward, Son La province, learn production techniques from the internet to apply to developing their family economy. Photo: Van Ngoc

Ms. Tong Thi Hoan, team leader of the Hun village performing arts group (Chieng Coi, Son La), happily shared: "Since having Wi-Fi, the members of the village performing arts group no longer have to spend money on 3G or 4G data, yet they can easily download music and instructional videos for dancing and singing to practice and perform. The performances are now more diverse, lively, and also linked to promoting policies and laws, preserving cultural identity, and building new rural areas."

"The cultural performances were carefully selected, incorporating content promoting the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's laws and regulations, building a cultural life associated with the new rural development program, and protecting the environment," Ms. Hoan said.

Beyond serving cultural activities, the internet has also become a useful tool for people to develop their economy. Ms. Tong Thi Lien, a farmer who cultivates over 1 hectare of coffee and fruit trees, shared: "Everything is available online. I often watch videos instructing how to care for plants and raise chickens and pigs. When I have a product, I take photos and videos and post them for sale on social media. It's very convenient now; I don't need to go to the market to sell my goods."

Since free Wi-Fi became available, the performing arts group of Hun village, Chieng Coi ward, Son La province, has found it more convenient to practice and perform. Photo: Van Ngoc

The living standards of people in the new rural villages have improved.

According to Mr. Tong Van Yen, in order to implement the construction of a model new rural village focusing on rural culture, from 2021 to the present, Hun village has mobilized a total of over 7.2 billion VND, of which the State contributed over 4.8 billion VND, the people contributed over 2.4 billion VND, along with thousands of man-days and thousands of square meters of donated land to build infrastructure.

Notable projects such as the "House of Wisdom" at the village cultural center, the community sports field, the modern cultural facilities system, and free Wi-Fi have contributed to improving the quality of life, both spiritually and materially, for the people.

To date, Hun village, Chieng Coi ward, Son La province, has been recognized as a model new rural village. Photo: Van Ngoc

From there, many vibrant activity models have been formed and maintained, such as: the Thai ethnic cultural club with 120 members, 10 performing arts groups, 3 sports clubs… 89.6% of households achieved the title of "Cultural Family" for 3 consecutive years (2022–2024), and the village achieved the title of "Cultural Village" during the same period.

The Party Secretary and Head of Hun village added that in the coming time, the people of Hun village will continue to maintain and develop the model of a model new rural village in terms of rural culture. They will effectively implement environmental protection work in conjunction with community tourism development; preserve and promote unique cultural values ​​and natural landscapes, aiming to achieve an even more exemplary model for rural tourism. Especially important is the digital transformation in building new rural areas.

The transformation of Hun village is a clear testament to the effectiveness of combining rural development with digital transformation. This is not only a path to bringing a new look to the highland countryside but also a journey to improve the quality of life, expand opportunities for comprehensive development for the people, and contribute to building a more prosperous, beautiful, and civilized Son La province.