Where the French war ended

Statue at Điện Biên Phủ cemetery

Điện Biên Phủ is a remote city inside the Mường Thanh valley in the north west of Vietnam, only 36.5km from the Lao border. The ethnic minority people living in this area are the Thai and H'mong. The city is famous for the site of the battle, where the French troops were defeated by Việt Minh (the League for the Independence of Vietnam - Việt Nam độc lập đồng minh hội) forces on 7 May 1954 after a 56-day siege, resulting in the end of the French rule in Vietnam (1858 - 1954) and its colonial control in Indochina.

To achieve this victory, the Viet Minh forces, under General Võ Nguyên Giáp, dug trenches and tunnels to reach the French positions without coming under fire. They also carried 105mm artillery pieces and anti-aircraft guns (pháo cao xạ) through jungles, across rivers, up and down passes and mountains, then emplaced them in secret positions overlooking the French positions. All 16,200 men of the French garrison were either killed or taken prisoner, while Vietnam's casualties were about 25,000.