LAO CAI, Vietnam, April 3 (Xinhua) -- At the Seo Chong Ho hydropower plant, Tran Xuan Truong, head of the plant's technical, planning and production section, started his working day by arranging equipment maintenance and checking the operating system to help ensure a stable power supply for Vietnam's northern Lao Cai province and the broader northern region.

Located in Seo Chong Ho village of Ban Ho commune, the plant is invested in and operated by Vietnam-China Power Investment Company Limited (V.C Power), whose major shareholders include Chinese power firm China Southern Power Grid Lancang-Mekong International and Vietnam's state-owned power supplier, Vietnam Electricity's Northern Power Corporation (EVNNPC).

The Seo Chong Ho hydropower plant, the first cooperative project between China and Vietnam in the field of power investment, broke ground in 2006 with the joint efforts of workers from the two countries.

Pham Do Tuy, general director of V.C Power, who witnessed the hardships faced during the early days of the plant's construction, emphasized the close bond formed between the construction teams of the two countries.

"The Chinese and Vietnamese employees eat, live, work and confront challenges together; we're like family," Tuy told Xinhua.

Working there for about 14 years, Nguyen Huy Thanh, head of the plant's operations sector, said he was deeply impressed by his Chinese colleagues, as they provided detailed guidance on the Chinese-imported equipment used in operations.

"Their punctuality and sense of responsibility are very strong, and they were also very enthusiastic in guiding us and passing on their knowledge to us," Thanh shared.

Entered commercial operation in 2012, the plant currently operates three generating units with a total installed capacity of 30 megawatts and an average annual output of around 140 million kilowatt-hours, feeding electricity into Vietnam's national grid through a 110-kV transmission line.

For villagers in Seo Chong Ho, where many from ethnic groups make a living through upland farming and trout and sturgeon breeding, the impact of the hydropower project has been measured not only in electricity output but also in the steady improvement of living conditions.

Lo Lao Ta, head of Seo Chong Ho village, said that before the plant entered operation, residents had little access to electricity and their daily life was far more difficult than it is today.

"Since around 2015, villagers have started to have lighting, and the roads have also improved, so people are very grateful," Ta said.

Ta added that the plant has also organized annual activities for local children, giving them small gifts, while mobilizing outside donations to support villagers with holiday presents and other assistance, which has been warmly welcomed by the community.

For villager Vang A Chang, the changes brought by electricity have been direct and deeply felt in his family life, with his children able to study under proper lighting in the evening.

"Once there is electricity, family life becomes much more convenient, lighting is better, and the children's education is much easier as well," he noted.

Beyond power supply, residents say the company has also helped improve local roads, making travel and transport easier in the rugged mountain terrain.

"Travel is much more convenient now, because if your field is near the road, you can ride a motorbike there, and it is much easier to bring rice back home," Chang said.