Almost 30 years to create momentum to develop as a city of 3rd rank

Gentrification

To get the look like today, Go Cong land has undergone a long process of development. Around the beginning of the seventeenth century, there are many groups of people from the Thanh -  Nghe and Ngu Quang immigrated to the Southern land to gather and settler. In the process of entering southern land, with diligence and patriotism, people clung, kept the land and established Go Cong land - the land of extraordinary people. This land used to be known as a city village.

It took place many uprisings in the first period against the French invasion, notably the Uprising of Truong Dinh National Hero. In two resistance wars against the French colonialists and the US imperialists by the Vietnam Communist Party's leadership, Go Cong people upheld undaunted willpower, tenacity revolution, contributing to glorious victory of the country.

A corner of Go Cong Township - (Photo: Thai Thien).

Many vestiges are bold in many places such as the base area of Go Cong Provincial Committee in Binh Xuan commune, which is currently taken to reconstruct Go Cong Provincial Committee historic relic. In the years of that heroic revolution, Go Cong township is honored to have 2 communes of Binh Xuan and Long Thuan which are awarded the title "Hero of People's Armed Forces".

Go Cong township is also known for the national historical relics: the Royal Mausoleum, Hai Governor's House and Truong Dinh Mausoleum. Besides, there are many provincial cultural relics such as Trung Temple, Vo Tanh Mausoleum, and many other relics such as Palace of governor, Van Thanh temple and many ancient houses, temples, pagodas, shrines, tombs and many local specific products such as Go Cong worship cabin, cerise and Go Cong shrimp paste, etc. All advantages are both a landmark for sightseeing tours and a strong point of local socioeconomic development.

Re-established in 1987, after several adjustments of administrative boundaries, the township currently has 12 administrative units including 5 wards and 7 communes. To build the township of 3rd rank, the Party, the government and the people of the township focus on all resources to develop society and economy, and improve and enhance people's lives. Especially, in recent years, the township focuses on the construction of infrastructure and gentrification, enhances the management of urban construction as planned, and ensures sustainable urban development.

The highlight must mention firstly in the urban development process. For instance, the township has expanded urban area to the North and South and developed new urban area into 2 directions. Many longtime residents and young people also have the same sense of considerable development of the young urban area.

Situated to the south, Truong Dinh residential area extended rapidly, is filled with mansions houses, services, business, trade sprang up, especially shaping for a supermarket in this region, marked the breakthrough success of the urban development is processing in town. Many projects such as upgrading Highway 50, provincial roads, building My Loi bridge, newly opening routes of north and south boundaries, and many rural road projects, alleyways and black-water canals such as Nam Co, Sai Gon Bus station. Slums become beautiful streets such as streets and residential areas at Truong Dinh street. There is a new urban area with spacious, clean and beautiful houses, etc. All covered town urban area a new young, dynamic, modern and civilized physiognomy.

Outstanding teacher Phan Thanh Sac - Go Tre village, Long Thuan commune, who has many years of researching and writing books about the land and people of Go Cong, said that "The township was the center of the old Go Cong area, since then, the township began to develop, and all infrastructures and works to serve people developed and demonstrated civilization".

There are many views to see the outstanding development of Go Cong township. The acknowledgment of the people has demonstrated in the development of the township. Recently, My Loi Bridge has been built, connecting the two banks of Vam Co river and eliminating separation and obstruction by ferry. It puts Go Cong township to Ho Chi Minh City and the southern key economic area.

The synchronous investment by the government and the Party of the township, from urban arterial roads to inner routers, all are asphalted. There are water supply and drainage systems. Rural routes are invested and expanded under the standards of a new rural commune. They all contribute to making the interdepartmental transportation spacious, airy, clean, beautiful and convenient for commodity trade in the region.

The lighting system is constructed, repaired and replaced to ensure better service for production and daily life. The green park system is invested along with the upgrading of gentrification, creating the green highlight for environmental landscape and forming the beautiful and civilized streets.

Ms. Lai Thi Phuong Thao, located in quarter 3, ward 2, said excitedly "Go Cong Township has a continuous gigantic development, especially gentrification of the township is interested by all-level leaders so that the town has a civilized and modern look. Currently, in communal area in particular and township area in general, roads are wide and spacious; office buildings, schools and environmental landscapes are green - clean - beautiful. In the future, I hope that the township was recognized as a city of 3rd rank to deserve as Eastern regional center of the province."

Currently, the speed of urbanization and urban economic development is rapid, and people's living standards are improved. Aesthetic needs in the house construction of houses, more and more architectural buildings are interested to make specific mark for the township.

In addition to ancient houses, the ancient towns still exist to maintain the unique characteristic of the township which is once a village of the ancient city. Nowadays, the Party and the township government are very interested in construction and development of housing, urban areas and residential areas which are newly-designed, modernly constructed.

