F Hill Relic and Martyrs Temple at Dien Bien Phu Battlefield - Sacred Spiritual Space
The Martyrs' Temple at Dien Bien Phu Battlefield was built on the F Hill Relic. During the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, F Hill (Mont Fictif) was located right next to A1 Hill, which was the main attack base of the Vietnamese army. This place witnessed the heroic sacrifice of many Vietnamese soldiers, so F Hill is also known as "death hill".
Today, the Martyrs' Temple at Dien Bien Phu Battlefield is built on F Hill, a spiritual work with traditional architecture, harmoniously combining historical, cultural, landscape and religious elements with natural landscape. The temple is not only a place to commemorate the heroic martyrs but also a meaningful sacred destination for people and tourists on their journey to visit the historical land of Dien Bien Phu to express their deep gratitude to those who died for the Fatherland.
A1 Hill Relic - Key stronghold of Dien Bien Phu stronghold group
As one of the typical relics of the Dien Bien Phu Battlefield National Monument, it has an important strategic position in the Dien Bien basin. Since the 12th century, this place was a stopover for the Lang Chuong leader in the migration journey of the Thai people, called Pu Lang Chuong. Later, the French colonialists built a fort here, called Don Tay hill, and then turned it into a solid military base named Eliane II (Eliane - the name of a beautiful French girl) in 1953.
During the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, Hill A1 became an important stronghold, where fierce battles took place that lasted for 39 days and nights, with both sides fighting for every inch of land and meter of trench.
The climax was on the night of May 6-7, 1954, when our troops completely destroyed the stronghold, creating a strategic breakthrough into the center of the stronghold group.
More than 2,500 soldiers heroically sacrificed here. Their blood soaked every inch of land and blade of grass in the trenches, turning Hill A1 into a sacred place, soaked in the blood and indomitable will of the nation.
Dien Bien Phu Victory Monument - Symbol of Dien Bien spirit
Hill D1 is a strategic high point in the Eastern stronghold cluster, where fierce battles took place between Regiment 209 (Division 312) in the second attack of the Vietnam People's Army on the Dien Bien Phu stronghold cluster.
On the top of the hill today is the Dien Bien Phu Victory Monument - a symbolic structure, built on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the historic Dien Bien Phu victory (2004).
The Dien Bien Phu Victory Monument is a work of sculptor Nguyen Hai, consisting of a group of statues of three soldiers waving the “Quyết chiến, Quyết thắng” flag – the symbol of the regiments participating in the campaign – and a Thai ethnic child, representing the spirit of military-civilian solidarity. The project is located on Hill D1, with a ceremonial yard of about 3,000m², not only a cultural and artistic highlight, but also a venue for festival activities, traditional education of the province, especially during major holidays, attracting tens of thousands of visitors.
With its central location, from here you can enjoy a panoramic view of Dien Bien Phu, Muong Thanh fields and mountains. Not only is it an attractive tourist destination, the Victory Monument is also a symbol of the desire for peace, hospitality and the spirit of cooperation, always welcoming international friends and visitors, towards a sustainable future.
De Castries Bunker Relic - The Heart of the Stronghold Group
De Castries bunker is located in the center of Dien Bien Phu basin, is the workplace and command place of General De Castries - Commander-in-Chief of the French army, and is also the most solid fortification, considered the "heart" of Dien Bien Phu stronghold. The bunker is built of sturdy materials, capable of withstanding strong firepower, and is strictly protected by four surrounding strongholds.
At 5:30 p.m. on May 7, 1954, a historic moment was marked here: The “Determined to fight, determined to win” flag of the Vietnam People’s Army flew over the roof of the bunker, marking a complete victory. General De Castries and the entire French General Staff were captured alive.
Currently, the De Castries bunker is preserved for sightseeing. Visitors can combine visiting nearby places such as Muong Thanh bridge, burned tank wreckage, 105mm and 155mm artillery positions... This is a destination not to be missed in the journey to learn about the historic Dien Bien Phu victory.
Hill E Relic and Veterans Cultural Center
Hill E stronghold (including E1 and E2) in the Dominique cluster is one of the five eastern defensive heights in the Central sub-sector with the task of preventing the Vietnamese army from attacking from the northeast into the Dien Bien Phu stronghold. Here took place the extremely heroic battle of the 755th Mountain Artillery Company of the 675th Regiment of the 351st Division, contributing to the overall victory of the campaign.
In 2004, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Veterans Association launched a movement to donate documents, images, and artifacts to build the Veterans Cultural Center on E2 Hill. The project stands out with an exhibition house with the architecture of a Thai ethnic stilt house, located on a cool hilltop, displaying 106 gifts expressing the affection of veterans nationwide for Uncle Ho and the People of Dien Bien.
