Dien Bien Phu Historic Victory

Content includes
A/ Overview, General Information, Orientation and Map

B/ Sights:
     1/ Dien Bien Phu victory monument     
     2/ Dien Bien Phu museum
     3/ Dien Bien Phu martyr cemetery
     4/ Muong Thanh bridge
     5/ Bunker headquarters of French commander De Castries
     6/ A1 Hill

C/ Dien Bien Phu from Vietnam News / Vietnamnet
     1/ The General offensive
     2/ Return to the Former Battlefield
     3/ Legendary General Vo Nguyen Giap
     

D/ Where to stay

E/ Dien Bien Phu songs

F/ Getting there



A/ Overview, General Information and Map
Coming to Dien Bien Phu city of Dien Bien Phu province for: 1/ visiting Dien Bien Phu victory relics 2/ crossing border to Nothern Laos (Luang Prabang city)

Overview

For most of Vietnamese people, especially the war veterants, Dien Bien Phu historic victory, on 7 May 1954, has a special place in their hearts. It was an epic song of one generation who made extraordinary sacrifices for Vietnam’s independence. It marked the end of almost 100-year French colonial rule in Vietnam and also led the wave of independence wars that freed the colonies of the European empires after World War II. With Dien Bien Phu, it was the first time a colonial power had been defeated. With Dien Bien Phu the name Vo Nguyen Giap has become famous around the world as one of the best generals of 20th century. 

After more than seven years of conducting the second war of aggression against Vietnam, the French colonialists lost more than 300,000 officers and men. All the plans by Leclerc, Valut, Thierry d’Argenlieu, Bolaert, Pignon, Revert, De Lattre de Tassigny went bust,  one after the other. The French seemed to be always starting all over again. In the war without frontlines, a product of the people’s warfare, the Vietnamese fought the enemy in  face-to-face battles and behind the adversary lines, in the rural and the urban areas, which weakened and exhausted the French Expeditionary Corps. Subsequently, the French Cabinet was appointed and collapsed 17 times, 5 French High Commissioners and 6 French Commanders-in-Chief of the French army in Indochina had to be summoned back to France.

 
On May 7, 1953, under the US agreement, French Premier Renet Mayer appointed 4-star General Navarre to replace General Salan, as Commander-in-Chief of the French Expeditionary Corps in Indochina, hence the birth of the Navarre plan, to salvage the honour of France. 

In the end of 1953, General Navarre, established the strongest military base in 18km long and 6 – 8km wide Muong Thanh valley of Dien Bien Phu and challenged Viet Minh – Vietnam nationalist forces to come in. According to General Navarre, his military base wouldn’t be defeated because of four reasons: 1/ It was defensed firmly like a steel wall. 2/ Viet Minh couldnt carry the heavy weapons, especiallly artillery to high positions on mountains surrounding the Muong Thanh valley. 3/ Carrying hundred thousands of tons of food, ammunition through hundred km long forests was a dream in day-time of Viet Minh. 4/ The French troops totally controlled the ground and the sky. 

Viet Minh leading by General Vo Nguyen Giap, in contrast,  saw it a historic chance and decided to make Dien Bien Phu the dead gate of the French. They sent 87,000 troops to Dien Bien Phu, including more than 30,000 porters carrying  20,000 tons of food, gasoline and ammuniton through over 300-km long jungles. Especially, one of the things, interesting and creative, lies in the fact that for the first time in Vietnam, and rarely seen in the world as well, Viet Minh hauled large artillery pieces up the rugged mountain peaks and camouflaged them well in the shelters, to point them directly at the French’s positions on the lower ground, to overwhelm and overpower them. With this tactic, Viet Minh could protect their artillery pieces, multiply their power and achieve accuracy. As a matter of fact, Viet Minh artillery range was 5-7 km from the targets (usually the 105 mm artillery gun can fire at a target 10-11 km away). With such close range, they could achieve better accuracy and economy of shells, hitting the centre of the target with 2-3 shells only, instead of up to 7 shells for long range. 

