Ha Noi Moves Beyond Rural Development Targets With 109 Model Communes

From Rural Standards to Better Everyday Living

Ha Noi has recorded 229 communes with advanced new-style rural status and 109 with model status, exceeding its targets for the 2021-2025 period. All of the capital's communes have met basic new-style rural standards, according to the Office for Coordination of the New-Style Rural Development Programme.

As of July 12, 2025, the city's next task is to turn those achievements into lasting improvements in daily life. Its approach connects schools, healthcare, employment, cleaner surroundings and cultural activities, while administrative restructuring and the introduction of a local government system with two tiers create new demands for coordination.

The ambition reaches beyond better roads and public buildings. In communes across the capital's countryside, farming technology, village tourism, traditional crafts and digital services are becoming parts of a broader effort to make rural communities attractive places to live and work.

Ngo Van Ngo, Deputy Chief of the Standing Office for New Rural Development Coordination in Ha Noi, described the purpose of the programme in terms of what residents should gain:

Ha Noi does not aim to build model new-style rural areas just for the title. We aim for something greater: creating ideal living environments for all. Here, the elderly have access to local healthcare and cultural clubs; children enjoy well-equipped schools and playgrounds; and local workers find jobs through OCOP models, community tourism and service industries.

His explanation places the emphasis on people at different stages of life. A model commune should provide opportunities for workers, services for older residents and places where children can learn and play, alongside improvements to its physical surroundings.

What Model Rural Status Means

Vietnam launched its National Target Program on New Rural Development, known as Nong thon moi, in 2010. The programme set out to modernize rural infrastructure, improve living standards and reduce poverty. Communes, the smallest administrative units in Vietnam, are assessed on criteria that include roads, schools, healthcare, income and environmental protection.

Model new-style rural areas take that work further. The goal is a community with a lively cultural life, access to modern services and economic opportunities that can last. Infrastructure remains part of the task, but the focus extends to how well a place supports the people who live there.

Ha Noi has developed its own criteria for model rural areas, tailored to its position as a special urban center. It is the first locality in Vietnam to develop and apply a dedicated set of criteria for these areas, making its experience relevant to other provinces pursuing rural modernization.

The programme's development can be followed through three key periods:

• 2010: Vietnam launched the National Target Program on New Rural Development.
• 2021-2025: Ha Noi set targets for expanding advanced and model new-style rural communes.
• By July 12, 2025: All Ha Noi communes had reached basic standards, with 229 recognized as advanced and 109 as model communes, surpassing the period's targets.

Greener Villages Take Shape

Dan Phuong, O Dien and Lien Minh are among the newly merged communes pursuing ecological rural models. Their work goes beyond meeting basic standards, with residents participating in planning, carrying out projects and maintaining the results.

Green spaces, streets lined with flowers, roads decorated with murals and model gardens are among the visible features of Ha Noi's approach. These improvements seek to make villages more attractive while supporting healthier surroundings.

Resident participation connects the initial work with its continued upkeep. People are involved in deciding what their communities need and in caring for shared spaces after projects are completed. In these communes, the model therefore includes both physical improvements and an ongoing role for local households.

Farming Adapts to an Urban Market

Phu Dong, Bat Trang, Thuan An and Gia Lam are moving from traditional agriculture toward smarter farming oriented to urban needs. Their experience forms part of Ha Noi's attempt to connect its rural economy more closely with the opportunities of a major city.

Greenhouses, automated irrigation and technology that tracks products through production and sale are among the tools being adopted. Farmers are also using soil moisture monitoring, which helps them follow how much water is available in the ground.

Automated irrigation and moisture monitoring support decisions about watering. Product traceability serves another purpose: it helps people follow information about agricultural goods. Ha Noi's rural strategy includes QR codes as a way to make that information accessible.

These technologies are intended to help farmers manage production costs, improve yields and support food safety. The wider objective is to make agricultural production more productive and dependable while keeping it connected to the city's environmental goals.

Digital Services Connect Farms and Households

Several cooperatives have put agricultural products on the Postmart and Voso e-commerce platforms. Selling through these channels gives rural producers access to a wider market and supports efforts to increase the value of their goods.

For the rural economy, digital transformation means applying digital tools to familiar activities such as selling produce, providing information and handling administrative procedures. Ha Noi sees this work as part of connecting rural businesses with national and global markets.

