Attending the event were Le Hong Minh, Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee; representatives from several departments and agencies of the province; leaders of the district Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee, and Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee, as well as a large number of local residents.

Chieng Mai is a specially difficult (Region III) commune of Mai Son district, consisting of 11 villages and hamlets, with 1,296 households and over 5,300 people, coming from the Thai and Kinh ethnic groups.

Since 2021, Chieng Mai commune has mobilized nearly 31 billion VND (1.22 million USD) for new-style rural infrastructure development. Of which, over 24 billion VND was sourced from the state budget, while local residents contributed more than 5.3 billion VND and 6,850 workdays.

The commune has built six school facilities, nine communal and village cultural centers, one water supply system, four irrigation works, and nine hamlet gates; expanded 22 km of intra-hamlet and inter-hamlet roads; and developed four “Rural Light” electricity lines.

By December 2024, the commune had completed all 19 criteria and all 57 targets for a new-style rural area. The average income per capita reaches over 46 million VND per year; over 90% of households have been recognized as cultural families; all 11 villages and hamlets have been recognized as cultural villages/hamlets; schools and health stations have been upgraded to meet the required standards.

The poverty and near-poverty rate is still above 10%. The commune has completed the programme to eliminate temporary houses, with 42 families benefiting. Chieng Mai is the first Region III commune in Mai Son district to achieve the new-style rural area status, one year ahead of schedule.

Speaking at the ceremony, Minh asked Chieng Mai to continue maintaining and improving the targets and criteria; fully tapping the potential and advantages of land, climate, and agriculture; and expanding economic models. He also emphasized the need to mobilize more resources, encourage local people to actively participate in the new-style rural area development programme, and attract businesses to invest in agricultural processing.

The commune should preserve and promote the unique cultural traditions of local ethnic groups, continue strengthening the political system, ensure national defence and security, and gradually build the commune to meet the advanced new-style rural area standards, he noted.

On this occasion, the provincial People's Committee awarded the certificates of merit to two collectives and five individuals, while the district People's Committee presented the merit certificates to one collective and four individuals for their exceptional contributions to the new-style rural area development programme.