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Located in the
northwest region of north Vietnam, the capital
city of Dien Bien is Dien Bien Phu City. Dien
Bien Phu is about 500 kilometers northwest of Hanoi and
is surrounded by mountains and lies in the Muong
Thanh Valley, a 20 kilometers long and 6 kilometers wide
heart-shaped basin, near the Lao border and it
is one of the remotest parts of Vietnam and the
mountain roads leading to this place is one of
the most beautiful scenery you will ever seen in
your visit to Vietnam.
Ethnic Thai and
H'mong hill tribes account for approximately
seventy percent of Muong Thanh Valley's
population whereby it also has the most diverse
ethnic mixes found in Vietnam here. Pa Khoang Lake which is important
for the irrigation of the valley here is
actually a man-made reservoir. The only tourist
resort here is a newly built hotel that looks
like a Swiss castle whereby it is both
comfortable and affordable.
The Battle of Dien
Bien Phu is a well-known historical event
symbolizing the glorious victory of the
Vietnamese army and people. It was here in 1954
that the Vietnamese People's Army overran the
beleaguered French garrison after a fifty-six days
siege, forcing the French government to abandon
its attempt to re-establish colonial control of
Indochina. General de Castries and his entire
command were taken alive and it is the battle
that was fought at this site which ended French
occupation. The relics of the
Battle of Dien Bien Phu include Doc Lap Hill,
the airport and the command tunnel of General de
Castries and it the perfect place for those who
loved to know more about the history of this
country.
After the victorious
battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954, almost all
historical sites of this battle lying to the
east of the Muong Thanh Field have been kept
intact. Some of the famous tourist attractions
in Dien Bien Phu include the artillery
emplacements, remain of warplanes, Muong Thanh
Bridge, the command bunker of General de
Castries, Hill A1 and the cemeteries. Some 35 kilometers
from the center of Dien Bien Phu City lies the
command post of General Vo Nguyen Giap who has
been back many times to revisit this site.
Other places of
interest in Dien Bien are the Museum of Dien
Bien Phu Victory which houses important
documents and historical items related to the
war, the cemeteries in Hill A1 and Doc Lap Hill
where heroic Vietnamese soldiers killed in the
war are buried, the Moung Thanh Airfield, the
command bunker of General de Castries, command
post of the Vietnamese soldiers in Muong Phang
Commune and the statue of Dien Bien Phu Victory.
Local residents also come here to offer prayers
for those who have fought bravely during the war
every year. This area which has the country's highest
mountain and most rugged terrain is
definitely for those who seeks a truly remote
and authentic cultural experience.
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