On Jan. 31, 1954, the Dien Bien campaign command headquarters moved from Na Tau village to Muong Phang, a mountainous area in the east of the Muong Thanh strategic zone in the northern Dien Bien Province, due to a switch in strategy.
It was the third and final destination for the headquarters, which stayed there until May 15, 1954, devising important decisions to secure victory over the entire battlefield.
The headquarters included tunnel systems and tents running along a stream that surrounded Pu Don mountain, over a forest area spanning 73 ha, which was never expected by the colonial superpower the armed villagers were up against.
Muong Phang is the land of the people of Thai ethnicity, who are believed to be willing to protect and support soldiers whenever needed. Unlike the French, who held no historical binds to the place and time.
A watch station located at the perimeter of the main battlefield. Soldiers would climb on top of tall trees to get a vantage point over surrounding areas.
Pictured above is a tent site for communication officers of the headquarters and military counselors from China.
The workplace and living quarters of the head of the information department Hoang Dao Thuy. Next to the tents are tunnels and other exits for emergency escapes.
French planes often patrolled in the skies above, but they never found the location of the headquarters.
Giap's hut is located below several tree canopies. When one climbs the mountain behind the hut, one can view all of Muong Thanh and the military sites of the French.
"The greatest happiness of a commander is to be by his soldiers on the battlefield," Giap wrote in his memoir.
A tunnel system spanning 69 m in length is located next to Giap's hut, connecting with Thai's hut. There are branches of the tunnel to evade bullets should there be an ambush.
Thai's hut is also his workplace, where he conducted surveys on the battlefield and helped the headquarters make important decisions.
The Muong Phang campaign command headquarters after 70 years. Video by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh
The headquarters is part of the Special national historical relic of Dien Bien Phu battlefield. As the 70th anniversary of the battle approaches, the site has been visited by many people, mostly veterans.