At 05: 05 PM sharp, 13 march 1954, Viet Minh started firing surprisingly. Pirot, the French chief artillery commander, caught unawares, had panicked and went to committing suicide. The French forces were  totally mired in isolation! After 55 days, at 5:30PM, 7 May 1954, General De Castries – French Commander-in-chief in Dien Bien Phu and all of the general staff of the complex of fortified strongholds were captured alive. Viet Minh won total triumph and the days of the French in Vietnam as well as Indochina became numbered. 

General information of Dien Bien Phu province

 - Area: 9,555 sq. km. It is the upper area of three big rivers including Da, Ma and Nam Rom Rivers.

- Population: Approximately 440,000 people (data 2003) of 18 ethnic groups with the Thai being the largest (about 40.4%), the H'Mong (28.8%), the Kinh(19.7%), Kho Mu (3.2%) and others, such as the Dao, Ha Nhi, Hoa, Khang and La Hu.

- Geography: The province borders Lai Chau province in the North, Son La province in the East and Northeast, the Chinese province of Yunnan in the Northwest and the old capital of Luang Phrabang of Laos in the West and Southwest.

- Administrative units: Dien Bien Phu city, Lai Chau town and six districts including Muong Lay, Muong Nhe, Tua Chua, Tuan Giao, Dien Bien and Dien Bien Dong.

- Climate: Mountainous, tropical monsoon. Cold and less rain in winter, hot with much rain and less influenced by storms in summer. Average temperature: 21-23oC. Average rainfall: 1,700-2,500 mm. Average humidity: 83-85%.

- Natural resources: coal, kaolin, black granite, gold and mineral sands, mineral water, etc.

 

(Source: Viet Nam News)

Orientation
7/5 is the main street of Dien Bien Phu city. The Dien Bien Phu victory museum and Dien Bien Phu martyr cemetery are located on this street.

Along 7/5 there are many banks such as Agri, BIDV and Vietin banks



Map

B/ Sights
1/ Dien Bien Phu victory monument

This grandiose monument was installed on D1 hill in Dien Bien city on the 50th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu victory (1954-2004), to remind the viewers of this significant historical event.

The monument is 16.2 m high (the sculpture is 12.6 m and its base, 3.6m). It was re-produced according to the original statue displayed at the Vietnam Museum of Fine Arts and was awarded three national-level prizes. At present, it is the biggest bronze statue in Vietnam.

After officially being selected, the sample of Dien Bien Phu victory statue was further improved through four rounds of discussions by the Council of Arts. On August 3, 2003, it was made with clay, at a scale of 1/1. At the final check, General Vo Nguyen Giap and representatives of the Ministry of Culture and Information as well as other related Ministries, contributed valuable comments, before it was cast.

The casting of this statue was undertaken by Nguyen Trong Hanh, Director of  Doan Ket limited company, whose head office is located in Yen Tien village, Y Yen district, Nam Dinh province.

The statue needed 220 tonnes of bronze and 170 tonnes of  iron and steel. According to Director Hanh, the most complicated process was to pour the melting bronze into the moulds. There were six furnaces working at the same time to boil the bronze to a temperature of 1,560oC, and four cranes lifting the four huge buckets to pour the boiling metal from the furnaces into the moulds under strong pressure.

Hanh and his staff’s hard work has been worthily repaid. The huge statue, consisting of 12 pieces (the largest one is more than 40 tonnes) was successfully cast. It was transported over a distance of more than 600 km of roads and rivers, and installed on D1 hill in Dien Bien Phu city, just before the 50th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu victory.

                                                             Pics: vietnamguidebook

2/ Dien Bien Phu museum
    Address: 7/5 street, Dien Bien Phu city
    Admission: 5,000VND/pax 
    Open: 7:00AM - 11:00AM; 1:30PM - 5:00PM

Several well-known French Generals Pleven, Navarre, De Sevigne went to check Dien Bien Phu

President Ho Chi Minh and General Vo Nguyen Giap

 

Soldiers of infantry 308th, 304th, 312th, 316th brigades were operating up to Dien Bien Phu

Group of trucks transporting food and ammunition to Dien Bien Phu

Pack - bike of Mr. Ma Van Thang served Dien Bien Phu campaign reaching average transporting capacity of 337 kgs

Wheelbarrow used by Trinh Dinh Bam to carry food to support Dien Bien Phu campaign exceeding normal load with 100 - 180 kgs

