Immediately after liberation, under the leadership of the Central Party Committee and President Ho Chi Minh, the people of the ethnic groups in the region began restoring the economy severely damaged by the war, fulfilling the slogan "land to the tiller".
A view of Chiềng Cơi ward. Photo: PV
After 10 years of restoration, reform, and socialist construction (1954-1965), Son La made significant progress. From a fragmented, impoverished, and backward agricultural economy, it became a locality with an initially developing economy. The transportation network; industries and small-scale handicrafts such as mechanics, electricity, construction materials, food processing, printing, etc., were gradually formed and developed. Particularly with the policy of relocating manpower from the lowlands to the mountainous areas for economic development and national defense, Son La province welcomed hundreds of thousands of laborers from lowland provinces to build new economic zones. As a result, the agricultural and forestry system began to form and develop, creating the foundations and transforming the socio-economic landscape of the province in many aspects.
The education sector developed rapidly, with thousands of teachers from the lowlands volunteering to come to Son La to build culture and education in the mountainous region; a system of ethnic minority youth schools and vocational and technical schools was established. Most communes had primary and secondary schools, and some districts had high schools. Healthcare for the people was prioritized, with most communes having health stations, medicine kits, and medical staff. Son La's positive development, along with other northern provinces, contributed to becoming a solid material and spiritual support for the liberation and reunification struggle of the people in the South.
In 1975, after the complete liberation of South Vietnam and the reunification of the country, the Vietnamese revolution entered a new era – the era of building socialism nationwide. Over the ten years (1976-1985), through strenuous efforts, Son La province achieved significant accomplishments and experienced relatively rapid development in many fields. From 1986 onwards, the province implemented the reform process initiated and led by the Party.
After nearly 40 years of reform, the people of Son La province, under the leadership of the Party Committee, have stood shoulder to shoulder with the rest of the country, continuing to uphold their heroic traditions, overcoming all difficulties and challenges, and achieving great successes in all fields. The economic structure has shifted in a positive direction; agricultural production has developed towards improving productivity and product quality, linked with the application of high technology; industry has developed towards gradually increasing the proportion of processing industries and increasing the proportion of domestic value in products; and the service sector has focused on developing industries with competitive advantages.
Farmers in Binh Thuan commune harvesting tea. Photo: Nguyen Thao
The province's Gross Regional Product (GRDP) (at current prices) in 2025 is estimated at VND 82,789 billion, 1.49 times higher than in 2020; GRDP per capita in 2025 is estimated at VND 61.8 million/person/year, 1.4 times higher than in 2020. The proportion of the digital economy in GRDP will reach 6.76% by 2024. The electricity production industry continues to affirm its crucial role, with over 96.9% of households having access to electricity for daily life. More than 60 efficiently operating hydropower plants contribute significantly to the province's economic growth and supply 5%-6% of the national electricity output. Focus is placed on attracting investment and promoting rapid and sustainable tourism development. Moc Chau Tourist Area has been recognized as a National Tourist Area and a leading regional and global natural destination for many consecutive years. By the end of 2025, the tourism industry is expected to welcome 5.3 million visitors (3.08 times more than in 2020), generating revenue of 6,300 billion VND (5.06 times more than in 2020). All economic sectors have seen development, with foreign-invested and private sectors experiencing strong growth in tourism, services, construction, and investment in agriculture, rural areas, and agricultural and forestry product processing, contributing positively to job creation, income improvement, and increased budget revenue for the province.
The cultural and social sectors have received attention, focusing on building an advanced culture rich in national identity. The scale, capacity, and quality of medical examination and treatment, disease prevention and control, and healthcare for the people have been improved; the quality of education and training at all levels, and the quality of human resources, have been continuously enhanced; social security work and ensuring the people's livelihoods have been given priority, with timely and full implementation of social security policies; the poverty rate according to the poverty standard for the 2021-2025 period decreased from 21.66% to 7.89%, an average reduction of 3.59% per year, exceeding the set target. In particular, during the 2020-2025 term, support was provided to eliminate 12,375 temporary and dilapidated houses with a budget of 612.330 billion VND, exceeding the central government's assigned target.
Party building and rectification, and the consolidation of the political system have been emphasized and implemented comprehensively, synchronously, and effectively. Party inspection, supervision, and disciplinary enforcement, as well as the fight against corruption, waste, and negative phenomena, have seen positive progress. Foreign relations have been strengthened and expanded, maintaining a special friendly cooperative relationship with nine provinces of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, diversifying cooperation content and forms, and strengthening learning and experience exchange activities; building a peaceful, friendly, stable, and comprehensively developed Vietnam-Laos border...
