Muong Phang in my heart

In my career as a journalist, I always remember the historical, revolutionary, and culturally significant regions that are deeply ingrained in my mind. For me, that is Muong Phang, a forest located 12 km from the center of Dien Bien Phu city as the crow flies, where the headquarters of the Dien Bien Phu Campaign Command was located. Its leader was General Vo Nguyen Giap – the man whom President Ho Chi Minh entrusted with the task of being the "general in command" who made all the decisions for the campaign during those 56 days and nights, leading to the "glorious victory that shook the world" on May 7, 1954.

A group of veterans visit the A1 Hill historical site. Photo: DANG KHOA

Unforgettable fragments of memory

In mid-April 1994, I was fortunate enough to be assigned by the Editorial Board of Nhan Dan Newspaper to accompany General Vo Nguyen Giap on a trip to Dien Bien Phu to revisit the old battlefield. I vividly remember that at 8 PM that evening, the General instructed his secretary to invite me to his room for a chat and a heart-to-heart conversation. After inquiring about their hometowns, occupations, and especially the advantages and disadvantages of being journalists during the Doi Moi (Renovation) period, the General said affectionately: “During this trip, there is a special program: our delegation will visit Muong Phang, which, 40 years after the Dien Bien Phu victory, we decided to revisit. It is the place where we and the Campaign Command chose to be our headquarters for 105 days and nights. The victory on May 7, 1954, was not only due to the wise leadership and guidance of the Party and President Ho Chi Minh, but we must never forget the strength of the people of the whole country in general, including the protection and support of the people of Dien Bien Phu and Muong Phang commune in particular. Therefore, when journalists write about Dien Bien Phu, please vividly portray that spirit!”

During my journalistic work, I increasingly appreciated the General's advice. The visit began with a working session between him and key provincial officials. Comrades Hoang Niem, Central Committee member and Provincial Party Secretary; Lo Van Puon, Deputy Provincial Party Secretary; and Nguyen Quang Phung, Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, enthusiastically reported on the arduous journey of this land, the birthplace of the heroic Dien Bien Phu, 40 years after the victory. Explaining the origins, understanding the terrain, and correctly recognizing the strength of the people and the potential of this land with an area of ​​17,142 km2 – the second largest province after Dak Lak, with 500,000 inhabitants and 23 ethnic groups – when discussing the difficulties hindering Lai Chau's progress (at that time, Dien Bien had not yet separated from Lai Chau), the provincial leaders summarized the province as having eight "firsts": the longest border (644 km); the most highland communes (122 out of 153 communes); The area has the highest percentage of people living off slash-and-burn agriculture; transportation is difficult; the illiteracy rate remains high; local budget revenue is too low; forests are severely degraded; and the birth rate is high (the provincial average is 3.2%, with some districts reaching 3.9%).

With a pensive expression, the General delivered a brief concluding speech: “These overwhelming difficulties only further motivate us to strive for excellence in improving and raising the living standards of the people in this region, which suffered greatly during the war against French colonial rule. Doing so will demonstrate the tradition of ‘drinking water, remembering the source,’ and ‘repaying gratitude’ to this land that is so loyal to the revolution.” The following day, the General and his delegation visited the martyrs' cemeteries on Hill A1 and Him Lam Hill, the Dien Bien Phu Museum, the De Castries bunker, the memorial to those massacred by the French colonialists in Noong Nhai village, and several farming families in Thanh Xuong commune… General Vo Nguyen Giap also took time to visit the Dien Bien Phu Campaign Command Post in Muong Phang commune. Thousands of cadres and people of various ethnic groups gathered early to warmly welcome the veteran general who had commanded the Dien Bien Phu campaign right on their land. Walking amidst towering chestnut, oak, and other trees, the local leaders explained that this forest, known locally as the "General's Forest," has been protected and cared for by the people for the past 40 years. Expressing profound gratitude to the people of Muong Phang for sheltering and nurturing the soldiers, the General presented gifts to the elderly, women, and children; hoping that Muong Phang would soon become an advanced commune, excelling in production, enjoying a comfortable life, and quickly catching up with communes in the lowlands.

