Minh Chau Commune is situated on a Red River Delta alluvial islet at the convergence of two other rivers: Da and Lo. To the northeast of the commune is a Red River branch, which people often call the Duong River. On the other side is Vinh Phuc Province’s Vinh Tuong District.
The commune borders the Red River to the southwest, and on the other side are other communes in Ba Vi District.
Minh Chau Commune spans over 560 ha and home to over 1,400 families, or about 6,500 people.
As it is situated on an alluvial islet, when the water rises, the commune becomes isolated from the mainland, accessible only by water transport. There are no high schools in the commune, so around 400 students have to use the ferry to cross the Red River and go to school in Ba Vi District.
Around 30 pre-high school teachers from different areas travel to the islet every day on ferries to meet their students.
Duong Anh Tien, headmaster of the commune's Minh Chau Middle School, said he has to use the ferries several times a day, which is inconvenient, especially when it rains.
Nguyen Thanh Hung, deputy chairman of Minh Chau Commune, said that due to the commune's unique characteristics, it would focus on developing eco-tourism as directed by Hanoi agencies. It will require a reduction in the number of farming families and major investment in science and technology to protect the environment and receive tourists.
The commune is currently developing policies to invest in better traffic infrastructure, reduce tuition fees, waive ferry fees and build bridges to connect the commune with other areas.
The people of Minh Chau mainly plant bananas and raise pigs and cows. There are over 4,600 cows and buffalos in the commune, with around 2,200 cows producing over 20 tons of milk a day.
The commune also has over 10,000 pigs, 12,000 fowl and 2,500 dogs.
However, the sheer number of animals and inadequate environmental hygiene systems have caused pollution in several areas.
"Our family has been raising cows for the last three years," said local man Nguyen Dinh Thiep. "Our herd now has 28 cows that produce 250 liters of milk every day. Besides the income from selling milk, we also sell buffalos for meat and breeding."
Ever since Thom's family started raising cows, their life has changed for the better. Thom said she used to go to a market 65 km away from her house to sell wares, but now she cuts grass and milks cows twice a day, resulting in more flexible working hours and better income.
"Our family has two rods of land, which are mainly used to grow grass to feed the cows. The plants can be harvested after a month, and we then grow them anew. The alluvial ground of the Red River is nutritious, so there is no need to care for the grass – we only have to spread fertilizers on them," Thom said.
Of the 270 ha of farmland in the commune, 156 ha are grassland.
The commune only gained access to clean water 70 years after its formation. Nowadays, pipe systems have been installed so clean water can come to any family that needs it. Before the clean water arrived, people had to use rainwater and well water for daily use.
"For generations, our family had used different kinds of wells for daily use, and most of the water sources were heavily polluted, with stench and yellow and brown scum on the surface. As the first family that got access to clean water, I was very happy," said Nguyen Ba Ly (pictured).
In the last five years, the roads surrounding the commune have been paved. Previously, farming families often threw out their waste into the streets. Now that trash bins and sewers are present, pollution has been reduced.
As part of a fifth-generation family on Minh Chau island commune, Nguyen Thi Thanh (R) said the life of the people has been improved in recent years. Previously, during the rainy season, several areas were inundated and isolated. After hydropower dams were constructed upstream, there have been fewer floods and people's lives have improved as a result.
The income per capita on Minh Chau island commune last year was VND64.5 million ($2,612). As a comparison, Hanoi's was at VND151 million. The commune still has six poor families, six fewer than in early 2023.
Fifth graders play with each other on the street. The commune has around 1,300 students, from kindergarten to middle school levels.
