Coming to the mountainous land of Bac Yen, visitors not only explore and admire the beauty of the natural landscape, but also are immersed themselves in highland festivals and market fairs and enjoy ‘banh day’ (steamed round glutinous rice cake) imbued with the cultural identity of the Mong ethnic people.

The Nam Lanh Border Guard Station in Sop Cop district has coordinated with the People’s Committee of Muong Va and donors from Hanoi to organise a programme aimed at consolidating solidarity between border guards and local residents at the Hin Cap facility of the Semi-boarding Primary and Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities in the commune on the occasion of the 2024 New Year.

A special programme named “zero-dong booths” was held at the provincial General Hospital on December 28 to support patients in difficult circumstances.

With the funding from the national target programme on poverty reduction and another on socio-economic development in mountainous and ethnic minority-inhabited areas for the 2021-2025 period, districts in Son La province have completed more than 98 km of roads connecting commune centres with 36 hamlets this year, raising the number of hamlets having roads to commune centres cemented or asphalted to 1,672 so far, or 74.41%.

In 2023, the provincial Forest Protection Sub-department has focused on reviewing forestry land areas and enhancing forest monitoring and management, thus giving advice to local authorities on forest protection and wildfire prevention and control.

The youth union of the Northern Power Corporation has coordinated with its counterpart of the Son La Power Company to organise a ceremony to inaugurate and hand over the project "Lighting up rural roads" in Suoi Bang commune, Van Ho district.

The rate of dossiers and administrative procedures related to the environment handled on time in Son La province surpasses 95%.

Statistics show that the sex ratio at birth in Son La province stands at 116.4 boys/100 girls. To minimise the consequences of gender imbalance, local agencies have intensified communications activities to raise public awareness and responsibility in the population and family planning work, including gender equality.

The Son La provincial Rehabilitation Hospital on December 22, organized a programme to provide free checkups and medicine, and gifts for local Agent Orange/dioxin victims.

The Standing Board of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Committee of Son La province has received more than 17 billion VND (701,176 USD) from agencies, units, businesses and individuals in support of the “Fund for the Poor”.

The Traffic Police Division under Son La province’s Department of Public Security on December 22 coordinated with units to organise a programme on disseminating laws on traffic order and safety on roads and inland waterways for students of the Muong Giang Primary and Secondary School in Quynh Nhai district.

Son La city on December 21 held a get-together for local retired military officers on the occasion of the 79th founding anniversary of the Vietnam People's Army (December 22, 1944-2023) and the 34th anniversary of the All-People National Defence Day (December 22, 1989-2023).

Since the beginning of the year, the representative boards of the Elderly Associations of districts and Son La city have coordinated with units, businesses, and benefactors to donate over 21,500 gifts worth over 6.6 billion VND ($271,135) to the elderly.

In 2023, Quynh Nhai district has continued pushing ahead with the implementation of the campaign "All people unite to build cultural life", as well as the family work, and the building of cultural and happy families.

Since the beginning of this year, Moc Chau district’s forest protection unit has increased coordination with communal authorities and hamlet management boards to promote dissemination of legal regulations on forest management, protection and development, fire prevention and control, and forest product management.

Son La province’s firefighting and rescue police and police of districts and Son La city on December 16-17 simultaneously organized events for thousands of local residents and students to experience and practice firefighting and rescue activities.

A project to build a 23.5-km road from Muong Chanh to the centre of Chieng Noi commune has a total investment of over 118 billion VND (4.86 million USD), with the People's Committee of Mai Son district as its developer.

Under the motto "the State and the people work together", with capital from different social sources and national target programmes, Yen Chau district has invested more than 4.8 billion VND (197,690 USD) to upgrade and build a cultural house in Chieng Khoi commune, together others in Chieng Thi hamlet, Chieng Pan commune and Chieng Sang hamlet, Chieng Sang commune this year.

Implementing the first phase of the National Target Programme on socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas for 2021-2025, Son La province has invested in building cultural and sports facilities and equipment in ethnic minority inhabited hamlets. Many cultural houses have been completed and put into use, meeting the people's needs for cultural enjoyment and sports practice.

From domestic waste, Luong Minh Tan and Truong Yen Nhi, students from the Moc Chau 8/4 Secondary School, and Lo Thanh Long from the Chieng Ngan B Primary and Secondary School in Son La city, made a painting named "Ha Nhi Girl" which won the first prize in the category of environmentally friendly products at the 2023 Son La creative contest for adolescents, teenagers and children.