I've been to Dien Bien twice.

In May 2024, the entire nation commemorated the important 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory, "renowned throughout the world and shaking the earth" (May 7, 1954 - May 7, 2024), which forced the French colonialists to sign the Geneva Accords, ending their rule in Vietnam in particular and Indochina in general.

From mid-April, the Editorial Board of Lao Cai Newspaper dispatched a team of reporters to Dien Bien Phu city to cover this major national event. This was my second time in 10 years that I had the opportunity to return to Dien Bien Phu for work, and I was filled with mixed emotions.

I recall that exactly 10 years ago, I and journalist Ma Anh Lam were entrusted by the Editorial Board of Lao Cai Newspaper with the task of going to Dien Bien Phu city to directly cover the 60th anniversary celebration of the Dien Bien Phu Victory. This was a large-scale and important celebration, attended by many Party and State leaders, and bringing together many reporters and journalists from the central government and across the provinces and cities to cover the event, so the assigned task was both an honor and a great challenge for me.

Back then, transportation was limited, and the journey from Lao Cai to Dien Bien Phu city was fraught with difficulties. To ensure their own travel, journalist Ma Anh Lam suggested that the two brothers rent a car and drive themselves to Dien Bien Phu for their assignment. Under the scorching May sun, they traversed some of the most treacherous mountain passes in Northwest Vietnam to reach Dien Bien Phu city.

The series of events unfolded continuously, keeping the news writing and reporting work very busy. Despite this, the two brothers still managed to complete their articles, reports, and photos early to send to the editorial office. Breathing a sigh of relief after completing their important assignment, on the way back, they stopped at a restaurant on the banks of the Da River to enjoy catfish and snakehead fish, specialties they had only previously read about in the essays on the Da River by writer Nguyen Tuan. Most memorable was the overnight journey, arriving in Sa Pa near dawn. The winding, steep road was shrouded in thick fog, and they had to grope their way through the mist to reach Lao Cai city. After that assignment, the reporting team received a bonus from the Editorial Board for their outstanding performance.

This trip to Dien Bien Phu was a new journey, as we were undertaking a special series of reports following the Dien Bien Phu soldiers and the former civilian laborers from Lao Cai to the De Castries bunker. Previously, when developing the outline for the series, it was very difficult for us to retrace the route that the soldiers from Lao Cai used during their marches and supply trips to Dien Bien Phu. The journey lasted a week, with journalist Nguyen Duc Hoang, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Lao Cai Newspaper, accompanying three reporters through many locations associated with figures who contributed to the Dien Bien Phu campaign. From Lao Cai, we traveled to Tam Duong, Than Uyen, Muong Lay town ( Lai Chau province), Nghia Lo town (Yen Bai province), Phu Yen, Bac Yen, and Mai Son districts (Son La province), and finally to Dien Bien Phu city, Dien Bien province.

It was deeply moving to hear, at each landmark and historical site we visited, the stories of the female civilian workers and former Dien Bien Phu soldiers about the arduous, difficult, yet heroic years they endured. These women are all historical witnesses to a time of fire and fire, having joined the resistance at the young age of eighteen or twenty, and now all over 90 years old. More than 70 years have passed; some memories remain vivid, while others have faded with time, but the emotions, the camaraderie, and the longing for their former comrades remain intact.

In particular, this trip to Dien Bien Phu left me deeply moved by the changes in the mountain passes I traveled through ten years ago: Khau Co Pass, Khau Pha Pass, Lung Lo Pass, Chen Pass, Co Noi Junction… These lands, steeped in the blood and bones of countless soldiers of the past, are now upholding the spirit of Dien Bien Phu, with the people building a more prosperous life. Visiting Muong Phang, the former headquarters of the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, I once again interviewed French tourists who expressed their admiration for President Ho Chi Minh, General Vo Nguyen Giap, and the heroic Vietnamese people and army, who, with rudimentary weapons, defeated the powerful army of General De Castries, achieving a great victory that earned the respect of the whole world.

After returning from their trip to Dien Bien Phu to Lao Cai, with notebooks full of notes and camera and phone memory cards overflowing with images and videos, the reporters rushed to complete their articles in time for the publication of a series of feature stories commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu victory. Journalist Dinh Cao Cuong, Head of the Party Building and Internal Affairs Department, said this was the first time the Lao Cai Newspaper had published over 30 works promoting the Dien Bien Phu victory, including a 13-part series of feature stories titled "From Lao Cai to the De Castries Bunker," along with notes, photo essays, reviews, etc., published in the newspaper's publications and fanpage, attracting much reader interest.

My two trips to Dien Bien Phu to cover this historic milestone have left me with countless emotions. I understand and appreciate even more the sacrifices made by our ancestors, and I feel inspired by the spirit and heroism of the Dien Bien Phu soldiers of the past, dedicating my youthful energy to building the nation today.

Presented by: Hoang Thu

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