The center contributes to enriching the cultural and historical values of the E Hill relic, becoming a meaningful stop on the journey back to the source and exploring the Dien Bien Phu Battlefield.
Him Lam Resistance Center Relic - The opening base of the campaign
Him Lam was an important outer stronghold at the northeastern gateway of the Dien Bien Phu stronghold, located on Vo Nguyen Giap Street (formerly Highway 41), guarding the Tuan Giao - Dien Bien route. The French army named this stronghold Beatrice, after a young French girl, and turned it into a strong resistance center with a solid defense system and elite forces of the Foreign Legion Battalion - a unit that had never lost a battle.
The French confidently called Him Lam the “steel door” protecting the “inviolable” stronghold. In the Dien Bien Phu campaign, Him Lam was the opening target. On March 13, 1954, Regiments 141 and 209 (Division 312) simultaneously attacked. By 11:30 p.m. the same day, the entire stronghold was destroyed, marking the beginning of a resounding victory. This is also the place where the heroic martyr Phan Dinh Giot’s heroic sacrifice of “using his body to fill the loopholes” was recorded.
Monument of the Hand-pulled Cannon Road - Symbol of People's Power
The relic of the hand-pulled artillery road is located next to Highway 279, in Na Nhan commune (now Muong Phang commune), about 14km from the center of Dien Bien Phu city (formerly). This is a unique artillery road in the history of the Vietnamese military, carried out entirely by human power, crossing forests and rugged mountains to bring artillery to and from the battlefield. Here, martyr To Vinh Dien heroically sacrificed himself, saving the artillery with his body. The relic not only has historical significance but is also a beautiful symbol of the spirit of self-reliance, self-reliance and people's strength in the resistance war.
Relic of Military Arms Meeting Ground - Muong Phang Monument
After the victory, on May 13, 1954, the Dien Bien Phu Campaign Command solemnly held a parade to celebrate the victory at Phieng Ta Let field (Muong Phang commune). Attending the ceremony were: General, Commander-in-Chief of the Vietnam People's Army Vo Nguyen Giap, Major General Hoang Van Thai, representatives of the Ministries, the Front Supply Council, representatives of the Northwest, typical examples in combat and forces participating in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign.
The Muong Phang Victory Park Monument (also known as the victory celebration monument) is located in the historical site of the military parade ground where the military branches declared victory, recreating the heroic atmosphere of the old parade with a cluster of statues depicting 25 characters representing the forces participating in the campaign, from laborers, youth volunteers, and people of various ethnic groups...
On the statue cluster are images of 6 flags, symbols of 5 corps participating in the Dien Bien Phu campaign, and the highest flag "Determined to fight, determined to win" of President Ho Chi Minh. In the middle of the statue cluster is the image of General Vo Nguyen Giap solemnly reading a letter from President Ho Chi Minh praising the forces participating in the campaign, the people of the whole country in general and the Northwest in particular for their solidarity and determination to create the Dien Bien Phu Victory: "Resounding throughout the five continents, shaking the earth".
Relics of Dien Bien Phu Campaign Headquarters in Muong Phang
Located in the middle of the primeval forest in Muong Phang commune, about 40km from the center of Dien Bien Phu ward. This is where General Vo Nguyen Giap and the Campaign Command worked from January to May 1954, where decisive strategic decisions were made, culminating in the general attack order on the entire front at 3:00 p.m. on May 7, 1954, creating a historic victory.
The command post was located along the stream at the foot of Pu Don mountain, including a system of huts and trenches, built with simple materials but very discreet and effective in war conditions.
Currently, the relic site has been restored and embellished with more than 20 working huts of General Vo Nguyen Giap, huts of information soldiers, tunnels through mountains, huts of Chinese military advisors..., vividly recreating the simple, modest life and work of the Command in the deep forest of Muong Phang during the days of "digging mountains, sleeping in tunnels, pouring rain, eating rice balls".
The Dien Bien Phu Battlefield National Monument is not only a symbol of the glorious past but also a bridge between tradition and modernity, between history and the future. The journey back to this historic land is a journey back to the roots - to remember and pay tribute to those who fell for independence and freedom.
Every inch of land, every trench, every hill in the Dien Bien Phu battlefield still echoes the immortal heroic song of a nation that “would rather sacrifice everything than lose its country or become slaves”. In today’s development, the Dien Bien Phu battlefield remains an epic of patriotism, indomitable will and aspiration for peace – a place that fosters national pride for present and future generations.
Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/khuc-trang-ca-cua-long-yeu-nuoc-va-khat-vong-hoa-binh-159429.html
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