Construction of the museum started in 2012 and it was inaugurated in 2014 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory. The museum is a modern architectural work and its exterior design mimics the shape of iconic camouflage helmet worn by Dien Bien soldiers in the past.

Tourists visit the Dien Bien Phu Victory Museum.

The exhibition area is arranged on the first floor of the museum, covering an area of 1,250 sq.m. It houses nearly 1,000 documents, artifacts, photographs, and maps, making it a modern exhibition space.

The highlight of the museum is the large panoramic artwork, which is one of the world’s largest war-themed oil painting re-enacting the Dien Bien Phu battlefield at different times from late 1953 to May 7, 1954.

The extraordinary circular oil on canvas painting is 132m long, 20.5m high and 42m in diameter. Featuring 4,500 characters, the artwork depicts the entire army going to battle, the opening combat at Him Lam hill, A1 hill battle, and the triumph.

It was done by nearly 200 painters, architects, musicians, and technicians, starting in November 2019 and completed in May 2022.

The museum is a must-visit destination for domestic and international visitors to Dien Bien as the province is proactively preparing for the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory (May 7, 1954 - 2024) and Visit Vietnam Year - Dien Bien 2024.

Vu Thi Tuyet Nga, director of the museum, said the unit has mobilised all human resources to meet tourists' demand.

Attention has been paid to collecting and preserving war artifacts, contributing to popularising the country’s tradition of resilience and solidarity in resisting foreign invaders, not only for Vietnamese people and but also peace lovers around the world, she added.

March 14, 1954: Enemy's forces reinforced at Dien Bien Phu, Vietnamese soldiers attack Doc Lap Hill stronghold

The loss of Him Lam shocked the command of the French Far-East Expeditionary Corps in the North. However, the French colonialists could not do anything because the Muong Thanh airport area was tightly controlled by Vietnamese artillery. At 7 o'clock on April 14, 1954, Vietnamese soldiers' anti-aircraft artillery shot down the first plane.

March 13, 1954: Opening battle of Dien Bien Phu Campaign

On March 13, 1954, the first phase of the Dien Bien Phu Campaign began. Implementing the determined battle plan, Vietnamese soldiers attacked Him Lam, a strong resistance centre with three bases located on three adjacent hills on Road No.41, which was guarded by the 3rd Battalion under the 13th Demi-Brigade of the Foreign Legion.

New art show launched in response to Vietnam Tourism Year - Dien Bien 2024

The Dien Bien Provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has launched a new art show entitled ‘Legends of Uva’ in response to Vietnam Tourism Year - Dien Bien 2024 and the Ban (Bauhinia) Flower Festival.

Panorama depicting historic Dien Bien Phu Victory introduced via QR code

The panorama painting depicting the historical Dien Bien Phu battlefield at different times from late 1953 to May 7, 1954, is introduced to visitors at the Dien Bien Phu Victory Museum in the northern province of Dien Bien through QR scanning.

Source: VNA