Dien Bien is about 450 km from Hanoi, borders Son La and Lai Chau, has borders with China and Laos, the capital is Dien Bien Phu city, has Muong Lay town and 8 districts.
Dien Bien has a tropical monsoon climate with high mountains, cold winters and little rain, hot summers with lots of rain, influenced by dry and hot west winds. The average annual temperature is from 21 to 23 degrees Celsius, the lowest temperature is about 13 degrees Celsius, the highest is about 25 degrees Celsius. The dry season lasts from October to April of the following year, the rainy season is usually from May to April. 8. The most sunshine is in the months of March-April and August-September.
Dien Bien is rich in tourism potential, especially in the field of culture and history. The most prominent is the system of historical relics of the Dien Bien Phu victory including the campaign headquarters in Muong Phang, Him Lam, Ban Keo, Doc Lap bases, hills A1, C1, D1, E1 and the central area. French stronghold group (Do Cat tunnel).
Besides, Dien Bien has many caves, mineral water sources and lakes creating rich natural tourism resources such as: Muong Nhe primeval forest, Pa Thom cave, Tham Pua, Hua Pe hot spring, U Va , Pa Khoang and Pe Luong lakes.
Move
After a period of closure for upgrading, Dien Bien airport welcomed passengers again on December 2, 2023. Vietnam Airlines has direct flights from Hanoi on all days of the week, round-trip ticket prices range from 1.6 to 2.8 million VND. Travelers from Ho Chi Minh City can also fly with Vietnam Airlines, with a stop in Hanoi. Vietjet has direct flights from Ho Chi Minh City with a frequency of 3 flights a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, with a round-trip ticket price of about 2 million VND.
The road from Hanoi to Dien Bien Phu city is 450 km long. Tourists can follow CT08, CT02, QL6 through Hoa Binh province or follow route DT87, QL32, QL37 through Hoa Binh and Son La. Travel time is about 10 hours.
Passenger buses running the Hanoi – Dien Bien route have a number of bus companies such as Nam Lien, Nam Oanh, Hai Van, Khanh Le, Cuong Tam, Chien Ha, ticket prices range from 300,000 VND to 350,000 VND. The bus departs from My Dinh wharf.
To get to Dien Bien Phu city, you must pass Pha Din pass – one of the four great passes of Vietnam. Pha Din Pass is located on the border between Thuan Chau district, Son La province and Tuan Giao district, Dien Bien province. The pass is 32 km long.
Accommodation
Hotels in Dien Bien are mainly concentrated in Dien Bien Phu city, with a variety of room types, from motels, homestays to 3-4 star hotels.
Muong Thanh Dien Bien Hotel, Him Lam Hotel, Dien Bien – Hai Van, Phuong Nam, An Loc have room rates per night from 700,000 VND to 1.2 million VND.
Motels in the city cost from 150,000 to 300,000 VND per night. Some homestays suggested by the Tourism Promotion Information Center of Dien Bien province include: Muong Then, Phuong Duc, Dien Bien – Rose Valley, Nang Ban.
Sightseeing
The Dien Bien Phu victory relic complex is an important part of the journey to visit historical destinations in Dien Bien province. Most of these places are located next to each other, so it is convenient for tourists to visit in one session.
Hill A1
Located in Muong Thanh ward, Dien Bien Phu city, A1 hill is one of the most important bases of the battle, considered the “throat” protecting the central area.
The name A1 is the name the Vietnamese military gave the hill, before that there were many other names. Around A1, the French army built a system of barbed wire fences of all shapes. The battle on Hill A1 was fierce, long and with many sacrifices. On the top of the hill is a fortified cellar, which was the wine cellar of the French legation before 1945. The cellar is divided into two compartments, one of which is the workplace of the radio information department. The tunnel is made of sturdy materials, solid brick walls, and a thick concrete roof, which can serve as a hiding place for dozens of people. On hill A1, there are still traces of a blast hole created by 960 kg of explosives.
