Vietnam Travel - Dien Bien

Dien Bien province that is separated from the old Lai Chau province, located south of living. Topography Dien Bien many mountains in the direction of long-running northwest - southeast. Concave in Muong Thanh Dien Bien largest North West region. Dien Bien northern Lai Chau province borders, the southeast border with Son La, the northwest and southwest borders Laos. Topography is mainly forests, high mountains and slopes, alternating with narrow valleys, the small plateau, river.

Climate province is tropical high mountains, divided into 2 seasons, the rainy season and dry season. Average temperature in about 21 º C - 23 º C. Dien Bien Phu can not be missed in historic Vietnam Travel tours.


Potential for tourism development

The province has a natural landscape corporeity, rich tourism potential, especially cluster historic Dien Bien Phu, with the legs of the bridge in 1954.

From Hanoi to Dien Bien Phu, if not the road, just hours after a flight, you have to be present in Dien Bien. If you go by road, you will conduct hundreds of plots on a slope and deo necessarily exceed deo Pha Din 32km long. With the high level of 1.000m, the ramp up, ramp down time, winding roads, main venh, a party that stands up the mountain wall, a party is in deep th?m visit, the more "base sleeve" arduous. Deo overcome the Pha Din is interesting itineraries for tourists on the majestic mountains.

Transportation

The network of road is quite convenient, including:

- From the city of Dien Bien Phu to Hanoi 478km by Highway 279 and turn to Highway 6.

- Highway 12: From the city of Dien Bien Phu to Ma Lu border gate month (Lai Chau) 195km.

- Highway 279: Connect last week in the city of Dien Bien Phu to Tay Trang border gate length of 117km.

The province has Muong Thanh airport in the city of Dien Bien Phu serving routes Hanoi - Dien Bien Phu.

Dien Bien: economic potential still untapped

To awaken its great potential, the Ministry of Trade and Dien Bien Province have organised a workshop entitled “Developing commerce in Dien Bien and other north-western provinces”.

Dien Bien takes a significant position in economic development as well as security and defence of the north-western region.

It has favourable conditions to expand economic, cultural and tourism exchanges with six Northern provinces of Laos and China’s Yunnan Province. In the near future, flight routes will connect Dien Bien Phu Airport with other regional countries. Its border-gates at Tay Trang and Huoi Puoc with Laos, and Apachai with China, will also be upgraded. Moreover, the frontier transport system and the trans-Asia road will be upgraded and established.

Tourism is considered Dien Bien’s biggest potential. Apart from historical relics like Tam Van citadel, Ban Phu rampart and Hoang Cong Chat temple and especially Dien Bien Phu victory relics, Dien Bien also has a diverse ecological system with immense lakes, forest and miraculous grottoes. Typical sites among them include the Muong Phang and Muong Nhe virgin forests, Pa Thom cave in Dien Bien District, Tham Pua cave in Tuan Giao District, hot mineral springs of Hua Pe and U Va, 600ha Pa Khoang lake and 300ha Huoi Pha lake.

Dien Bien goes ahead with project on speciality rice

Province authorities have decided to expand the project on developing Dien Bien’s speciality rice following a successful trial period.

Dien Bien’s fragrant rice has become a favourite purchase of domestic and foreign tourists when coming to the northwestern city, and has become a well-known brand name, according to Bui Viet Binh, Deputy Chairman of the Dien Bien Peoples’ Committee. The yield of Dien Bien speciality rice has been increasing sharply. Dien Bien-sourced rice is not only being sold to local residents, but to residents of northern provinces and exported to Laos.

There are some 32,000 ha of paddy in Dien Bien province, mostly located in the 12ha Muong Thanh field. There are several types of Dien Bien fragrant rice, native varieties and new varieties, which are becoming known as the most delicious speciality rice in Vietnam.

Pham Minh Duc, Director of the Viet Duc Joint Stock Company, the developer of the project, said that Dien Bien’s fragrant rice was being favoured not only by domestic consumers, but by foreign consumers as well. Recently, a consignment of 200 tonnes of rice was exported to Russia.

Dien Bien Phu – Land of legend

According to legend, the Thai people, who account for 40 percent of the population of modern-day Dien Bien Province originally named the valley surrounding Dien Bien Phu as Muong Then.

The Thai people linked the land with spirituality, and spoke of Muong Con (the land of the living), Muong Phi (the land of the dead) and Muong Then (the land of God).

The Thai people believe that Then created human beings in a gourd, which he punctured with a stick to release them.

The first people to emerge from the gourd were the Xa, who have the darkest complexions. They were followed in turn by the Thai, the Lao, the Lu, the Mong and finally the Kinh (the Vietnamese ethnic majority).

The gourd then became a mountain, which stands today in Tau Pung Commune in the middle of the Muong Thanh Valley.

It's only fitting then that the Pha Din Pass, which must be crossed to reach Dien Bien Phu and the Muong Thanh Valley from Ha Noi, is also known as Cong Troi – or Heaven's Gate.

The province of Dien Bien lies close to the borders with Laos and China, and has been subject to a history of foreign occupation.