Muong Phang then and now

Lesson 1: Muong Phang - The heart of the Dien Bien Phu campaign

When mentioning the Dien Bien Phu victory, in addition to famous places such as Muong Thanh, Hong Cum, Him Lam, A1 hill... we cannot help but mention Muong Phang. This is where the Command Center - the brain of the Dien Bien Phu campaign was located for 105 days (from January 31 to May 15, 1954). Before that, the first location of the Command Center was located at Tham Pua cave (Chieng Sinh commune, Tuan Giao district) for 32 days and the second location was located at Huoi He village (Na Tau commune) for 13 days.

The Dien Bien Phu Campaign Headquarters relic site is located in the old forest at the foot of Pu Don mountain in Muong Phang commune.

In March, following the crowd, we went to Muong Phang forest - a place that people affectionately and intimately called "General's forest". In this forest, General Vo Nguyen Giap, together with the campaign command, issued instructions and attack orders that were decisive to the victory of each battle, culminating in the general attack on the entire front on May 7, 1954. Our army captured and destroyed 16,200 enemies of the Dien Bien Phu stronghold, liberated Dien Bien, and successfully ended the resistance war against French colonialism.

The Dien Bien Phu Campaign Headquarters relic site is about 30km by road (about 15km as the crow flies) from Dien Bien Phu City. Located along a small stream running around the foot of Pu Don Mountain, on a natural forest area of about 90km², the Dien Bien Phu Campaign Headquarters is a field command and defense system consisting of trenches and interconnected camps made of simple materials such as bamboo, bamboo, bamboo leaves, and rosewood leaves... available in the Muong Phang forest, suitable for combat conditions and ensuring secrecy and safety for the Campaign Headquarters.

Tourists visit the Dien Bien Phu Campaign Command Headquarters.

From the outside to the inside of the Campaign Command Center, there are the following positions: Outpost guard station (protecting the Campaign Command Center on the outside); huts and working bunkers of the information agency to ensure communication during the campaign, conveying orders quickly, accurately and securely. Next is the hut and working bunker of the liaison officer between the Campaign Command Center and the military advisory group. Going deeper inside is the mountain tunnel - a great project in Muong Phang with a length of 69m, connecting the hut of General Vo Nguyen Giap with the hut of comrade Hoang Van Thai - Chief of Staff of the Dien Bien Phu Campaign. The combat hut is where the combat team and the military intelligence team monitor the developments of the battle on the battlefield. Here, at 3:00 p.m. on May 7, 1954, General Vo Nguyen Giap ordered a general attack on the entire front to attack the French command center, capturing General De Castries and the entire staff.

Tourists from Hanoi take souvenir photos at the Telegraph operator's sleeping hut.

Located in the center of the Campaign Command Center is the system of huts where General Vo Nguyen Giap lived and worked during the 105 days. The General's living and working hut is as simple and plain as many other huts in the Muong Phang forest. "...Materials include bamboo, luong, moc leaves, and goi leaves found on the spot. In the middle of the house is a table large enough to spread a map. On both sides are two long chairs, the chair surfaces are made of split bamboo pieces. At both ends are two bamboo beds, one for me, one for my bodyguard. I don't know who was the first to think of this type of house. It was so stable that no improvements were needed" - quoted from the General's memoirs in "Dien Bien Phu - Historical Rendezvous" about his living and working hut.

General Vo Nguyen Giap's residence and workplace.

In that simple hut, the General's luggage was only a small backpack that had worn out over time. On the bamboo table, every day the General spread out a map to study the war situation. Here, the General had sleepless nights, wondering how to fight intelligently and flexibly for each battle to gain victory. And in the Dien Bien Phu campaign, as Commander-in-Chief and Campaign Commander, the General made a historic decision. That was the decision to change the combat motto from "fight fast, win fast" to "fight steady, advance steady". Later, the General shared that it was "the most difficult decision of my life". With this wise decision, our army and people made the Dien Bien Phu victory "famous in five continents, shaking the earth".

The bamboo table in the war house is where General Vo Nguyen Giap held meetings with the Dien Bien Phu Campaign Command.

From the command bunker, go out to the back mountainside, climb to the top of Pu Huot, the highest point in the mountain forest complex in Muong Phang, which is the observation post. From here, you can see the entire Muong Thanh valley with the strongholds of Him Lam, Doc Lap, D1, C1, A1 hills, Muong Thanh bridge and De Castries tunnel. Every movement of the French army at the Dien Bien Phu stronghold was monitored by our army.

Ms. Nguyen Hong Loan, a tourist from Thai Nguyen, shared her feelings when coming to Muong Phang: This is the first time I have witnessed the Dien Bien Phu Campaign Headquarters relic. Not only did I feel the fresh air of the primeval forest, but I was also moved and impressed by relics such as: General Vo Nguyen Giap's living and working hut, the outpost guard station, the telegraph operator's sleeping hut, the telephone exchange bunker, the information department's working hut, the combat house... There were only thatched huts with leaf walls, but the will of our ancestors was so strong, with the great leadership of the Party to liberate the nation. The young generations of Vietnam who visit the old battlefield will learn and be determined to protect every inch of the homeland where their ancestors had to sacrifice so much blood to regain independence and freedom for today.

70 years after the Dien Bien Phu victory, the component relics of the Dien Bien Phu battlefield relic have been gradually invested in, embellished, and served for tourism. The Dien Bien Phu Campaign Command Headquarters relic in Muong Phang has received attention from the Party and State, which has invested in the restoration and embellishment of many items such as: General Vo Nguyen Giap Memorial Site, a 1,300m-long road to visit the relic, 12 huts for living and working of the Campaign Command, 3 tunnels, including a 69m-long tunnel... and other auxiliary items.

The Muong Phang Victory Monument affirms the determination to fight and win of our army and people.

According to Mr. Lo Van Hop, Chairman of Muong Phang Commune People's Committee, 70 years after the Dien Bien Phu Victory, General Vo Nguyen Giap's hut and the Dien Bien Phu Campaign Command Headquarters remain largely unchanged. The ethnic people here always preserve and protect Muong Phang as a sacred forest. In addition to its historical value, Muong Phang is also one of the diverse nature reserves with many rare species of flora and fauna.

Not far from Muong Phang forest, Pa Khoang lake is clear and peaceful, in the middle of the lake, the Cherry Blossom Island blooms beautifully every spring. Right next to the relic site are traditional Thai cultural villages with simple, unique stilt houses, imbued with traditional culture.

Lesson 2: Contributing to the Dien Bien Phu victory

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