Loc Thanh border commune: Economic development associated with advantages of cultural, historical, and border-gate tourism

As a border commune sharing over 27.7km of national boundary with Cambodia, Loc Thanh commune, Dong Nai province is striving to exploit the advantages of border-gate economy; revolutionary historical tourism destinations associated with cultural values, and agricultural products of local people for future development.

Khmer ethnic people in Loc Thanh commune perform traditional musical instruments for tourists. Photo: Ngoc Lien

To achieve the local socio-economic development goals, Loc Thanh commune prioritizes promoting economic growth, focusing on completing planning work, digital transformation, and accelerating administrative procedure reform. At the same time, it actively responds to and adapts to climate change, ensures good social welfare work, improves social welfare, and enhances people's lives.

Efforts underway to overcome difficulties

According to the assessment of Loc Thanh Commune People's Committee, in 2025, the commune's socio-economy developed positively, reflected in financial indicators exceeding the plan, stable agricultural development, and accelerated public investment and infrastructure. Social sectors such as social welfare, healthcare, culture, and education all met or exceeded targets. In particular, administrative reform and digital transformation were bright spots, contributing to enhancing the effectiveness of state management and better serving the people.

However, there are still areas in the commune with great potential and advantages that have not been fully exploited and developed due to difficult economic conditions and local infrastructure. A typical example is the tourism sector. Although the commune has Loc Thinh National Border Gate and the Headquarters of the Command of the Liberation Army of South Vietnam (Ta Thiet Base), these destinations have not yet fully tapped into their potential and room for growth.

Sharing about the efforts to overcome difficulties and the achievements the locality made in 2025, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, Chairman of People's Committee of Loc Thanh Commune Ho Quang Khanh said: In 2025, Loc Thanh commune had 10 targets that met or exceeded the goals set by the Commune People's Council Resolution. Among them, there were 2 economic targets (including state budget revenue and raising criteria in new-style rural construction). The commune achieved 5 socio-cultural targets in the fields of education, healthcare, cultural family building, etc. The remaining 3 targets were in the field of national defense and security.

According to Ho Quang Khanh, from the results achieved in 2025, the commune leaders summarized and evaluated the advantages as well as the limitations and shortcomings, and at the same time boldly and frankly drew lessons learned to have directions for overcoming and developing in the next year.

In 2026, Loc Thanh commune is determined to complete 16 set targets in the fields of economy, culture - society, environment, and national defense - security. This is the first year to organize the implementation and concretization of the plan and action program to implement the Resolution of the first Loc Thanh Commune Party Congress, 2025-2030 term. Therefore, the commune strives to achieve the highest results for the goals and targets of the resolution set by the Commune Party Committee and People's Council.

Promoting local advantages

Loc Thanh commune has an important position in terms of security, national defense, and potential for border gate economic development, favorable for developing border trade, services, and agriculture. In particular, Ta Thiet Base attracts thousands of people and tourists each year to visit, experience, and learn about revolutionary history. In addition, ethnic minorities in Loc Thanh commune such as Khmer, S'tieng, Hoa, etc., still preserve their cultural identity through customs, practices, and festivals with musical instruments and cuisine bearing strong local imprints. These are the ample room  for Loc Thanh commune to both preserve and exploit and develop the local inherent values

As the manager of a tourism business specializing in return-to-the-roots tours for students inside and outside the province, after experiencing some destinations in Loc Thanh commune, Nguyen Van Duc, Director of Viet Trip Co., Ltd. (Trang Dai ward), commented: Loc Thanh commune has tourism products related to history, culture, and border markers. These will be interesting tourism products for students of all ages. Especially, after the merger, Dong Nai province shares a border with the Kingdom of Cambodia, which offers a new and unique point to exploit the tourist market for schools, agencies, and units in the Southern part of Dong Nai province. In particular, the Loc Thinh National Border Gate area will help students increase their national pride and educate them about patriotic traditions, enhancing their awareness of protecting national border sovereignty.

Discussing the commune's development orientation in the coming time, Nguyen Ngoc Hien, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Council of Loc Thanh commune, said: With a national border stretching over 27.7km, the Loc Thinh National Border Gate, and a mineral exploitation mine of over 300 hectares, Loc Thanh commune is striving to exploit and promote local economic advantages, contributing to increasing state budget revenue.

In addition to economic potential, Nguyen Ngoc Hien, Secretary of the Commune Party Committee, affirmed: Loc Thanh also has the historical and cultural destination of Ta Thiet Base, cultural experience activities, and community tourism of ethnic minorities combined with border exploration tourism with border marker check-in points, belonging to Loc Thinh National Border Gate, and unique local agricultural products through agritourism models among the people (longan gardens, date palms)... will be linked to create unique tourism products, contributing to building a tourism brand for Loc Thanh commune in particular and Dong Nai province in general.

By Ngoc Lien – Translated by Mai Nga, Thu Ha