Lao Cai: A Bourgeoning City

 

 

Lao Cai City is very rich in natural resources, with over 31 types of ore scattered throughout the city, for example, apatite and bronze ores in Sinh Quyen in the north and Quy Sa iron ores in the south. Natural resource reserves are measured as the largest in the region. Annually, the city exports a big volume of ores for the industrial sector of Vietnam and other countries in the world, which brings in large sums of currencies for the city. Lao Cai is focusing on the development of the ore exploitation industry.

 

Lying on the southern downstream of the junction of Red River and Nam Thi River, Lao Cai used to be a key economic, political and cultural centre along the Red River. Lao Cai, with a population of 103,000 people and an area of 221.5 square kilometres, is the only city near the borderline with China. Lao Cai City, a traffic intersection of major roads, has sufficient conditions to develop railway, overland and waterway transport systems. Ho Kieu Bridge links a Chinese border gate with Lao Cai City and the economically crucial cross-border railway connects Kunming, Lao Cai and Haiphong City. As a result, the border gate economic zone plays a key role in boosting the economy of Lao Cai City.

 

Lao Cai City is encouraging all economic sectors to develop trade and services. The city also organizes trade promotion activities via seminars, trade fairs and traditional festivals. According to the latest official figures, export revenues through the Lao Cai International Border Gate increase on average by 17.3 per cent per annum. The number of restaurants and hotels was up 16% to above 600 establishments. The service and trade sectors have developed strongly in Lao Cai City. A lot of commercial sites have been built here. In order to tap its tourism potential, Lao Cai regularly upgrades historical and cultural relics and has built entertainment centres.

 

Apart from socio-economic development, Lao Cai City also attaches great importance to developing education and training. The quality of education has been considerably improved, a crucial factor for the socio-economic development in the renovation process. The city also pays attention to improving cultural lives of the people and building an urban way of life here. 

 

 

Knowing untapped potentialities, Lao Cai is grasping all opportunities to develop the border city on the right track. Apart from implementing all central policies on regional development, the establishment of a Lao Cai-(China’s) Honghe Economic Cooperation Zone, the development of a border economy, the construction and development urban zones, the continual exploitation of apatite ores and the building Sinh Quyen-Ta Loong and Quy Sa industrial zones, Lao Cai exerts all available sources to build a stable and fast-growing city. Lao Cai City has defined that a developed city must have a decisive service sector, a spearhead industrial sector, high quality agro-forestry, a synchronous urban infrastructure, and dynamic, polite and hospitable citizens.

 

In order to completely develop the service sector, Lao Cai City is boosting effective investment attraction and management of the Kim Thanh commercial zone, and is cooperating with responsible bodies to operate the Lao Cai International Border Gate, expand Lao Cai railway station and build a cargo transit port.

 

To fulfil its new targets, Lao Cai City is trying to develop a modern industrial sector with the aim of exploiting all advantages, attracting all forces and encouraging all economic sectors, domestically and internationally, to invest here. If all targets are fulfilled, Lao Cai will gradually overcome its hardships to build a better city with a higher standard of living. With the achievements it has made and plans it has set, Lao Cai is confident of being a developed city with the best service, industrial and agricultural sectors.