70 years of Dien Bien Phu: A historical bridge

The victorious Dien Bien Phu campaign was a perfect journey starting from the origin of ATK Thai Nguyen to the end point of heroic Dien Bien. The journey was not long but brought a great result: Ending the nearly century-long domination of French colonialism in Vietnam and opening a new era - the era of national independence. Thai Nguyen - Viet Bac is connected with Dien Bien - Tay Bac as a historical bridge, carrying the heroic and intense echoes of the glorious Ho Chi Minh era.

Historical site of Tin Keo shack – ATK Dinh Hoa, where the Politburo meeting took place on December 6, 1953, deciding to launch the Dien Bien Phu Campaign. Photo: Nguyen Ngoc

Along with Bach Dang, Chi Lang, Dong Da, along with the successful August Revolution of 1945, Dien Bien Phu is a golden milestone in the history of the Vietnamese people's resistance against foreign invaders. It is not by chance that after May 7, 1954, a phrase appeared as a symbol of the era: "Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh - Dien Bien Phu". Here, Vietnam is the heroic country, the creative people; Ho Chi Minh is the right path and Dien Bien Phu is the glorious victory. Seven decades have passed with many ups and downs in the world , but the heroic feats of our army and people in the sacred Dien Bien Phu Campaign always have profound meanings and live forever with time.

In Dien Bien Phu, the French always believed that this was the strongest stronghold in Indochina, an impregnable fortress. However, the French plots and calculations were completely defeated. We were determined to change the campaign's combat strategy at the last minute, from "fight fast, win fast" to "fight steadily, advance steadily". From the policy of destroying the enemy in two days and three nights in one battle, we switched to destroying the enemy in parts, suffocating them in a creative system of battlefields, attacking and besieging the enemy, destroying the entire Dien Bien Phu stronghold in 56 days and nights. All of this created a resounding victory that "resounded throughout the five continents, shook the world" so that "Muong Thanh, Hong Cum, Him Lam. Apricot blossoms were white again, orange gardens were yellow again".

If Dien Bien is the place where the Dien Bien Phu Campaign ended, then Thai Nguyen is the place where this historic campaign originated. During the 9-year resistance war against France, Thai Nguyen was the Safe Zone, the center of the Viet Bac base, the Resistance Capital of the whole country. Most of the headquarters, the highest-ranking leaders of the Central Party, the State, the Government and our army lived and worked in Thai Nguyen. Moreover, most of the major decisions in the period from after the National Resistance Day until the victory of the resistance war against France were made here. One of those important decisions was to launch the Dien Bien Phu Campaign.

Implementing President Ho Chi Minh's Directive, the army and people of Thai Nguyen, together with the army and people of Viet Bac, Tay Bac, Lien khu 3, Lien khu 4... concentrated all their efforts and assets on the Dien Bien Phu Campaign. The ethnic people of Thai Nguyen province mobilized 671 tons of rice; nearly 29 tons of pork, buffalo, and beef; 10 tons of beans, peanuts, and sesame to supply the Dien Bien Phu front. In addition to mobilizing 9,559 laborers to build roads and repair bridges and culverts to serve the Campaign, Thai Nguyen also mobilized thousands of laborers to transport food, provisions, weapons and ammunition to the Dien Bien battlefield.

Dien Bien Phu Victory Museum, Dien Bien province. Photo: Nguyen Ngoc

We had a journey back to the remote Northwest, back to the historic land of Dien Bien right after 70 years of the victorious Dien Bien Phu Campaign. Walking on the winding asphalt road, looking down from above, the villages of the Thai, Mong, Dao ethnic groups... living together mixed with the green of the mountains and forests, everyone seemed to feel all the changes in this remote land at the end of the Northwest sky. Walking along the route connecting the provinces of Hoa Binh, Son La, Dien Bien, Lai Chau, each of us seemed to feel somewhere echoing the heroic marching steps of the soldiers, youth volunteers, and frontline laborers in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign.

Considered the center of socio-economic development of the Northwest region, Dien Bien has more advantages than any other with a long border system, convenient for developing border gate economy. The province has Dien Bien Phu airport connecting direct flights to Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat. This is also a locality rich in mineral resources, an important traffic hub between the Northwest provinces of Vietnam and the provinces of Northern Laos and Yunnan (China). The province also has many rivers and streams, being the source of the Da River, Ma River and Mekong River, convenient for developing waterway traffic. The cultural life, festivals, customs and practices of the ethnic groups in Dien Bien are very rich.

On the occasion of the whole country's turn to the 70th Anniversary of Dien Bien Phu Victory, domestic and foreign tourists gather together in the once fiery land of Dien Bien, respectfully stand by the majestic Victory Monument, light incense in the newly built martyrs' temple, at the graves of the soldiers who heroically sacrificed in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign who are resting at the A1 Martyrs' Cemetery and visit the famous relics and landscapes in the Dien Bien Phu relic complex.

Along with Dien Bien, Lai Chau and the vast and fertile Northwest region, Thai Nguyen - the "Capital of Resistance", "Capital of Thousand Winds" of the past has now truly spread its wings and flown up with the whole country. The province's economy in recent years has continued to maintain a growth rate higher than the national average. 2023 is the first year that the province has balanced its finances and partially regulated the Central Government; ranked first in the country in terms of industrial production value, exports... This land is also one of the key educational and training cradles of the country, where there is the legendary Nui Coc Lake Tourist Area and other historical relics and famous landscapes. Along with that are typical products, the most famous of which is Tan Cuong green tea with a rich, delicious flavor that cannot be found anywhere else...

“Nine years of Dien Bien Phu/Created a red wreath, created a golden history”. That brilliant golden history is now being continued by generations of Vietnamese people on the journey towards a bright, open future.

Source