Pics: vietnamguidebook

3/ Dien Bien Phu martyr cemetery
    Address: 7/5 street, Dien Bien Phu city (near Dien Bien Phu victory museum)

                                                           Pics: vietnamguidebook



4/ Muong Thanh bridge
    It was built by France. On 7 May 1954, Viet Minh forces crossed the bridge and head straight to bunker headquarters of French commander De Castries

                                                            Pic: vietnamguidebook

5/ Bunker headquarters of French commander De Castries
    Admission: 5,000VND/pax 
    Open: 7:00AM - 11:00AM; 1:30PM - 5:00PM

Bunker headquarter of French commander De Castries has been re-created. Close by, there are some old French tanks. It was in the bunker headquarter, on 7 May 1954, Viet Minh captured French General De Castries. The end of Dien Bien Phu campaign. 

Following  is the story of the capturer of General De Castries (source: Viet Nam News):
Little boy Hoang Dang Vinh, who spent days catching fish and cultivating rice in the fields of Tien Tien Commune, Phu Cu District, Hung Yen Province to earn his living never thought he would later become the soldier who captured General De Castries at the Dien Bien Phu battlefield. It was in the afternoon of May 7, 1954, when the Vietnamese army approached the bunker of the French Command.  

The last French tanks and resistance pockets were blown out. Company commander Hoang Quoc Luat's unit was ordered to capture the command of the French troops at the battlefield. Under Vinh's order, soldier Nho tossed a grenade down the trench, blowing open the door of the bunker. Nho, Vinh and Luat entered the bunker and saw over 20 officers, all members of the French command at Dien Bien Phu, trembling in a corner. Luat shouted in French: "Hands up, all of you." All of them held up their hands in surrender, except De Castries who sat still, looking down at his table. Vinh approached De Castries, pointed his rifle at him and shouted: "Hands up!" De Castries slowly rose to his feet and extended his hand to Vinh for a hand-shake. Vinh loaded his gun and shouted again: "Hands up!" His resolute act made the general retreat for two steps and raised his hands in surrender, stammering: "Don't shoot, I surrender." Luat used his French to order De Castries: "You must order all the French troops out there to surrender unconditionally." The general replied: "I made it some minutes ago" before being led out of his bunker, together with his officers...

 

Pic: vietnamguidebook

6/ A1 Hill

A1 Hill was one of the most important hills in the East of Muong Thanh valley and was just some kms from Bunker Headquarters of French General De Castries.

Known as Elian to the French, A1 was the last hill taken by the Viet Minh after a 39-day bitter fighting. Viet Minh dug a secret tunnel and in the late evening, 6 May 1954, they blew up the hill with 1000-kg explosive. In the early morning, 7 May 1954, the hill was totally controlled by Viet Minh, marking the end of Dien Bien Phu campaign.

What you will see on A1 Hill now is mostly a reconstruction. 

C/ Dien Bien Phu from Vietnam News / Vietnamnet
1/ The General offensive

(An extract from the reminiscences titled “Dien Bien Phu – A Historic Rendez-vous ” by General Vo Nguyen Giap.)

At 5.30 p.m, on May 7, 1954, French General De Castries and all of the general staff ofthe complex of fortified strongholds in Dien Bien Phu were captured alive by our army. All the other enemy troops surrendered. The Dien Bien Phu campaign won total victory after 55 days and nights fighting...

... At 3 p.m sharp, on 7 May 1954, I gave order to the army: “Launch the general offensive on Muong Thanh, without waiting for nightfall. The units in the East will make a direct thrust at the central sector, the units in the West will launch their assaults, and both will march on the enemy command headquarters. Strike hard and tighten the encirclement that neither De Castries nor any of the enemy troops can escape.”

On the battlefield, Company 360 of Battalion 130, together with Tran Quai, Battalion Political Commissar, were all present at the fortified stronghold 508. Ngo Trong Bao, Deputy Battalion Commander, sent the forces of Battalion 154 to stronghold 509, which was the last entrenched fortification to defend the Muong Thanh bridge, then he gave the order to Company 360 to march on the central sector. In next to no time, Company Commander Ta Quoc Luat took Company 360 dashing across the Muong Thanh bridge under the intense fire of the 4-barrel heavy machine-guns.

