July 19th, 2006
Dien Bien
Destinations:
- Historical Sites of Dien Bien Phu Victory
Location: Located in and around the 20km-long valley of Dien Bien Phu.
Characteristics: After the victorious battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954, almost all historical sites of this battle lying to the east of the Muong Thanh Field have been preserved intact.
- Hill A1
Location: Hill A1 is situated in Muong Thanh Ward, Dien Bien Phu City, Dien Bien Province.
Characteristics: Hill A1 was the strongest post of all the 49 strongholds in Dien Bien Phu fortified entrenched camp.
- Command bunker of General De Castries
Location: The Command bunker of De Castries lies at the heart of the entrenched camp of Dien Bien Phu in the middle of the Muong Thanh Field.
Characteristics: The original shape and size, structure and arrangement of the bunker are kept intact.
- Statue of Dien Bien Phu Victory
Location The statue of Dien Bien Phu Victory is situated atop Hill D1, Dien Bien Phu City.
Characteristics: It is inaugurated in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu Victory (May 7th, 1954 - May 7th, 2004).
- Museum of Dien Bien Phu Victory
Location: Museum of Dien Bien Phu Victory lies opposite the cemetery of Vietnamese martyrs in Hill A1, the center of Dien Bien Phu City.
Characteristics: The museum was built in 1984 in celebration of the 30th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu Victory.
- The Command post of the Dien Bien Phu Campaign
Location: Located in Muong Phang Commune, Dien Bien District, about 35km, 10km as the crow flies, from the centre of Dien Bien Phu City.
Characteristics: Here visitors will find the hut where General Vo Nguyen Giap worked and other huts for information and military operation discussion.
Festivals:
- Hoang Cong Chat Temple Festival
Time: 24th to 25th day of the second lunar month.
Place: Noong Nhai Hamlet, Noong Het Commune, Dien Bien District, Dien Bien Province.
Objects of worship: Hoang Cong Chat - leader of a peasant’s movement in the 18th century.
Characteristics: Palanquin procession, incense offering; Folk games: Pick up the fairy peaches, co phat (a kind of board games) playing, pole pushing, crossbow contest…
- Ban Flower Festival of the Thai
Time: The second lunar month
Place: Mountainous of North-west, Dien Bien Province
Characteristics: Praying for good crop and happiness.
- Worshiping Ceremony at villages of the Cong
Time: In third lunar month.
Place: Mountainous villages of the Cong, Dien Bien Province.
Characteristics: During the days of worshiping ceremony, all the entrances of the village are placed with gates and taboo signals that forbid strangers entering the village. And then each family celebrates the worshiping ceremony at their terrace field praying for plentiful crops, insect and birds not to harm the crops.