Every spring, for border guards, joy is not just about a bountiful Tet meal or well wishes from home, but also about seeing the people in border areas celebrate Tet peacefully and with stable security. This is what motivates the officers and soldiers to steadfastly remain in their assigned areas, ready to sacrifice personal feelings to ensure a complete and joyful spring for the Fatherland.
In the days leading up to the Lunar New Year of the Horse 2026, in the border region of Son La, the "Spring Border Guard - Warming the Hearts of the Local People" program, organized by Chieng On Border Guard Station (Son La Provincial Border Guard Command) in coordination with local Party committees and authorities, brought many practical activities to the people.
From early morning, at the Chiềng On commune health station and various schools, military medical officers, along with doctors and nurses, organized free medical examinations and provided free medicine to hundreds of local people and students. Joy was evident on the faces of the people in this mountainous region, where healthcare facilities are limited.
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The Chiềng On Border Guard Station organized medical examinations and treatment for students and local people. |
At Dong Bau Primary and Secondary School, 321 primary school students received health check-ups and preventative care advice during the recent cold spell. Principal Vu Van Hung stated that the majority of the students are from ethnic minority groups, many of whom come from disadvantaged families. Therefore, having the opportunity to receive medical examinations and medication at the school provides reassurance to parents, especially those from remote villages with difficult access.
Beyond healthcare, the program also implemented numerous social welfare activities. The organizers distributed 735 Tet (Lunar New Year) gifts to families receiving government assistance and disadvantaged households; provided free medical examinations and medication to 1,512 people; donated three street lighting lines to three villages; processed applications for passports, travel documents, and opened bank accounts free of charge; organized a zero-cost market and a border spring market; and held cultural, artistic, and sports exchanges. The total value of these activities exceeded 1.3 billion VND.
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| The zero-cost market. |
Mr. Vi Van So, from Trang Nam village, Yen Son commune, shared: “My family is very happy to receive Tet gifts from the border guards and the local government. These gifts help us worry less during the days leading up to Tet and we clearly feel the closeness of the soldiers at the border.”
The spring atmosphere was further enlivened by folk cultural and sporting activities such as rice cake wrapping competitions, rice cake pounding contests, tug-of-war, stick pushing, and the "Spring Comes to the Border" cultural exchange program. Singing and laughter echoed through the highland schoolyard, fostering a strong bond between soldiers and local people.
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| Cultural exchange and performances. |
Speaking with us, Lieutenant Colonel Mai The Canh, Deputy Political Officer of the Chieng On Border Guard Station, said that every Lunar New Year, the unit implements a program to care for the lives of people in the border region. Resources are mobilized through social contributions and coordination with various forces to achieve practical results. These activities not only help people have a more fulfilling Tet holiday but also contribute to strengthening the solidarity between the military and the people, maintaining the people's trust in the border area.
Through concrete and simple actions, the "Spring at the Border - Warming the Hearts of the People" program has contributed to bringing a warm spring to the people in the highlands, while affirming the role and responsibility of the border guard force in caring for the lives of the people and firmly protecting national border sovereignty.