A tour of Dien Bien Phu will fascinate students interested in the First and Second Indochina Wars, colonisation and revolutions, Ho Chi Minh and the Cold War, and the broader conflict in Asia. This brief video combines original footage of the battle in both colour and black and white. It also includes recently filmed scenes of battle relics scattered around Dien Bien Phu and the 70th anniversary commemoration services from 5-7 May 2024, as filmed by our Edventure Travel team and director, Billy Penfold.
The epic Battle of Dien Bien Phu raged for 56 days in northwest Vietnam in 1954. This battle took place between Ho Chi Minh’s North Vietnamese forces (Viet Minh) and the French colonialists in a remote valley and the surrounding mountains. The French were ultimately defeated, ending their colonial rule in Vietnam. This defeat led to the division of the country into North Vietnam and South Vietnam, setting the stage for further conflict and, eventually, the Vietnam War involving America and its allies.
More than 70 years after the battle, the valley of Dien Bien Phu remains Vietnam’s most preserved battlefield. Visitors can tour the site and see battle-worn French tanks, command post bunkers, strongpoint hills with trenches and fortifications, cannons, heavy artillery, memorials, historical markers signifying particular battle sites, and the impressive Dien Bien Phu Museum, which holds relics from both the French and Viet Minh sides.
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