Digital services also extend beyond farming. Smart solutions in local government, education and healthcare are part of the model rural approach, bringing residents closer to the level of services available in urban areas.

E-government platforms streamline administrative procedures and make information and support easier to access. Improvements in healthcare, education and social welfare services are intended to narrow differences in living standards between the countryside and the city.

The practical connection is between livelihoods and services. A cooperative needs ways to reach buyers, while a household needs access to schools, healthcare and public administration. Ha Noi's model brings both into the same rural development effort.

Tourism Gives Village Traditions an Economic Role

Hong Van Commune shows how traditional craft villages and tourism built around visitor experiences can work together. The area attracts hundreds of visitors on weekends, helping to increase household incomes while preserving its cultural identity.

Community tourism gives local heritage a role in earning a living. Crafts, village customs and cultural activities become part of what visitors come to experience, linking the preservation of traditions with opportunities in services.

Bat Trang's pottery, which has a history stretching back centuries, is another example. Visitors are drawn to practical experiences with the craft and opportunities to learn about village culture. Pottery remains part of the community's identity while also supporting tourism.

Other localities are reviving traditional festivals, folk singing and handicrafts. These activities strengthen community pride and provide additional reasons for visitors to come. Ha Noi's approach places cultural life alongside agriculture and public services as a component of rural prosperity.

Residents Keep Improvements Going

Phu Dong's experience illustrates the role of residents after a commune receives model status. Local people continue to take part in environmental protection, maintain public order and promote village traditions.

Authorities place residents at the center of rural development, with a leading role in shaping their communities. Participation covers planning and implementation as well as the continuing care of public spaces and local cultural life.

Movements including "All people unite to build a cultured lifestyle," "Cultural families," and "Green, clean, safe villages and neighborhoods" have spread widely. They encourage community solidarity, shared responsibility and local self-governance.

These activities connect public investment with everyday behavior. Roads, gardens and community facilities require care, while festivals and other traditions depend on people continuing to organize and take part in them. Ha Noi's model treats that involvement as a condition for improvements to last.

Administrative Change Tests Continuity

Ha Noi's achievements come during administrative restructuring at commune level and the implementation of a local government system with two tiers. Coordinating rural development through those changes is one of the challenges facing authorities and communities.

Newly merged communes must continue work on their rural models while local administration changes around them. Maintaining standards and encouraging further improvements require continuing effort from both officials and residents.

Cultural preservation presents another challenge. As rural areas become more connected and their economies grow more active, traditional values and local identities face pressure. Ha Noi's response is to include cultural heritage in development plans, alongside economic and environmental objectives.

The task is therefore broader than securing recognition. Communities need to maintain the quality of services and surroundings already achieved while continuing to create jobs and preserve the traditions that make each village distinct.

A Rural Strategy Linked to the Capital's Growth

Ha Noi's approach links rural development with urban growth that gives greater attention to the environment. Its countryside is being planned as part of a changing capital, with farming, tourism, services and village culture contributing to the development of suburban areas.

The model combines elements that are often discussed separately: agricultural production, digital access, public services, greener surroundings and cultural preservation. Together, they describe a rural community where modernization includes both earning opportunities and the quality of daily life.

For other provinces, Ha Noi's experience offers lessons in adapting rural development to local conditions. Its dedicated criteria reflect the needs of a special urban center, while its emphasis on resident participation addresses the continuing work required after formal recognition.

The figures establish the scale of progress: 229 advanced communes, 109 model communes and basic standards reached across all communes. The next task is to keep those achievements useful to residents through reliable services, sustainable employment, well maintained villages and an active cultural life.

Key Points

• All Ha Noi communes have met basic new-style rural standards; 229 have advanced status and 109 have model status.
• The city has exceeded its targets for the 2021-2025 period.
• Ha Noi is the first Vietnamese locality to develop and apply dedicated criteria for model new-style rural areas.
• Smart farming, digital services, greener surroundings and community tourism are central parts of the approach.
• Hong Van attracts hundreds of weekend visitors, while Bat Trang connects its pottery traditions with visitor experiences.
• Residents help plan, maintain and manage improvements, including in newly merged communes.
• Administrative restructuring and the need to preserve cultural identity remain challenges.