At A1 Hill today, besides sightseeing, visitors can also experience a number of practical activities such as cooking soldiers’ rice with Hoang Cam stoves, pushing bicycles to transport necessities, and listening to stories about the campaign. Dien Bien Phu and the lives of soldiers in combat.
Do Cat Tunnel
General De Cat’s command bunker was wonderfully built by the French colonialists, in the center of Dien Bien Phu stronghold group, in Muong Thanh field. The tunnel is located about 1 km from hill A1 and is known as “the most solid tunnel in Indochina”. Surrounding the tunnel is a defensive fence with a dense barbed wire system and four tanks. Currently, the structure and layout of the cellar are still maintained for visitors to visit. The tunnel is 20 m long and 8 m wide, including four rooms used for both the living and working places of General De Cat and his soldiers.
Dien Bien Phu Victory Museum
Dien Bien Phu Victory Museum is located in Muong Thanh ward, welcoming visitors from May 5, 2014 after 19 months of construction. This is a work of great historical, cultural and artistic significance.
The museum is designed in the shape of a truncated cone, with a diamond-shaped decoration representing the camouflage net of a soldier’s helmet, including a basement and an upper floor. The basement is a place to welcome visitors, a space for learning, interaction and entertainment services. The upper floor is a thematic exhibition space for the victory of Dien Bien Phu. The floating part has an area of 1,250 m2 with nearly 1,000 documents, artifacts, images, and maps.
The special highlight here is the panorama painting with more than 4,500 characters, 132 m long, 20.5 m high, 42 m diameter, 6 m relief, total area more than 3,200 m2. The painting was painted in oil on canvas from November 2019 and completed in May 1, 2021, with the participation of about 100 artists. The stages of the 1954 Dien Bien Phu Campaign are shown continuously and impressively through each drawing.
Dien Bien Phu Victory Monument
The monument was inaugurated on May 7, 2004 on the 50th anniversary of the victory of Dien Bien Phu. The project is located on hill D1, right in the city center. The cluster of monuments is the tallest, largest and heaviest group of bronze statues in Vietnam so far. The statue has a height of 12.6 m and was cast with 217 tons of bronze.
National Martyrs Cemetery A1
The cemetery is located on Vo Nguyen Giap street, a few hundred meters from A1 hill. This is the resting place of 644 officers and soldiers who died in the Dien Bien Phu campaign. Most of this place is filled with unmarked graves. The manor’s house has the typical stilt house architecture of the Thai people in Dien Bien, and the outside ceremony platform is designed according to Khue Van Cac.
Campaign headquarters in Muong Phang
Dien Bien Phu Campaign Command Headquarters relic in Muong Phang is located at an altitude of more than 1,000 m above sea level, at the foot of Pu Don mountain, hidden under the canopy of ancient forests, more than 30 km from Dien Bien Phu city center. .
The Command Post’s buildings are arranged into a continuous system, surrounded front and back, with tunnels and camps to ensure secrecy and safety. This is where General Vo Nguyen Giap worked and rested during the campaign. Currently, many relics still retain their value such as: The living and working shack of General, Deputy Chief of General Staff Hoang Van Thai, Head of Communications Hoang Dao Thuy.
From the highest point, visitors can observe the entire city of Dien Bien Phu, Muong Thanh valley and French army bases such as Him Lam hill, Doc Lap hill, D1 hill, C1 hill, A1 hill. The Victory Monument cluster at Muong Phang Park (pictured above) is also a stop not to be missed when coming here.
In addition, in Muong Phang there is also a cherry garden that blooms near Tet, located on an island in the middle of Pa Khoang lake. Tourists should take time to admire the beautiful scenery here.
Pha Din Pass
Pha Din Pass is 32 km long, belongs to National Highway 6, and is the gateway to Dien Bien province. The highest point of the pass is 1,648 m above sea level, one side is a cliff, the other is an abyss. This is also the starting place of the journey of pulling artillery, transporting food, weapons and ammunition using human power of the Vietnamese army and people during the Dien Bien Phu campaign.