Seeing that the enemy offered little resistance, Luat ordered his men to leave the trenches and rush along a shortcut to General De Castries’ headquarters. The watchtowers sent in their reports: “ Our armymen were fighting from three directions, launching assaults on the central sector, Battalion 312 from the East crossing the Muong Thanh bridge, Battalion 308 from the West opening a breakthrough in the airfield, and from the Southwest to Lili, in the direction of De Castries’ headquarters. The enemy offered merely sporadic resistance. Quite a few enemy groups came out to surrender and white flags were popping up in the area of Muong Thanh. Mr. Thai ( General Hoang Van Thai) repeatedly reminded the units: “Tighten the encirclement and don’t allow any single enemy soldier to escape!”

At 5.30 p.m, Battalion 312 reported: “All the enemy troops at the central sector have surrendered. General De Castries has been captured alive!”

The jungle where the Front Command  was based had been very secret, strict and stringent, but all of a sudden, it became alive with bustling atmosphere, like the roaring surge of sea waves. All officers and men were cheering and shouting, dancing and waving their hands in the air, hugging and jumping for immense joy just like little kids.

The joy had not yet come to me: “Was it a certainty that the adversary general had been captured? One thousand five hundred enemy troops remained there, in Hong Cum sector.” I gave order to the units: “The fight is far from over. All must be in their combat positions. Don’t allow any single enemy soldier to escape. Use the public-address system to make an appeal to them and guide them to surrender. This is the message: ‘Surrender! You’ll be well treated! Hold white flags and walk in orderly files. It is strictly prohibited to destroy arms and ammunitions. Anyone who still holds his gun must keep its muzzle down to the ground!’ ”

Right after that, I asked Mr. Le Trong Tan:

- Is it true that De Castries has been captured?

-  Commander-in-Chief, it’s reported that he’s been captured.

- How could they know he’s De Castries?

Mr. Tan kept mum.

- It’s of great necessity to capture De Castries alive. Don’t allow the enemy to fraudulently swap their commander. You should compare him with his identity, checking his army rank and badge. You’ll be held fully responsible for this. Have you got a photo of De Castries?

The unit answered no. A cadre at the battlefront used a jeep to take a photo of De Castries to the unit.

The order for Battalion 312 to send in its immediate report on the capture of De Castries was reiterated, each minute of waiting then seeming to last very long.

Some moments later, Mr. Le Trong Tan phoned back to the headquarters, reporting: “It’s true that De Castries and all the general staff of the complex of fortified strongholds have been captured. De Castries still wears his army badge and that we have checked his personal documents and signature with great care.”

I asked him again:

- Have you seen De Castries with your own eyes?

Mr. Tan answered joyfully: “Commander-in-Chief, De Castries and the French command in Dien Bien Phu are standing in front of me here. He’s still holding his ‘stick’ and wearing his red cap.”

I immediately reported to the Party Central Committee and Government that our army in Dien Bien Phu had won total triumph.

… At midnight, Mr. Le Chuong phoned me, reporting all the enemy troops in Hong Cum sector, including Lalan, deputy commander of the complex of entrenched fortifications, in charge of Hong Cum sector had surrendered.

And so, after 55 days and nights of grim fighting, the historic campaign won total victory.

I lay down on the grass mattress, unable to sleep. “By now, Uncle Ho and the Party Central Committee must have got the news. Tomorrow, perhaps the army will receive a letter of commendation from Uncle Ho. Comrade Pham Van Dong, now in Geneva, will be in a new position at the bargaining table. Our comrades and the Soviet and Chinese comrades have been looking forward to this information every hour … The national flag has been hoisted high by our people on the historic battlefield. Our army has grown up so fast. The Navarre Plan has thus gone up in smoke. The complexion will change. Now that Dien Bien Phu is finished, where will we fight on tomorrow?” The joy made me almost sleepless that night.

2/ Return to the Former Battlefield

Prior to the 50th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory (May 7,1954 - May 7, 2004), numerous groups of war veterans and visitors have revisited this battlefield.

