DIEN BIEN PHU, Vietnam (AP) — Vietnam on Tuesday celebrated the 70th anniversary of the battle of Dien Bien Phu in which the French colonial army was defeated by Vietnamese troops, marking the end of the French occupation of Indochina.
At Dien Bien Phu, Vietnamese troops led by General Vo Nguyen Giap, surprised French forces with heavy artillery fire at their mountainous garrison in northwestern Vietnam.
When Dien Bien Phu fell in 1954, it spelled the end of almost a century of French colonial rule.
“The historic Dien Bien Phu victory is a remarkable event, not only for the Vietnamese revolution,” Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said in a speech at the ceremony. “It is also a monumental saga that inspired countries rising up to fight for independence and freedom, marking the collapse of the colonialism all over the world.”
On Tuesday morning, the commemoration was held at a stadium in the center of Dien Bien Phu, once a village in a valley dense with trenches, barbed wires and bomb craters. It is now a city of more than 80,000 people.
For farmers, watching and waiting is a spring planting ritual. Climate change is adding to anxiety
Mark Wahlberg, 52, flaunts his muscles in shirtless video flexing during 4am workout
Brittany Mahomes shakes off 'red flags' reputation as she showcases ripped abs in cropped two
Chipotle says workers can choose chicken once again, reversing protein policy
James Corden appears in good spirits as he arrives with glamorous wife Julia Carey at the pre
Zendaya and boyfriend Tom Holland have 'discussed marriage'... eight years after meeting on Spider
How major US stock indexes fared Thursday, 4/25/2024
Planters nuts recalled across America over potentially fatal contamination
Antiwar protesters' calls for divestment at universities put spotlight on endowments
Australian boy killed by police was in deradicalization program since causing school explosion
Alabama sets July execution date for man convicted of killing delivery driver