Dien Bien Phu was one of the most famous military the site during the first Indochina War. On 6 May 1954, the day before the' Geneva Conference on Indochina was set to begin half a world away, Viet Minh forces overran the beleaguered French garrison at Dien Bien Phu after a 57day siege, shattering French morale and forcing the French government to abandon its attempts to re-establish colonial control of Indochina.

Dien Bien Phu, the capital of Dien Bien District of Lai Chau Province (population 545,000), is in one of the most remote parts of Vietnam. The town is 34km from the Lao border in the flat, heart-shaped Muong Thanh Valley, which is about 20km long and 5km wide and surrounded by steep, heavily forested hills. The area is inhabited by Montagnard people, most notably the Thai and H'mong. The government has been encouraging ethnic-Vietnamese to settle in the region and populate the relatively new provincial capital.

Tourism is having quite an impact on Dien Bien Phu - most of the buildings you see are very new. Another reason for the construction boom is that Dien Bien Phu was made the capital of Lai Chau Province in 1993. This honour was bestowed upon it mainly because the old capital may be submerged under water in a few years. The size and look or the city is surprising considering the remote location.

Dien Bien Phu, Vietnam has its place in the minds of the Vietnamese as the battle ground that changed the course of history of the country. The famous battle of Dien Bien Phu was fought in the Dien Bien district of the Lai Chau Province and today it has become one of the popular destinations in Vietnam. During Operation Castor of the First Indochina War the French Union force fortified the region to draw out the Viet Minh forces. This resulted in the battle of Dien Bien Phu which resulted in the defeat of the United States backed French Union in the hands of the China backed Viet Minh forces in 1954. The victory of the Vietnamese over the French forces created a ripple throughout the world. The town has retained some of the remnants of the war like the Doc Lap Hill, the airport, and the command tunnel of General de Castries.

Dien Bien Phu, Vietnam is situated 500 kilometers to the northwest of Hanoi, Vietnam. Though it still draws tourists as the site of the famous war, Dien Bien Phu is also a town of exotic natural beauty. It lies in the 20 kilometers long and 6 kilometers wide Muong Thanh valley which is surrounded by mountains providing the small town with a spectacular view. Across the valley flows the Nam Rom River making the land fertile. This small town was the first place for the settlement of different minority people, another reason for visiting the place when you are sightseeing in Vietnam.

Dien Bien Province
Dien Bien Province Map

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