Pha Din Pass is no longer as dangerous as before, the narrow roads have also been widened but there are still zigzag roads up and down and countless curves. On Pha Din Pass, there is the Pha Din Pass tourist area, a stopover for tourists to rest and admire the scenery, and at the same time a place for exchanges between people of Dien Bien and Son La provinces.
Muong Thanh fields and Nam Ron river
Located in the middle of the Dien Bien basin, Muong Thanh field is like a giant “warehouse” filled with corn and rice. From the end of September, rice in the Muong Thanh basin begins to ripen. Located at an altitude of more than 400 m above sea level, Muong Thanh field stretches more than 20 km, with an average width of 6 km. Looking down from above, the Muong Thanh field running along the banks of the Nam Rom River spreads out like flower petals embracing the historical relics of the Dien Bien Phu battle.
Muong Nhe and the westernmost point
Muong Nhe is a district in the northwest of the province, where the westernmost point of Vietnam is located, the Vietnam – Laos – China border junction, about 250 km from Dien Bien Phu city center. The terrain here is mainly forest, accounting for 55% of the area. In addition, this place also has Muong Nhe nature reserve, one of the largest special-use forests in Vietnam with a diverse ecosystem.
A Pa Chai is the most famous destination in Muong Nhe, where coordinate milestone 0 is located on the top of Khoan La San mountain. The milestone was installed by three countries on June 27, 2005, made of granite, with each side engraved with the country’s name and national emblem. On the 3rd, 13th and 23rd days of every month is the market day at A Pa Chai, a cultural beauty of the border region.
In the dry season, the road to A Pa Chai is quite easy, but in the rainy season, the roads become difficult, even dangerous. Visitors should have a guide to ensure safety.
Muong Lay town
Muong Lay town is considered the capital of the White Thai people, where visitors can cruise on the Da River to admire the natural beauty and learn about the life and culture of the Thai people. Coming to Muong Lay, tourists should visit Hang Tom bridge, which connects Dien Bien and Lai Chau provinces.
The old Hang Tom Bridge was built in 1967 and was the largest cable-stayed bridge in Indochina at that time. In November 2012, the Son La hydroelectric dam accumulated water, causing the entire old Muong Lay town, including the Hang Tom bridge, to sink under the Da River lake. Right near the old Hang Tom bridge location, a new bridge has been erected and is 70 m higher than before.
Dien Bien Dong
This is a district in the southeast of Dien Bien province, with many high peaks, suitable for mountain trekking trips. Chop Ly cloud hunting peak is located 35 km from Dien Bien Phu city, where visitors can see the beauty of the mountain scenery combined with the cloudy sky. The most suitable time to hunt clouds in Chop Ly is from April to September. Dien Bien Dong also has Noong U Lake, a natural lake with an area of about 4 hectares and located amid a green mountain landscape. The lake is a place that attracts tourists to visit and enjoy the beautiful scenery.
In addition, districts such as Muong Cha, Muong Ang, Nam Po, Tua Chua… all have eco-tourism areas and destinations suitable for experiential tourism such as climbing mountains or learning about people’s lives. indigenous tribe.
U Va hot springs
Located about 15 km from Dien Bien Phu city, in Dien Bien district, U Va hot spring has a total area of 73,000 m2. The best time to come here is from November to April every year when it is cold. Hot mineral springs provide many services to help visitors relax their minds, bodies, and smooth skin.
If you want to soak in hot minerals, you should soak in the early morning or in the afternoon. After bathing, you can participate in other recreational activities such as playing tennis, cycling, badminton, and enjoying music from the Dao and H’Mong ethnic groups. Entrance ticket prices depending on the service range from 20,000 VND to 120,000 VND per person. Stilt house services range from 120,000 to 220,000 VND per room.
