Discover the historical Dien Bien Phu

In the early days of the year, we visited Dien Bien - a land that embodies the essence of the Northwest region with its majestic nature, glorious history, and unique culture.

The journey becomes even more meaningful as Dien Bien province hosts the National Tourism Year 2024, which also marks the 70th anniversary of the historic Dien Bien Phu Victory…

Tourists enjoying the experience at Pha Din Pass. (Photo: Trung Kien)

A romantic stopover point

Known as one of the Four Great Mountain Passes of Northwest Vietnam, Pha Din Pass, situated at an altitude of over 1,000m above sea level, is truly a memorable experience for tourists visiting Dien Bien , especially those who want to challenge themselves and enjoy the thrill of conquering these adventurous winding roads.

Located atop the majestic mountain pass connecting Son La and Dien Bien provinces is the picturesque Pha Din Pass. Situated approximately 100 km from Dien Bien Phu city, this tourist area, built in 2016, is increasingly attracting visitors.

Spanning 50 hectares, Pha Din Pass is divided into various areas for visitors to enjoy sightseeing, taking photos, dining, and having fun.

Here, our group not only enjoyed the fresh air but also admired the beauty of the valley filled with colorful flowers such as buckwheat, lavender, hydrangeas, and cosmos, along with rows of green pine trees.

In addition, the tourist area is decorated with unique and beautiful features such as windmill hills, windmills, swings, gazebos, stone staircases, etc.

The distinctive cuisine of Pha Din evokes fond memories on chilly winter days with rustic grilled dishes such as skewers of meat, meat-wrapped vegetables, grilled free-range chicken, grilled stream fish… or the unique local dish of goat's intestines stew.

The natural scenery and warm atmosphere made the journey to Dien Bien Phu city less tiring and instilled in each of us an eagerness to explore new places.

Tourists take souvenir photos at the Victory Monument in Muong Phang Park. (Photo: Trung Kien)

Relive the atmosphere of 1954.

The glorious victory at Dien Bien Phu left behind a complex of Dien Bien Phu battlefield relics, with prominent landmarks such as Hill A1, Muong Thanh Bridge, the Dien Bien Phu Campaign Command Post, De Castries Bunker, the Dien Bien Phu Victory Monument, Him Lam Hill, and the Artillery Pulling Monument...

In anticipation of the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory and the National Tourism Year 2024, Dien Bien province has undertaken repairs and renovations to many historical sites within this special complex compared to their previous state.

At the important A1 Hill historical site – a place that commemorates the glorious victory of the Vietnamese army – structures such as the entrance gate, power lines, sound system, trenches, bunkers, fences, reception house, reliefs, and signposts have been repaired, installed, and repainted. Visiting this site is a deeply emotional experience filled with pride, gratitude, and respect for history.

Along with Hill A1, many other sites such as the De Castries Bunker, the Dien Bien Phu Campaign Command Post, the Victory Monument, the Muong Thanh Bridge, etc., have also been renovated while preserving their original design and shape.

Meanwhile, the Dien Bien Phu Historical Victory Museum is now an indispensable destination for tourists visiting the area.

According to Ms. Vu Thi Tuyet Nga, Director of the Museum, in 2023, the Museum welcomed over 150,000 visitors, along with the attraction of the Panorama painting of the Dien Bien Phu campaign - the largest painting in Southeast Asia, and one of the three largest paintings in the world.

Divided into four sections (The Entire Nation Goes to War, The Epic Prelude, The Historic Confrontation, and The Triumphal March celebrating Victory), all the images and events in the painting are strung together and seamlessly connected according to the events, giving viewers a complete, intuitive, and vivid view of the Dien Bien Phu campaign.

As of the end of 2023, Dien Bien province had 33 ranked tangible cultural relics (one special national relic, 14 national relics, and 18 provincial relics); 18 cultural heritages were included in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage list by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, of which two were inscribed by UNESCO on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (Thai Xoe dance art and Then practice of the Tay, Nung, and Thai people in Vietnam). This represents a potential and advantage for cultural tourism that Dien Bien province will focus on developing in the future.

Impressions of Muong Phang

Following the historical timeline of 70 years ago, we continue our journey to the Dien Bien Phu Campaign Command Post historical site – the most important nerve center of the campaign, located about 30km from Dien Bien Phu city.

Located in the old-growth forest at the foot of Mount Pú ​​Đồn in Mường Phăng commune, this is where the Command Headquarters of the Điện Biên Phủ Campaign was stationed for 105 days, from January 31st to May 15th, 1954.

This important command post was built along a small stream, with convenient trenches and shelters in front and behind, ensuring absolute secrecy and safety.

Here, General Vo Nguyen Giap, along with the campaign command, issued decisive attack directives and orders that determined the victory of each battle, culminating in the general offensive on the entire front on May 7, 1954. Our troops annihilated and captured 16,200 enemy soldiers from the Dien Bien Phu stronghold, achieving a victory that "shook the world and resonated across continents."

Currently, the historical site has undergone several restoration and renovation projects, including monuments, plaques, tunnels, and working huts of General Vo Nguyen Giap, Chief of Staff Hoang Van Thai, and head of the military advisory delegation Vi Quoc Thanh…

Furthermore, the Victory Monument in Muong Phang Park contributes to affirming the determination of our army and people to fight and win in the great war of national defense.

This is the destination where everyone can gain a comprehensive, authentic, and objective view of the strength of a nation, the strength of the victors which lies not in modern weapons and equipment or in fortified bunkers, but in the strength of patriotism and the love of peace.

On this trip to Muong Phang, we stopped at Che Can – home to the historic Pu Huot peak, which rises over 1,700 meters above sea level. It was on this mountaintop that General Vo Nguyen Giap established an observation post to monitor the battlefield developments in the Muong Thanh basin during the Dien Bien Phu campaign.

Che Can (originally from the word "Che Can," meaning to protect the people and prevent foreign invaders) is also one of the few villages dating back to before 1954 that still preserves many ancient Thai cultural values.

Currently, the local authorities have identified and implemented models to make Che Can a model village for community tourism, an ideal stopover for tourists visiting Dien Bien.

Visitors here can explore and learn about the stilt house architecture, costumes, beliefs, festivals, and traditional crafts such as brocade weaving, basket weaving, blacksmithing, carpentry, and musical instrument making of the Thai ethnic minority people.

The area also offers bicycle rentals for tourists to explore the villages, or the experience of riding in an ox cart to discover tourist attractions around the village and harvest agricultural products.

In particular, during the exciting days of the 9th Swallowtail Boat Racing Festival and the 4th National Paragliding Club Championship held in Muong Lay town, the cherry blossom gardens in Dien Bien are also entering their peak blooming period, ready for the festival season from January 12-14.

This is the first year that the Cherry Blossom - Pá Khoang event has been elevated to the level of the 2024 Dien Bien Phu Cherry Blossom Festival within the National Tourism Year, promising to attract many domestic and international tourists.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/kham-pha-dien-bien-lich-su-257120.html