The Battle of Dien Bien Phu is a well-known historical event symbolizing the glorious victory of the Vietnamese people and army. The battle took place on the west side of Dien Bien district, in Lai Chau province, 500 km northwest of Hanoi.
Dien Bien Phu is surrounded by mountains and lies in the Muong Thanh valley, a 20-km long and 6-km wide heart-shaped basin. The Nam Rom River runs across the valley, which is why the Dien Bien Phu valley is so fertile. After 1953, French expeditionary corps occupied Dien Bien Phu and set up a group of fortresses equipped with many state-of-the-art weapons.