Following the failed attack on six northern border provinces of Vietnam (Lai Châu, Hoàng Liên Sơn, Hà Tuyên, Cao Bằng, Lạng Sơn, and Quảng Ninh) in the early morning of February 17, 1979, China maintained 12 divisions and dozens of independent regiments near the Vietnamese border.
Particularly after March 18, 1979, the Vị Xuyên front in Hà Giang Province (formerly Hà Tuyên) quickly became a hotspot with relentless gunfire, artillery, and mortar shells fired by the enemy.
From April 1984 to October 1989, the enemy launched numerous attacks to seize parts of the border area in Vị Xuyên District, Hà Tuyên Province (now Hà Giang and Tuyên Quang).
During this period, Vị Xuyên became the fiercest battleground in the war against border encroachment. On some days, the enemy fired between 20,000 and 30,000 artillery shells into Vị Xuyên.
The casualties on our side during the decade-long conflict were significant. From 1979 to 1989, more than 4,000 Vietnamese soldiers sacrificed their lives, thousands were wounded, and many fallen heroes have yet to be found.
In the fight to protect the northern border of the homeland, our military and people bravely defended every inch of sacred land. These heroic achievements have been etched into the nation’s history.
Forty-six years after the border defense war (February 17, 1979 – February 17, 2025), we had the opportunity to visit Lieutenant General Nguyễn Đức Huy (94 years old, former Acting Commander of Military Region 2 and former Chief of Staff of the Vị Xuyên Front), who now resides in Tây Hồ District, Hanoi.
Despite his advanced age, his vivid memories of the fierce battles in Vị Xuyên remain intact.
Lieutenant General Nguyễn Đức Huy recounted that in 1985, while serving as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Capital Military Region with the rank of Colonel, he received orders to reinforce the Vị Xuyên front and directly participated in commanding operations there.
According to General Huy, during the border defense war, Hà Giang was a key battleground where the enemy caused extensive damage compared to the entire northern border line.
Especially from 1984 to 1989, intense combat occurred in Thanh Thủy, Minh Tân, Thanh Đức communes in Vị Xuyên District, and Bạch Đích and Phú Lũng communes in Yên Minh District.
Explaining why the enemy chose Vị Xuyên as a focal point for attacks in 1984, he noted that the area is remote, over 300 km from Hanoi, accessible only via National Highway 2 connecting Hà Giang City to Hanoi.
Additionally, Vị Xuyên consists mostly of rocky mountains, sloping downward from the border into Vietnam’s interior. The terrain on the enemy’s side features wide highlands, advantageous for deploying large forces to attack Vietnam.
However, the terrain on Vietnam’s side made it difficult to deploy large defensive formations or launch counterattacks; transporting supplies and reinforcements to the front lines was also extremely challenging.
The enemy’s goal at the time was to draw as much Vietnamese military strength as possible to the border region, impacting economic reconstruction efforts and weakening us.
Hà Giang (then Hà Tuyên) was a remote province along Vietnam’s northern border, accessible only by a single road, with little international interaction and rugged terrain, making it conducive for attacks from above. If they successfully captured Hà Giang, the enemy would gain opportunities to penetrate deeper into Vietnam.
To defend Hà Giang, over five years (from 1984 to 1989), we gradually mobilized dozens of main force divisions, local infantry regiments, special forces, artillery regiments, engineering brigades, chemical units, and more.
“For nearly ten years (1979–1989), Vị Xuyên never ceased hearing the sound of artillery and bullets fired from across the border. From being considered a secondary area, Vị Xuyên quickly became a hotspot and a critical frontline,” shared Lieutenant General Nguyễn Đức Huy.
At its peak, in just three days, the enemy fired over 100,000 artillery shells into the Vị Xuyên area, reaching Hà Giang City. Over five years, the enemy fired more than 1.8 million artillery rounds into this front.
After the war ended, measurements showed that some mountain peaks had been reduced by over 3 meters due to bombardment. The intensity led many to call it the “Century Lime Kiln.”
“There were days when, within just 5 kilometers from the border into Vietnam, China fired 30,000–50,000 artillery shells, equivalent to the firepower the U.S. provided to South Vietnam during the Quảng Trị campaign.
The Vị Xuyên front consisted mainly of rocky mountains, and when hit by artillery, the rocks shattered, turning the landscape white for tens of kilometers. That’s why many comrades called it the ‘Century Lime Kiln,'” explained Lieutenant General Nguyễn Đức Huy.
By 1987, after a large-scale attack lasting three days (January 5–7) failed, China gradually reduced major assaults, focusing instead on small skirmishes between direct contact zones, while primarily using artillery and mortars to destroy our positions and inflict casualties.
This marked the last large-scale offensive by the enemy.
In 1988, the enemy did not launch any large-scale attacks on our defensive positions but continued to bombard them with artillery to damage infrastructure and harm our troops.
In 1989, the enemy stopped firing artillery into the Vị Xuyên front. By October 1989, they withdrew all troops from Vietnamese territory, ending five years of border encroachment in Vị Xuyên.