For the first time in 40 years, General Vo Nguyen Giap returned to visit the Campaign Command Headquarters, nestled on a large hill beside a stream. Comprising two rows of interconnected bunkers linked by a system of hundreds of meters of concealed trenches, he was deeply moved as he toured the historical sites. One bunker housed General Vo Nguyen Giap (then Commander-in-Chief of the Vietnam People's Army, Commander-in-Chief of the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, and Secretary of the Front Party Committee). A nearby bunker housed Comrade Hoang Van Thai (then Deputy Chief of the Front's General Staff) and several other generals. Next to the bunker was a thatched-roof house with bamboo walls, inside which was a large bamboo table for spreading out maps, and in the corner was the Commander-in-Chief's bed. Every day, the Campaign Command Headquarters held its morning briefings. General Vo Nguyen Giap explained: "The headquarters served as the place to receive directives from President Ho Chi Minh and the Central Party Committee regarding the campaign's tasks in each stage." It served as the central command's dispatch center for orders to each division. It also processed information on developments in the North, Central, and South battlefields, ensuring coordinated efforts between Dien Bien Phu and other fronts throughout the country. The General enthusiastically recounted one of his unforgettable memories from the afternoon of May 7th, 40 years ago: “It was in this very bunker that, upon receiving news that our soldiers had captured De Castries, I called Tran Do and Le Trong Tan and asked: 'Is it true that we have captured De Castries? What evidence do you have that it is De Castries?' I instructed them not to let the enemy swap the commander's name. They had to compare his identification with his ID. They had to check his rank insignia and badges… A short while later, Le Trong Tan called to report: 'It’s true that we’ve captured De Castries.' I asked again: 'Have you seen De Castries with your own eyes? Where is De Castries now?' Tan reported with great joy: 'De Castries is standing right in front of me with the entire French Command at Dien Bien Phu. The bunker still has his cane and his red beret.'"

Immediately afterwards, news of our army's great victory at Dien Bien Phu was reported to the Central Party Committee and the Government . Also in this bunker, on May 8th, the Campaign Command received a congratulatory telegram from President Ho Chi Minh: “Our army has liberated Dien Bien Phu. The President and the Government affectionately send their praise to the officers, soldiers, civilian workers, youth volunteers, and local people who have gloriously fulfilled their duties.”

Lieutenant General Dang Quan Thuy (far right) and General Vo Nguyen Giap inspect the front lines to decide whether to open fire and launch the campaign. Photo: VNA.

"This victory is great, but it's only the beginning..."

Later, I was fortunate enough to meet Lieutenant General Dang Quan Thuy, Hero of the People's Armed Forces, former Vice Chairman of the National Assembly. I listened to him recount the hardships and dangers our soldiers faced, the strategic shift from "quick attack, quick victory" to "steady attack, steady advance" as directed by President Ho Chi Minh; and hear fascinating stories about the resilience and creativity of our troops in "pulling artillery in and pulling artillery out." I was deeply moved when he showed me the only photograph that hadn't been published in many years. In his capacity as Assistant Chief of Staff for the campaign, he was invited by General Vo Nguyen Giap to accompany him to the top of a high hill to observe and review all the campaign's preparations before the start of the offensive on March 11, 1954. He confided: President Ho Chi Minh's assessment in the final sentence of his victory telegram was truly brilliant: "The victory, though great, is only the beginning."

True to that instruction, ten years after the victory, soldier Dang Quan Thuy returned to Do Son to join the army transporting weapons and supplies to the South to fight the American invaders along the "Ho Chi Minh Trail on the Sea" using an "unnumbered ship." Then he went back north, walking across the Truong Son Mountains for three months to the Southwestern battlefield and stayed there for another nine years, along with many other soldiers, contributing to the Great Victory of Spring 1975, liberating the South and unifying the Fatherland. Thus, from May 7, 1954, at Dien Bien Phu, our nation had to fight for 21 years to achieve complete independence. This further proves: Without the victory at Dien Bien Phu, there would not have been the Victory Day of April 30, 1975!

