Will the "impregnable fortress" be restored?

The project not only holds historical and cultural value but also has profound educational significance in instilling traditional values in present and future generations.

A large-scale, national-level project.

According to Vu A Bang, Vice Chairman of the Dien Bien Provincial People's Committee and Chairman of the project's Scientific Council, the Dien Bien Phu Fortress Complex is one of 46 component historical sites in Dien Bien Phu.

With the aim and desire to preserve and promote the historical value of the relics, this is also an important highlight for carrying out revolutionary tradition education, and a crucial resource for exploiting and developing sustainable cultural and historical values to develop the local economy and society. Through this, it concretizes the contents of Resolution 08-NQ/TW of 2017 of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam on developing tourism into a key economic sector; and Resolution 03-NQ/TU of Dien Bien province on developing tourism in the province until 2025 and orientation until 2030.

According to Mr. Vu A Bang, the consulting unit, the One-Member Limited Liability Company for Cultural Heritage Preservation, along with many leading experts, have researched historical and scientific documents, cross-referenced them with historical witnesses, and thoroughly studied issues related to the entire history of Dien Bien Phu, thereby preparing a feasibility study report for the project.

“This is a project of immense historical and cultural value and significance, especially in the current period. The project possesses humanistic and cultural value, and most importantly, it objectively reflects the historical values and traditions of our nation in the struggle to protect and build the country. This particularly important and meaningful project is not just for Dien Bien province, but for the whole country. Dien Bien province is responsible for its construction, management, exploitation, and promotion of the project's great historical and cultural value, demonstrating its responsibility to previous generations and to the nation,” Mr. Vu A Bang emphasized.

In world military history, the tactic of fortified complex defense has been applied since very early times. A prime example is the French victory over Germany at Verdun (December 1916) during World War I (1914-1918), thanks to this strategy. In Indochina, after 1950, faced with the rapid growth and development of the Vietnamese revolution, the French were forced to employ various military and political tactics, particularly the fortified complex defense model, to counter it.

This model first appeared in Hoa Binh (1951), then in Na San (Son La, late 1952), but still only at the level of field fortifications. The biggest difference was that at Dien Bien Phu, the French army poured all its strength into building a massive complex of 49 strongholds, divided into 8 interconnected clusters. This was considered the strongest defense system in the history of the Indochina invasion, described by both French and American generals as "a Verdun in Asia," "Na San to the power of ten," or "an impregnable fortress." However, that complex completely collapsed before the will and intelligence of the Vietnamese people and army in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, creating a victory that "shook the world and resonated across continents."

According to Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Manh Ha, former Director of the Institute of Party History and representative of the consulting unit, the consulting unit, along with leading experts, conducted research and compared documents with original sources, historical witnesses, and especially the vast French archive of over 2,000 aerial photographs. Based on this, the team constructed a model of the Central Command Headquarters on an area of over 9 hectares, and from there planned the reconstruction of important structures.

According to Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Manh Ha, there are nearly 20 important items that need to be restored, most notably the De Castries command bunker and living quarters. In addition, the medical area, logistics area, artillery positions, and aircraft hangar also have many documents and diagrams in French, which will facilitate the reconstruction. The research team has determined that the De Castries bunker currently has 8 rooms, while the original documents show there were up to 12 rooms with full functionality. This provides a scientific basis for accurate historical reconstruction.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Manh Ha believes that restoring all the components of the Central Complex of the fortified stronghold will contribute to honoring the glorious victory of the Vietnam People's Army. Accurately recreating each component, even down to the smallest detail of the command bunkers, will help explain why our army and people were able to defeat such a fortified complex. He affirmed, "The more detailed the restoration, the more we can demonstrate the great victory of our nation."

Responsibility to history, aspiration for the future.

The project "Preservation and Restoration of the Dien Bien Phu Fortress Complex" has received attention and intellectual contributions from many scientists, researchers, and experts in history and culture. These opinions all affirm the exceptionally important value of the site, while also offering specific recommendations to ensure the project achieves maximum effectiveness.

Associate Professor Dr. Do Van Tru, Chairman of the Vietnam Cultural Heritage Association, assessed that this project involves a very large volume of work and is difficult to implement. However, from preparation and research to implementation methods, everything has been very serious, systematic, scientifically grounded, and clearly convincing. He also stated that, in the current restoration of historical sites, this is one of the most serious and systematic projects in terms of preservation and restoration of historical relics. He agreed with the locations and functions of the items proposed by the research team.

Associate Professor Dr. Do Van Tru affirmed: “After more than 70 years, many relics here no longer exist, so we have to rely on collected documents. Any item proposed by the consulting unit has arguments and evidence supported by scientifically-based documents. As someone in the field of heritage, I affirm that this is the most serious and systematic project on the preservation of Vietnamese relics to date. The greatest success of this project is the massive amount of scientific documentation and arguments it has,” said Associate Professor Dr. Do Van Tru.

According to him, the restoration of weapons and motorized vehicles is also very important in this project, requiring accuracy to historical periods. Besides that, the conservation and restoration project not only recreates the Dien Bien Phu fortified complex but also aims to create a tourist destination, thereby developing the local cultural industry. “The more accurate and complete the restoration, the greater the tourist appeal. In particular, the De Castries bunker, a symbol of the collapse of the French fortified complex, is considered a special highlight. Beyond its historical value, the project also opens up prospects for developing new tourism products, contributing to making Dien Bien a cultural and historical destination of international stature,” said Associate Professor Dr. Do Van Tru.

Sharing the same view, Associate Professor Dr. Dang Van Bai, Vice Chairman of the National Council for Cultural Heritage, stated: The project "Preservation and Restoration of the Dien Bien Phu Fortress Complex" is not only significant for Dien Bien but also of national importance. The project should not only focus on restoring important historical relics but also be linked to tourism development. If implemented correctly, this will be a typical historical and cultural project, both honoring the Dien Bien Phu victory and becoming an attractive destination, contributing to the sustainable economic and social development of the locality.

“We need to develop specific plans for tourism products and services, while also applying digital technology to increase attractiveness. In particular, the historical site must tell the story of the fortifications of the fortified complex, thereby highlighting the historic victory of our nation,” shared Associate Professor Dr. Dang Van Bai.

Dr. Pham Quoc Quan, former Director of the National Museum of History, highly praised the project's approach, based on both field research and the rich historical resources of Vietnam and France. He stated: "This is a very difficult project; it cannot be implemented without dedication and professionalism. If successful, it will not only promote the value of the heritage but also spread the culture, history, and fighting traditions of the Vietnamese people to international friends." He also emphasized the need to simultaneously recreate both the French fortified complex and our campaign command center to create a more comprehensive and truthful picture.

However, many others also argue that the project to reconstruct the French fortified complex is not a simple matter because the current site differs significantly from documentary images from seven decades ago; in fact, many relics have been distorted, and the protected area has been encroached upon. Given this situation on the ground, is it possible to restore it to its original historical state?

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/se-phuc-dung-phao-dai-bat-kha-xam-pham-172035.html