However, along the border of Điện Biên province, the border guards quietly remain at their posts and villages, guarding every inch of the frontier. Setting aside the joy of reunion, they celebrate the 2026 Lunar New Year (Tết) holiday at the border, sharing the holiday with the local ethnic communities. To these soldiers, the post is home, the border is their hometown, and the ethnic people are like their own flesh and blood.

In the days leading up to the holiday, we visited The Nà Hỳ Border Post. The highland air was chilly, with mist drifting around the barracks. The spring atmosphere here is simple, a far cry from the bustle of the lowlands. The courtyard is swept clean, and a few branches of forest peach blossoms and small flower pots brought in by the soldiers create a touch of spring amidst the border forests. Major Nguyễn Văn Chính, the Political Officer of The Nà Hỳ Border Post, explained that according to regulations, after two years of holiday duty, officers and soldiers are rotated to return home. However, due to the specific nature of their mission, many still spend several consecutive years at the station, with some missing home for two or three holidays in a row.

In the final days of the year, alongside their professional duties, the soldiers prepare for the festivities together. Some wrap chưng cakes, some decorate the barracks, while others take the time to visit the villages to offer greetings to the locals. The chưng cakes at the station is wrapped simply but still carries the full flavor of home. The red glow of the fire and the bubbling pot of cakes help ward off the mountain cold, warming the bonds of brotherhood and camaraderie. For young soldiers, celebrating away from home brings a sense of nostalgia for their families, especially those experiencing it for the first time. Yet, in their stories, that homesickness is always accompanied by a profound pride in contributing to the protection of the nation’s borders.

Accompanying a patrol team from the Nà Bủng Border Post during the days nearing Tết, we truly felt the hardships of the soldiers at the edge of the Fatherland. The air was freezing, with strong winds and thick fog. The patrol path winds through ancient forests, sometimes hugging mountainsides and other times cutting through reeds taller than a person. Sharp rocks and steep slopes make movement difficult, requiring every step to be firm. After more than an hour of trekking through the forest and mountains, national border marker No.49 on the Việt Nam - Lào border appeared in the quiet space. Before the milestone, the patrol team performed a solemn greeting ritual. Amidst the vast mountains, the milestone stands firm as the soldiers quietly uphold their oath to the frontier.

The Nà Bủng Border Post is tasked with managing and protecting over 40km of the borderline with 14 national markers. During the holiday, the unit’s mission becomes even heavier as border activities hold many potential complexities. The Command proactively developed a holiday duty plan, arranging personnel and assigning specific tasks. Areas at risk of illegal border crossings, drug trafficking, or security disturbances are carefully reviewed. Patrolling and controlling the border and milestones are maintained regularly, even on the New Year’s Eve and the first days of the year. While families gather for the holiday, for the soldiers here, celebrating away from home has become a familiar routine. Amidst the highland cold, the peace of the ethnic people is the ultimate motivation for them to stand firm at the front line.

Beyond the mission of protecting national sovereignty, the provincial Border Guard Command always pays special attention to the ethnic people of the border regions, especially poor households and policy-beneficiary families. In the program “Border Spring Warms Villagers’ Hearts” for the 2026 Tết holiday, the units plan to wrap thousands of chưng cakes and provide numerous gift sets to disadvantaged individuals, village elders, and reputable people. Although the gifts may not be large, they contain the shared affection of the border soldiers. Village elder Giàng A Vừ, a reputable figure in Nà Bủng 1 village, Nà Bủng commune, shared that every year, the border guards visit, give gifts, and wrap cakes with the villagers, making everyone feel secure and cared for.

Senior Colonel Lê Đức Nghĩa, Deputy Political Commissar of the provincial Border Guard Command, stated that in addition to giving gifts, the units also organize medical check-ups and provide free medicine for residents in border villages. Many soldiers spend the days before Tết helping people clean their houses and repair village roads. During the holiday, many border posts send personnel to the villages to eat and celebrate with the people. Some units even invite local authorities and students to the station to wrap cakes and share the first meal of the year together. As spring returns to the border villages of Điện Biên, the laughter echoing in the stilt houses is backed by the tireless patrol steps and the quiet nights on duty at the border posts.