“People’s happiness” has been identified as one of the six distinctive values underpinning Quang Ninh City’s journey towards comprehensive development and has become a guiding principle running through all activities. Through breakthrough and people-centred policies, Quang Ninh is placing people’s well-being at the heart of its development journey, with the aim of achieving sustainable growth while expanding opportunities, improving quality of life and strengthening public trust.
People-centred policies
On August 25, 2026, at the seventh session of the 15th-term Quang Ninh Provincial People’s Council, a resolution was adopted providing for free bus fares for students travelling to school in Ha Long, Hong Gai and Ha Tu wards during the 2026–2027 school year. Under the policy, students will have 100% of their bus fares covered when using bus services to travel to school.
In education, students are also receiving support through a shared textbook library model; preschool and primary school children are benefiting from a school milk programme; while students from disadvantaged areas and groups are receiving support for meals, accommodation and travel. Air conditioners are being installed and schools are being built in mountainous and border areas. These practical policies not only address specific needs in people’s daily lives, but also help gradually narrow gaps in learning conditions.
Another policy reflecting the people-centred approach and the consistent emphasis on “happiness” is the programme providing regular health check-ups and free screening for the entire population. Quang Ninh aims to provide free regular health check-ups and screening to more than 1.4 million residents in 2026.
By the end of 2025, Quang Ninh had eliminated all poor and near-poor households, while average annual income in communes home to ethnic minority communities had reached VND 83.79 million per person. This marked an important step towards building a comprehensively developed Quang Ninh City, ensuring that “no one is left behind” while promoting happiness and improving the “happiness index” across all areas of development.
Spreading the Benefits of Development
Since officially becoming a city on September 1, 2026, Quang Ninh has opened up a broader development space. The new city’s development space is structured around the “3 poles – 4 transformations – 5 driving forces” framework, linked with the Yen Tu – Ha Long Bay heritage space. Each area is expected to capitalise on its own strengths while being connected within a unified development space. Van Don is oriented towards the marine economy and high-end services. Mong Cai is leveraging its strengths in border trade and the border-gate economy. Quang Yen is developing industry and logistics. Mountainous and border areas are focusing on the forest economy, ecological agriculture and community-based tourism linked with cultural preservation. Co To is pursuing a green marine economy, high-tech marine farming and clean energy. With these orientations, Quang Ninh City is creating new opportunities for people to benefit from its development.
September 1, 2026 marked a particularly significant milestone as Quang Ninh became a city. On this occasion, Quan Minh Cuong, member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Quang Ninh City Party Committee and Head of the city’s National Assembly Delegation, expressed his determination to build Quang Ninh City into a pioneering, leading and exemplary city in comprehensive development across all areas, including the economy, society, culture, sports, education and healthcare, while maintaining national defence and security and social order and safety. In particular, he stressed the need to build Quang Ninh into the city with the highest happiness index in Vietnam, so that everyone can find opportunities, confidence and a fulfilling life in their own homeland.
By Minh Duc