Although the war has receded 46 years into the past, with some surviving and others lost, Lieutenant General Nguyễn Đức Huy still feels regret for not establishing a team to recover fallen soldiers’ remains immediately after the fighting ceased.
“After forming the National Liaison Committee of Veterans of the Vị Xuyên Front, it wasn’t until 2018 that we established a team to recover the remains of fallen soldiers from this front,” shared General Huy.
However, after the two countries normalized relations in 1991, trade flourished, and infrastructure improved significantly thanks to investments by the Party and State, rapidly transforming people’s lives.
“Almost every year, I visit Hà Giang and see how it changes daily, with living standards constantly improving.
Previously, villages lacked schools, but now, boarding schools ensure education for students,” said Lieutenant General Nguyễn Đức Huy.
Since the end of the Vị Xuyên war, the country has grown stronger internationally, undergoing remarkable transformations.
To this day, Lieutenant General Nguyễn Đức Huy hopes future generations will take pride in the patriotic tradition of resisting foreign aggression. We put the past behind us, look to the future, but never forget history.
Associate Professor Nguyễn Trọng Phúc, former Director of the Institute of Party History, evaluated that the northern border defense war was a completely just cause of the Vietnamese nation to protect national unity and territorial integrity.
“The Party and State aimed to establish sustainable peace along the northern border and strengthen the friendly relationship between Vietnam and China,” said Mr. Phúc.
He noted that in 1989, after the border defense war ended, Vietnam and China entered a new era, opening up relations between the two nations.
In 1990 and 1991, there were successive meetings between high-level leaders of Vietnam and China. In 1991, the two countries normalized relations.
Since 1991, Vietnam-China relations have developed positively, guided by principles of “Friendly neighbors, comprehensive cooperation, long-term stability, and future orientation” and the spirit of “Good neighbors, good friends, good comrades, good partners.”
According to Associate Professor Phúc, these relations are evident across various fields such as economics, culture, defense, security, education, healthcare, and more, marked by historical milestones.
In 1999, Vietnam and China signed the Land Border Treaty. On December 27, 2001, the two countries inaugurated the first national boundary marker at the Móng Cái (Quảng Ninh, Vietnam) – Đông Hưng (China) border gate.
On December 25, 2000, Vietnam and China signed the Gulf of Tonkin Delimitation Agreement and the Fisheries Cooperation Agreement. By 2008, the demarcation of the land border was completed.
Associate Professor Nguyễn Trọng Phúc emphasized that these steps represent crucial progress, showcasing the increasingly positive relationship between the two nations. This has also spurred economic growth for both Vietnam and China. Since 2004, China has been Vietnam’s largest trading partner.
“Vietnam and China share common positive perceptions, and the friendship between the two nations continues to grow, benefiting both peoples and aligning with the longstanding traditions of friendship, cooperation, and solidarity,” stressed Mr. Phúc.
He assessed that since normalizing relations in 1991, the six border provinces of Vietnam and China have experienced robust development, particularly in the economy and trade.
This progress is partly due to trade between the two countries. Over the years, Vietnam and China have opened several major border gates to facilitate commerce.
Associate Professor Nguyễn Trọng Phúc predicted that in the future, border provinces of Vietnam and China will enhance cooperation and friendship to further develop economically and commercially, benefiting both peoples.
“The foreign policy of our Party and State is peace, friendship, and cooperative development. Vietnam is ready to be a friend and a reliable, responsible partner in the international community, guided by friendship, sincerity, and mutual benefit,” affirmed Mr. Phúc.
Vị Xuyên is a mountainous border district in northern Vietnam, surrounding Hà Giang City, traversed by National Highways 4C and 2. Vị Xuyên holds strategic importance for Hà Giang Province’s socio-economic development and national defense, with a long-standing cultural heritage.
The district is home to 19 ethnic groups known for their unity, patriotism, resilience in struggle, and industriousness in labor.
Most of Vị Xuyên’s terrain consists of low hills and gentle slopes interspersed with valleys forming large plains, alongside rivers, streams, and lakes, with an average elevation of 300–400 meters above sea level.
With over 31 kilometers of border adjacent to China, maintaining border security and stability is prioritized. The district maintains regular, friendly cooperation with Malypho County (Yunnan Province, China) in areas like crime prevention, combating cross-border crimes, and safeguarding national sovereignty.
According to the Hà Giang Statistics Office, the province’s GDP growth rate in 2024 is estimated at 6.05%, higher than the 2.85% increase in 2023. Specifically, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries grew by 3.91%; industry and construction by 6.71%; and services by 7.30%.
Total GDP (at current prices) in 2024 is estimated at 35.822 trillion VND ($1.5 billion USD); per capita GDP reached 39.3 million VND/person/year, increasing by 3.7 million VND compared to 2023 (35.6 million VND/person/year in 2023).
Content: Nguyễn Hải
Design: Thủy Tiên
February 18, 2025 – 06:26
Source link: https://dantri.com.vn/xa-hoi/tuong-huy-toi-van-ve-tham-noi-tung-duoc-vi-la-lo-voi-the-ky-20250217203633729.htm