On the top of the A1 hill, which was called Eliane by the French, we met former soldiers of the heroic Capital's Regiment under the Vanguards' Division 108. The oldest veteran was 80-year-old Nguyen Van Ngu with white hair and a beard. He wore a uniform with many red medals pinned on the chest. He said proudly: "We are soldiers of this former battlefield. The State was willing to pay for us to come here by plane, but we wanted to go by car to see how the paths through which we had operated have changed".

Pointing to a deep tunnel-shaped area, the old veteran said: "I still remember this is the place where my unit dug a tunnel to plant explosives, nearly one tonne in weight, that blew up a strong and dangerous position of the enemy". His wife, who was also a militia of the Capital Defense Squad during the resistance war, listened to her husband attentively, seeming to be lost in the flow of the memories. That was the place where her husband and other soldiers rushed forward to occupy one of the most important strategic positions of the enemy. At this place, many of his comrades laid down their lives. "In the first offensive, half of our regiment died," he recalled. "We encouraged one another to resolutely make the second offensive to occupy the hill".

Passing through the gate of the martyrs' cemetery, Ngu was speechless with emotion. More than 3,000 soldiers laid down their lives on this land, but so far only 600 remains have been gathered in the cemetery. They were heroes like To Vinh Dien, who used his body to chock a heavy artillery gun to prevent it from rolling down the slope, Be Van Dan who used his body as a gun's tripod for his comrades to fire at the enemy, Phan Dinh Giot who stopped an enemy gun loop-hole with his body, and many unknown heroes and martyrs.

Ngu sadly burned incense joss sticks for martyr Phan Dinh Giot and knelt by the side of his grave for a long time, seemingly he had many things to say to his old comrade-in-arms. His wrinkled eyes were full of tears.

Not only Vietnamese veterans, but also foreign visitors were the guests of Dien Bien area. On A1 hill we met Bill Tod, Director of the British Hanoi-based Save the Children Fund, who came to Dien Bien to implement a project of comprehensive care and development for the children in Muong Lay district. Asked about his knowledge of the land where he was standing, Bill Tod said ebulliently: "Luckily I am here on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu historic victory. I know a lot about Dien Bien Phu through historical books and newspapers. I also know that the French did not believe that Vietnam could carry the heavy weapons and bring troops to this hollow area". He seemed rather surprised at Dien Bien Phu area, which was much more modern and convenient than what he had imagined before.

We were also amazed at the changes of this area. A young city is flourishing. It is a city with buildings mixing with mountains and hills surrounded by the immense Muong Thanh field.
 

3/ Legendary General Vo Nguyen Giap 
Vo Nguyen Giap, the legendary general of Vietnamese people passed away on October 4, 2013. Here are articles about the great general on VietNamNet Bridge.

http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/in-focus/11993/legendary-general-vo-nguyen-giap.html 



D/ Where to stay
There are many guesthouses and standard hotels around the Dien Bien Phu bus station and on 7/5 street.

The city has only one 4-star hotel named Muong Thanh

With 200,000VND up  (10USD), you will have a nice room with air-con, hot shower, LCD Tivi, fridge and lift.

1/ (My pick) Nhu Ngoc hotel
    Address: 08 Lo Van Hac street, Thanh Binh ward, Dien Bien Phu city (about 300m from bus station)

    Tel: 0230 3826 265 - 0985 706 861

   

    Room rate: 200,000VND (10USD)

    Overview: The best and newest standard hotel of the town. Nice rooms with air-con, hot shower, LCD Tivi, fridge. Lift. Wifi. Friendly

    Pictures: 

2/ Hung Ha guesthouse

    Address: 83 Tran Dang Ninh street, Thanh Binh ward, Dien Bien Phu city (opposite bus station)

    Tel: 0913 399 872 - 0230 6504 187

   

    Room rate: 200,000VND (10USD)

    Overview: This guesthouse has basic rooms with air-con, hot shower, Tivi, wifi

    Pictures: 

                                                               Pics: vietnamguidebook

3/ Truc An guesthouse

    Address: Tran Dang Ninh street, Thanh Binh ward, Dien Bien Phu city (about 1km from bus station, beside Thanh Binh bridge)

    Tel: 0230 3737 588

    Fax: 0230 3737 589

  

    Room rate: 250,000VND (12USD)

    Overview: This large yellow guesthouse has basic rooms with air-con, hot shower, Tivi, fridge. The bathroom is getting old

