10 years ago, Suoi To commune, Phu Yen district was not only mentioned a lot in meetings of the local Party Committee and authorities, but also covered by the media as a social hotspot with the re-growing of opium poppy plants and many drug addicts. Even commune and village officials or cadres sent to the highland hamlets of Suoi To were also enticed by opium smoke.

Thao A Tru, Secretary of the communal Party Committee, said that the implementation of the Suoi To transformation policy of the Standing Board of Phu Yen district’s Party Committee in association with programmes to help ethnic minorities change crop structure has won high consensus from the communal Party Committee and authorities to hamlets and people. At the same time, it has contributed to changing people's awareness, helping them feel secure and trust in the Party's leadership, as well as to stabilizing political security and social order and safety in the locality.

Like Suoi To commune, many years ago, Hang Dong commune, Bac Yen district, was also mentioned as the "capital" of poppies with opium smoke covering the houses. Opium poppies were grown by people around the hamlets. Even every household had opium in their house. When guests came, the hosts only talked about the harvest of opium tar or invited guests to enjoy that deadly tar.  A large number of local residents, including women, were drug addicts.

Returning to Hang Dong on this occasion, the muddy road of the past has now been asphalted to the center of the commune. Roads from the commune center to hamlets have been cemented, enabling car access. On both sides of the roads, electric poles bring power from the national grid to the hamlets. Mong ethnic students go down from the mountains to the commune center to learn how to read and write.

The hamlets of Hang Dong now no longer regrow poppy plants, and some grow wet rice and raise cows and chickens. Children are allowed by their parents down the mountain to the commune center to study. Dinh Ngoc Son, Secretary of Hang Dong commune’s Party Committee said in the past 10 years, the commune has brought 100% of children of school age to school. This result was obtained thanks to good communications work, along with guidelines and policies of the province and district to help highlanders change their crop structure and invest in infrastructure in disadvantaged highland hamlets.

Saying goodbye to the highland villages of Hang Dong and Suoi To communes in the cold, while the silvery mists still spread, we continued to meet groups of Mong ethnic students from the hamlets to school.