Area: 17,133 sq km
Population: 562,000
Provincial capital: Lai Chau Town.

       The Battle of Dien Bien Phu is a well-known historical event symbolizing the glorious victory of the Vietnamese people and army. It 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. Dien Bien Phu valley is fertile due to the Nam Rom River. After 1953, French expeditionary corps occupied Dien Bien Phu and set up a group of fortresses equipped with many state-of-the-art weapons.

Dien Bien Phu victory created a great echo in the world. The heroic struggle of the Vietnamese people's army against the French expeditionary corps in 1954 lasted 56 days. General de Castries and his entire command were taken alive and 16,000 enemy troops were put out of action.
The relics of the Battle of Dien Bien Phu include Doc Lap Hill, the airport, and the command tunnel of General de Castries.
     
On weekends, the 21km road from Pa Khoang Lake to Dien Bien Phu is busy, as the town's residents flock here for day trips.And, unlike many of the tourists who come here, Dien Bien Phu's residents are not looking back. The town is alive with colour, as the Vietnamese, Thai and Hmong residents go about their daily affairs; carrying their wares into town, shopping in the crowded market, holding xoe dancing parties in their stilt houses.
These people, whose cultures are as different as their clothing styles, share the same warmth and hospitality for visitors. Dien Bien Phu is a historic site and the natural scenery is stunning. But it's the town's forward looking people who make Dien Bien Phu truly memorable.

     Dien Bien Phu is 110km from Lai Chau, 150km from Son La, 480km from Hanoi.
     - Air: Flights run approximately three times a week. The Dien Bien Phu Airport is 4km from Dien Bien Phu along the road toward Lai Chau
     - Bus: There are no direct buses between Hanoi and Dien Bien Phu (change buses in Son La).