Muong Phang in the flow of innovation

Entering the period of reform, the people of various ethnic groups in Muong Phang encouraged each other to unite and cooperate to overcome poverty, living up to the reputation of this revolutionary and heroic land. With the attention and investment from the province and the central government, Muong Phang gradually overcame difficulties and focused on developing agricultural production – as General Vo Nguyen Giap expressed in his letter to the Government on September 30, 2008: “...To create conditions for Dien Bien province and Muong Phang commune to carry out the work of eradicating hunger and poverty, boosting production, and improving the lives of ethnic minorities in the area, I propose that the Government's Northwest Steering Committee and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development create conditions for Dien Bien province and Muong Phang commune to implement the Loong Luong water reservoir construction project.” Thus, after two years of construction, the project was completed, providing water to almost all 20 villages of the commune, creating the basic conditions for expanding the area for two rice crops per year. From 2013, the total area of ​​single-crop rice cultivation was 100 hectares, but by 2023 it had increased to 225 hectares of double-crop rice and 87 hectares of single-crop rice, with an average per capita food production of 534 kg/year. Because of this progress, the people of Muong Phang are grateful to General Vo Nguyen Giap and call Loong Luong Lake "General Giap's Lake" or "General's Lake".

Students visit and learn about history at the De Castries bunker historical site. Photo: DANG KHOA

Irrigation and transportation are the two main spearheads of Muong Phang's offensive.

Since 2011, the commune has embarked on the new rural development program. Inter-commune roads have been widened and paved; 100% of internal and inter-village roads have been concreted, along with hundreds of kilometers of canals and ditches... The movement of "people donating land to build roads" and "people voluntarily contributing labor to build roads" has been embraced by many villages. Now, there are two roads (one provincial road and one national highway) connecting Dien Bien City to the commune. Along the commune center, there is a dual carriageway with 4 lanes, stone-paved sidewalks, and a complete lighting and signage system... In 2011, the poverty rate was 42%, but now it is only 4 households (0.03%). The average per capita income has increased from 3.5 million VND more than a decade ago to 45 million VND in 2023. Domestic and foreign tourists flock to Muong Phang, drawn by the charm of the Dien Bien Phu Historical Campaign Command Post historical site, which has been preserved and upgraded. This site embodies the indomitable will and creativity of the Vietnamese people in defeating an enemy many times stronger. It is also a place where community-based tourism is developing rapidly, showcasing many distinctive aspects of the ancient Thai ethnic culture, such as the stilt houses of the Black Thai people; religious costumes and festivals; and traditional crafts like brocade weaving, basket weaving, blacksmithing, carpentry, and musical instruments.

Tourists thoroughly enjoy the local specialties, such as grilled fish, buffalo skin salad, smoked buffalo meat, nặm pịa (a type of fish stew), grilled chicken, steamed local pork wrapped in banana leaves, smoked sausage, boiled bamboo shoots with chili dipping sauce, five-colored sticky rice, cabbage rolls with green plums... As night falls, tourists can interact with the locals by performing traditional dances like xòe and sạp, and listening to folk songs from the Northwest region...

One of the unique community tourism destinations in Muong Phang is the Che Can cultural tourism village, located right in the center of the commune. Che Can is situated against a part of the Pu Don mountain range, with its highest peak being Pu Huoi, over 1,700 meters above sea level. Nearly 100 Thai ethnic households live in traditional stilt houses amidst the lush green of the mountains and forests. Infrastructure has been developed comprehensively. Currently, Che Can village has one homestay and nearly 20 households providing tourism services. Here, visitors can explore and experience firsthand the daily life, culture, and unique customs of the Thai ethnic people. Phuong Duc Homestay is the first accommodation facility for tourism run by the people of Muong Phang. Here, visitors are provided with services such as food, accommodation, and participation in cultural experiences and nature exploration activities. Homestay Phuong Duc can accommodate 45 to 50 guests for meals and accommodation during the day, consistently creating satisfaction and positive impressions for visitors. Because of the advantages of this unique tourism model, the number of overnight stays here is increasing, despite being only about 30 km from Dien Bien city. I wholeheartedly agree with the words of Comrade Tran Quoc Cuong, Member of the Central Committee of the Party, Secretary of the Dien Bien Provincial Party Committee: “The great changes in the province in general, and in Muong Phang in particular, are due to the persistent efforts of generations of provincial leaders in implementing the motto: economic development always goes hand in hand with cultural development.” Muong Phang has been and continues to be an attractive destination. Like many of my colleagues, I have visited here many times; each time I return, I witness firsthand the revolutionary changes in this land that has been and will forever be a source of national pride. I place my full trust in the people of Muong Phang to continue working with the whole country to promote strong development in all aspects during this period of reform and deep international integration.

April 2024

Notes by Nguyen Hong Vinh/ According to Nhan Dan Newspaper

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/70-nam-chien-thang-dien-bien-phu/muong-phang-trong-toi/210568.htm