The existing residential areas are embellished and developed in line with urban planning. The type of houses in urban area including town house is the most popular type along the streets and main roads. Type of villa with architectural and modern styles is developed along the streets or the new urban areas. Type of individual house and garden is built under form of single-story house which is located at the remote communes.

Eastern regional center of the province

To achieve the objective of reaching a city of 3rd rank, the Party, the people and leaders of the township are interested in creating a comfortable and attractive environment to attract investment for the developments of industry, trade, service, tourism and urban infrastructure.

By the way, it helps to boost economic growth with an annual average increase of 12% and per capita income is more than 36 million. The economic structure of the township shifted towards more progressive and in line with the potential and advantages of the local. Specifically, in the 3rd area, the proportion of trade service increased from 62.45% in 2012 to 65.05% in 2014, the proportion of industry - construction increased by 0.87% per year on average, and the proportion of agriculture and fishery product fell by 0.92% per year.

To achieve these proportions of each economic sector, the township focuses on promoting development of trade and service as a key economic sector in the economic structure. The township focuses on developing business networks of Go Cong market with two wholesale markets exchange commodities in eastern sub-region and they are also the consumption centers of the township. They perform 2 functions of both wholesale and retail, concentrate abundant products and enough sources to control and regulate the market in the Eastern sub-region of the province.

A corner o GoCong Township seen from the top - (Photo: Thai Thien).

In terms of infrastructure, shops and stores were renovated and expanded, developed, formed along the streets, business areas with many diversified and abundant forms. They promoted the role of the wholesale market associated with an appropriate arrangement of business sectors to set up the distribution network through the province. The total retail sales and service revenues increased by 16% on average, notably 20.25% in comparison with the same period in 2014.

Along with the acceleration of urbanization, industrial development has created a labor restructuring, labor transformation from rural sectors into industrial ones. In the area, there are 2 sport uniform garment companies of Huy Hoang which attracted over 1,000 workers and Cong Tien Garment Joint Stock Company which attracted over 3,000 workers, with 120 individual business establishments, 8 enterprises, 15 manufacturers of small-scale industry and handicrafts. They all contributed to annual production value of industry. Especially, small industry and handicrafts reached nearly VND63 billion. These have greatly increased establishments of food services, motels and boarding houses for workers, which cause to speed up the urbanization and population density in urban areas.

The system of education infrastructure is invested and constructed in all aspects from infrastructure, solidifying schools to improving the quality of education and training of all departments and grades. Currently, the township has 12 nursery schools and kindergartens, 13 primary schools, 8 secondary schools, 3 high schools, including 9 national-standard schools and 2 vocational schools with infrastructure systems from classrooms, auxiliary buildings to teaching facilities evenly distributed in the area. They meet the requirements of teaching and learning not only for the whole town but also for a part of 2 districts Go Cong Tay and Go Cong Dong.

In the township, there are 1 regional general hospital with 250 sickbeds and nearly 300 doctors and nurses, 2 general clinics with 30 sickbeds and 12 clinics in wards and communes with 60 sickbeds. Most health centers are permanent and performing well. These systems have been invested completely and to serve better for the peopleeees needs for examination and treatment.

Along with the urban development, the Party committees and governments at all levels of the township are interested in quality of life by launching a movement "All people unite to build cultural life in residential areas" which have an important contribution to ensuring social security and improve people's lives both physically and mentally. They are clearly shown through the culture in each area, villages, quarters, communes and wards.

Up to now, the township has built and readmitted 62/62 cultural hamlets and quarters. It has built and converted 10/12 cultural communes and wards to cultural-standard communes and civilized-standard wards. There were 41 cultural roads, 25 cultural places of worship, 3 cultural markets and 2 cultural parks, 106 cultural departments or units, enterprises, schools in 2014. Annually, cultural families account for over 95%. Go Cong township is the first unit in the province and the country to be recognized as a standard title of the urban civilization township in the period of 2013-2015.

The 9th Congress Resolution and 10th Congress of Tien Giang Party's Committee determined a breakthrough to build Go Cong township as a central urban area of the province. Because the township is an eastern urban center of the province and the 2nd gate to receive the economic development of Ho Chi Minh city in particular and key southern economic area in general.

The Resolution of 2 Congresses of Township Party Committee in the 6th term (2010-2015) and the 7th term (2015-2020) are identified that Go Cong township must develop its strengths of commercial and service to confirm the center of politics, economy and society of eastern region of the province. Moreover, the township focuses on all resources for urban development and orientation of urban development towards reaching a city of 3rd rank.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Loi, Secretary of Party's Committee, Chairman of People's Committee of the township, said: "The town promoted the fullest advantages of location, function and role of eastern nuclear urban of the province. It exploited effectively the projects which the Central and the province have invested in the area, focused many resources for urban development through the implementation of urban management regulations to gradually build Go Cong township completely with higher standards of a municipality".

(Source: www.tiengiang.gov.vn)