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 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.
The relics of the Battle of Dien Bien Phu include Doc Lap Hill, the airport, and the command tunnel of General de Castries Much of the Viet Minh's brilliant strategy was planned in a 320 metre-long tunnel, dug into a small hill, some 30 km east of Dien Bien Phu

Dien Bien Phu is located in Muong Thanh Valley, and ethnic Thai and H'mong people account for approximately two-thirds of the valley's 60,000 residents. Pa Khoang Lake is actually a man-made water reservoir, crucial for the irrigation of the valley below. It is also the site of Dien Bien Phu's only tourist resort - a newly built hotel that resembles a Swiss castle. Dien Bien Phu is a historic site and the natural scenery is stunning. But it is the town's forward looking people who make a trip to Dien Bien Phu truly memorable