After nearly 40 years of reform, Son La has become a relatively developed province in the northern midland and mountainous region, opening up a path of development in major directions. The 16th Son La Provincial Party Congress, for the 2025-2030 term, has set the overall goal: To strengthen the building of a clean and strong Party and political system; to promote the tradition of unity, potential, advantages, and cultural identity of ethnic groups; to accelerate innovation and digital transformation; to achieve rapid and sustainable development, with high-tech commodity agriculture and processing industries as the center, linked with eco-tourism and cultural tourism; to improve the lives of the people; to ensure national defense and security; and to build Son La into a relatively developed province, a center for processing agricultural products in the northern midland and mountainous region, a key tourism destination in the northern midland and mountainous region and the Vietnam-Laos border area.
Dai Yem Waterfall eco-tourism area, Moc Chau ward. Photo: Ha Hoa
To successfully achieve its goals, the Provincial Party Committee has also set forth 24 key targets, 3 breakthroughs, and 9 priority tasks to focus leadership and guidance on, determined to bring about rapid, green, and sustainable development in Son La. This includes focusing on leadership and guidance to continue building and rectifying the Party and the political system to be clean, strong, and comprehensive. The political system's organizational structure will operate smoothly according to a new model, being close to the people, serving them and businesses well. The fight against corruption, waste, and negative practices will be intensified. The trust and attachment of the people to the Party committees and government at all levels will be strengthened.
The key tasks are to focus on human resource development. Implement decisively, synchronously, and effectively Resolution No. 71-NQ/TW dated August 22, 2025, of the Politburo. Improve the quality of training and development for cadres, civil servants, public employees, and workers; strive to ensure that by 2030, 100% of cadres, civil servants, and public employees master digital skills and apply technology in management and administration...
Investing in the construction of socio-economic infrastructure in a synchronous and modern manner; strengthening regional, inter-provincial, and national economic center connections; focusing investment on the construction of the CT03 expressway (Hanoi - Hoa Binh - Son La - Dien Bien). Strengthening investment and improving digital infrastructure. Promoting investment attraction activities; increasing investment attraction in the deep processing industry; effectively exploiting the strengths of renewable energy according to Resolution No. 70-NQ/TW dated August 20, 2025, of the Politburo; developing the private economy rapidly, sustainably, efficiently, and with high quality; developing cooperative economic organizations associated with the green economy, circular economy, and knowledge economy...
Promoting administrative reform and digital transformation, enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of state management, improving the investment environment; building a transparent, open, and equitable investment environment, and significantly improving indicators measuring the quality of administrative services...
Continue restructuring the agricultural sector; focus on developing high-tech agriculture, clean agriculture, organic agriculture, and improving the quality of the province's key agricultural products along the value chain, linked to building, developing, and protecting brands. Develop a circular economy in agriculture. Effectively implement the project to build Son La into a processing center for agricultural products in the Northwest region; complete the construction of the Son La High-Tech Agricultural Zone.
Developing tourism into a key economic sector; gradually transforming Son La into a tourism hub of the Northwest sub-region. Developing a smart tourism ecosystem; applying digital technology; promoting growth in both the quantity and quality of international and domestic tourists...
Enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of state management in the exploitation and use of resources; prevent and strictly handle all violations of land laws, resource protection, and environmental protection laws.
Continue building an advanced culture rich in national identity. Effectively implement the National Target Program on healthcare, population and development and Resolution No. 72-NQ/TW dated September 9, 2025 of the Politburo. Gradually reduce the gap and disparity between rich and poor, and increase development opportunities for all segments of the population...
Continue building a revolutionary, regular, elite, and modern People's Army and People's Public Security force. Ensure national and social security; harmoniously address ethnic and religious issues and social grievances, preventing the emergence of complex security and order "hot spots." Strengthen foreign relations and international cooperation; promote the economic development of the Long Sap and Chieng Khuong border gates, creating an economic corridor connecting Son La with several provinces in Northern Laos. Strengthen cooperation in defense, security, and crime prevention, especially drug-related crimes...
The 130th anniversary of the founding of Son La province takes place amidst the atmosphere of the Party Committee, government, and people of all ethnic groups in the province competing to achieve accomplishments to celebrate the successful Party congresses at all levels, the 16th Congress of the Son La Provincial Party Committee, and looking forward to the 14th National Congress of the Party. Building on the glorious traditions of its heroic historical journey, the present generation is determined to build a green, rapidly developing, sustainable, increasingly prosperous and happy Son La homeland, joining the whole country in confidently moving into a new era – the era of national progress.