    Pictures: 

 

Pics: vietnamguidebook

4/ Muong Thanh hotel
   Address:  Number 514, 7/5 street,  Him Lam ward, Dien Bien Phu city

    Tel: 0230 3812 556 - 0230 3813 556

    Fax: 0230 3810 713
    Website: www.muongthanhhotel.vn

  

    Room rate: 45USD up (with buffet breakfast)

    Overview: The 4-star hotel of the city

 

E/ Dien Bien Phu songs
1/ “Ho keo phao ”(Ballad of hauling up the artillery pieces)

Prior to the start of the Dien Bien Phu Campaign there came into being a great song that could express the majestic and monumental grandeur of the preparations for the triumph that might be seen as a golden landmark of history. It was the “Ho keo phao” (Ballad of hauling up the artillery pieces) by composer Hoang Van.

In the joyful atmosphere when the entire nation was eager to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory (May 7, 2004), I visited composer Hoang Van, at his private home in Hang Thung, a street in the ancient quarter of Hanoi. We had a cordial talk about his song.

Composer Hoang Van: My unit was under the command of Division 312, one of the two crack divisions in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign. My duty in the Campaign was to take part in the construction of roads and act as a guide for a team of musicians and singers from the General Political Department, on a visit to the units of my Division.

The great exploits and enormous sacrifices of the units hauling up the artillery pieces stirred up immense inspiration in me. The images of the infantry and artillery units on their march to the front, hauling the anti-aircraft guns up hills and down dales haunted my mind day and night.    

 As it was quite late and very stuffy in the shelter, I could not sleep. So I walked out into the night. The moon was dim and I felt a little bit cold. All of a sudden, a grouse’s crow was heard next to the entrance of my shelter… The crow, not only heralded the coming dawn, as a time marker, but also symbolized the army men’s earnest aspiration for triumph. It left very profound impressions on me. Returning to the shelter, I laid pen to paper, writing: “The forest grouse was crowing on the terraced fields…” The tune just went on and on. The rhythm 2/4 was in perfect harmony with the rhythm of the labourers and army men hauling the artillery pieces up the slopes of the high peaks of the mountains. There were 60 people in front and 60 others behind the two ends of a powerful rope, who were singing as they hauled the guns up the slopes in the late night, amidst the random shelling in the distance by some enemy post. At times, the shells exploded quite close. Once a shell sliver incidentally flew into a fully-stretched rope of a unit that was exerting extreme pressure on an artillery piece of several tonnes. The rope snapped and the gun dashed at full speed down the ravine when To Vinh Dien rushed down to stop it with his own body … Re sol la re … All this came rushing into my mind. The lyric and the music emerged together at the nib of my pen. Then during the days when we were waiting for the start of the first salvos, I sang the song to my buddies. All commended it. And we learned to sing it together, thus forming a choir during the days waiting to go into battle, for victory.

 “ Ho keo phao” later won the First Award at the Army Festival after the liberation and takeover of Hanoi capital. I myself was awarded the Order for Valiant Exploits, Third Class, for my records in the Dien Bien Phu by General Vo Nguyen Giap.

2/ Dien Bien Phu victory
Composer: Do Nhuan

 F/ Getting there
There are daily early morning buses leaving My Dinh bus station of Hanoi for Dien Bien Phu city.
It takes about 11 - 12 hours.
Bus fare: 250,000VND/pax


Vietnam airlines has daily flights from Hanoi city to Dien Bien Phu city too. Check and book flights at www.vietnamairlines.com

 

Dien Bien Phu bus station: 29-seat bus left Dien Bien Phu at 4:30AM, passed by Moc Chau town at 12:00 noon and arrived in Ha Noi about 4:30PM

                                                    

                                                                Pics: Vietnamguidebook


According to Tuoi Tre newspaper (12 Dec 2013), Xuan Long tourist company has just launched new deluxe sleeper bus service to the residents of Dien Bien Phu and Hanoi.

Bus fare: 650,000VND/ticket (Include dinner and beverage - beer, tea, soft drink...)
02 Sleeper busses. Each bus has 20 beds. Each bed is 1.8m long and 90cm wide and is well equipped with a flat-screen TV...