Thanh Ban Phu
Ban Phu citadel (also known as Chieng Le citadel) in Dien Bien district, 8 km south of Dien Bien Phu city center, was built 200 years ago. This place marks many outstanding activities for the hero Hoang Cong Chat because he is a symbol of the great solidarity of the nation when fighting against foreign invaders. The citadel was much destroyed after the Trinh army invaded and occupied it in the 18th century but still retains its historical, cultural and scientific value. In 1981, the citadel was ranked as a national historical and cultural relic.
Eat and drink
Grilled chicken mac Khen
Mac Khen is a typical spice in the northwest mountains, used to make grilled chicken here different from similar dishes in many other localities. The chicken is grilled over charcoal, the fire is not too loud. When grilling, there is no need to add extra fat because the chicken fat will naturally melt. When the meat is firm, add seasoning to the outside of the skin. Don’t forget to dip it with Cham Xom for full flavor.
Pa pinh top
This Dien Bien specialty dish has a rather strange name, but is actually grilled fish such as carp, drift fish, and carp. After being cleaned, the fish is dissected along the spine. Spices marinated directly and stuffed into the fish’s belly include ginger, lemongrass, herbs and especially mac Khen and bamboo shoots of the Amomum plant, rubbed with a layer of galangal powder and rice powder on the outside. Pa pinh top grilled over charcoal fire. When grilling, you must use a bamboo stick to clamp it to make the fish taste more rich as the spices penetrate deep into each fiber and radiate fragrance. After the fish meat is grilled, the inside is fragrant, sweet, and dry.
This is a dish once mentioned by a famous American chef in the culinary program “Discovering Vietnam”.
Braised duck with banana flowers
Braised duck with banana flowers is a rustic, easy-to-prepare dish of indigenous people. After cleaning, the duck meat will be marinated with spices such as chili, ginger, lemongrass, and mac then wrapped in wild banana leaves and braised for about 3 hours over low heat until the meat is cooked. Dien Bien people often use wild banana flowers with long corn because this type is more delicious, has a sweet taste, has less latex and is less astringent. Although the dish does not look attractive, it has a sweet aroma right from the moment the banana leaf layer is opened.
Ground pork steamed in banana leaves
The dish is simple, as the name suggests, made from pureed pork marinated with spices and wrapped in banana leaves, steamed for about an hour until cooked and ready to eat. One of the important things that makes a dish delicious is that the meat must be fresh and fragrant. The dish is simple but easy to eat and memorable thanks to the aroma of meat mixed with the aroma of banana leaves. The meat is soft and fatty, sticking together.
Stone moss
Stone moss is green in color, growing on rocks submerged in streams seasonally from September to October of the lunar calendar until the end of May. It is not cultivated, but moss grows as a natural law. Moss season, Thai people in places near rivers and streams often take young moss to dry to gradually eat or process into dishes such as steamed moss, moss soup, moss salad, grilled moss, but the tastiest is still young moss, put in Banana leaves and bamboo leaves grilled on charcoal. Stone moss can be grilled alone or with stream fish, pork, and chicken.
Occipital cross
Cham diagonal (or cham diagonal) is a traditional spice of the Thai people in Dien Bien region in particular and the northwest region in general. The main ingredient is Mac Khen fruit, in addition to anchovies, salt, guava seeds, garlic, basil, herbs, chili powder, lemongrass… After the Mac Khen is cleaned, it is roasted. Crispy, then crushed, then mixed with dried chili, lemongrass, salt, and coriander to create a blend of flavors. Cham Xom is used to dip sticky rice, boiled dishes, grilled dishes and raw vegetable dishes.
Note
Try to avoid going to Dien Bien during the rainy season because the risk of landslides is very high.
Taxi prices in Dien Bien are relatively high, so tourists should consider paying the price or using other means of transport such as motorbikes or motorbike taxis.
($1~24,000 VND)
Photo,Video: Internet (Vinlove.net)