A glimpse of Bu Dang today

Situated at the end of the Truong Son mountain range, Bu Dang was once part of Bien Hoa prefecture in 1827 under the Nguyen dynasty. Following provincial mergers, Bu Dang is now a commune of Dong Nai province. Yet, whenever it comes to Bu Dang, many in the Southeast region vividly recall a land spanning over 1,500 square kilometres, once home to 15 communes and one townlet of the former district.

Bu Dang today boasts remarkable changes. Photo: Pham Quang

Transformation of a former revolutionary base

More than 50 years after its liberation (December 14, 1974 – 2025), Bu Dang has moved beyond hardship and underdeveloped infrastructure. Once a revolutionary base, it now puts on a new look – youthful, dynamic, and full of vitality. Its economic structure has shifted from relying 90% on agriculture to comprising a growing share of industry, trade, and services, lifting average per capita income to around 80 million VND per year. Local investments in socio-economic infrastructure have gradually modernized transport systems and expanded asphalt-paved roads. Today, 100 percent of inter-hamlet roads have been upgraded with hardened surfaces, 99 percent of households are connected to the national grid, and cultural facilities continue to be improved. Bu Dang has eradicated illiteracy, maintained universal lower secondary education, and ensured that 100% of schools meet national infrastructure standards.

Nguyen Van Luu, former Vice Chairman of Bu Dang district People’s Committee (then part of Binh Phuoc province), now Chairman of Nghia Trung commune People’s Committee, who had spent many years working in Bu Dang’s education sector, recalled: “When the district was re-established in November 1988, the education sector lacked almost everything. The district centre only had Bu Dang Secondary and High School, with barely over 20 students in grades 10 and 11. In the very first academic year, only about 10 students across the entire district took the high school graduation examination.”

Today, Bu Dang’s education sector has made strong strides. Teachers’ quality has improved, with hundreds recognised as excellent at various levels and honoured by the Ministry of Education and Training and the Prime Minister. Overall education quality has risen, with student admission rates to Quang Trung High School for the Gifted consistently ranking among the highest in the province.

Among local enterprises, Gia Bao BP Co., Ltd. specialises in cashew production and domestic trade. It currently provides stable jobs for nearly 30 local workers, with an average monthly income of over 6 million VND. Witnessing the transformation of the locality, the enterprise is delighted, confident, and hopeful for a bright future.

Encouragingly, Bu Dang is now home to a growing number of companies like Gia Bao BP, alongside cooperatives and other businesses that are actively contributing to driving local socio-economic development, creating jobs, and improving people’s income.

Doan Van Be, former Standing Deputy Secretary of the district Party Committee and former Chairman of the district People’s Council, remarked: “Bu Dang today has truly transformed. People’s lives have improved significantly, and poverty reduction has been effectively implemented by local authorities, creating tangible progress for the community.”

Bui Kim Dung, former Secretary of the district Party Committee from 1991 to 2000, has lived in the area for nearly 60 years, when Bu Dang – Cat Tien was still known as K29. Having experienced the hardships of war, from the depths of loss and suffering, he more than anyone else deeply feels the remarkable transformation. The veteran Party member with over 60 years of service reflected: “The positive changes we see today have not come naturally; they are the fruit of countless generations’ sacrifices, efforts, and dedication.”

Today, Bu Dang is a commune of Dong Nai province, formed by the merger of Doan Ket commune, Duc Phong townlet, and Minh Hung commune of the former Bu Dang district, Binh Phuoc province. The Bu Dang commune covers more than 156 square kilometres with a population of nearly 32,150, with its administrative centre located in the former Duc Phong townlet.

Keeping pace with national development

Arriving in Bu Dang today, amid the early autumn morning atmosphere, at the gateway between the Central Highlands and the Southeast, one immediately senses the purity, vitality, and newness of this land. The climate shift is perceptible when crossing Bridge 38, travelling from Dong Xoai towards the Central Highlands. Water reservoirs from Thac Mo hydropower plant partly embrace Bu Dang, while cool breezes from the highlands drift down to cool the basalt-red land. These water sources nourish thousands of hectares of major crops such as rubber, cashew, and durian, which are flourishing and expanding.

Today, Bu Dang is also keeping pace with the urgency of the national restructuring and development drive in this era of the country’s rise. The district has set its sights on restructuring its multi-sector economy, with a strong focus on innovation, while prioritising green, digital, sharing, and circular economies as the core orientations for advancing economic thinking.

With the district-level structure removed, administrative reform has shortened the distance between authorities and residents, enhancing governance efficiency, in line with the requirements of renewal in the current period.

Together with Dong Nai and other localities nationwide, Bu Dang is committed to implementing the four strategic resolutions of the Politburo. These are considered a vital breakthrough, helping to create “a unified whole” and to realise the centennial goal of building a strong, prosperous, enduring, and sustainable Vietnam, as Party General Secretary To Lam emphasized at the Conference on Studying and Implementing the four Politburo resolutions. These include: Resolution No. 59-NQ/TW on international integration in the new context; Resolution No. 70-NQ/TW on ensuring national energy security to 2030, with a vision to 2045; Resolution No. 71-NQ/TW on breakthroughs in education and training development; Resolution No. 72-NQ/TW on key measures to strengthen healthcare and improve public health. These strategic directions not only serve as a lodestar for long-term national development but also open up specific, practical opportunities for each locality, sector, and citizen.

By Pham Quang - Translated by Thuc Oanh, Thu Ha