Attending the event, organised in Dien Bien Phu city, were Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh; permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat and Chairwoman of its Organisation Commission Truong Thi Mai; Acting State President Vo Thi Anh Xuan; Permanent Vice Chairman of the NA Tran Thanh Man; and President of the VFF Central Committee Do Van Chien; former leaders of the Party, State and VFF Central Committee; leaders of ministries, sectors and localities; Heroic Mothers; war veterans; people and visitors across the country.

It also saw the presence of foreign guests from Laos, Cambodia, China and France, and representatives of the foreign representative offices in Vietnam, and domestic and foreign press agencies.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong sent flowers to the event.

The celebration began with an art performance themed "Epic of Dien Bien" by artists and soldiers of the ceremonial battalion of the Vietnam People's Army, followed by the drum performance and dragon dance of the public security force.

The event began with a 21-gun salute and a flag raising ceremony, with the Vietnam Air Force helicopters bearing the national and Party flags flying over the stage.

In his speech, PM Chinh, on behalf of the Party and State, expressed endless gratitude to President Ho Chi Minh, General Vo Nguyen Giap – the commander of the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, predecessors, soldiers, Heroic Vietnamese Mothers, the heroes of the people’s armed forces, volunteer youths, frontline conscripted labourers, war invalids, martyrs’ families, along with the entire armed forces and people nationwide for their utmost dedications, bravery, and sacrifice to create the historic Dien Bien Phu Victory that “resounded across the five continents and shook the globe”.

He said the Dien Bien Phu Campaign secured a resounding triumph, beating France’s final effort in its invasion of Vietnam. The historic victory was not only significant to the Vietnamese revolution but also became a source of support for national liberation movements and marked the start of the collapse of the old colonialism around the world, he remarked.

Upholding the spirit of the Dien Bien Phu Victory, Vietnam has obtained numerous enormous successes and glorious feats of arms such as the “Dien Bien Phu in the air” victory in 1972 and the great victory in the spring of 1975. After its reunification, the country concurrently made socio-economic reconstruction, fought to defend its borders, and fulfilled the noble international mission of helping the Cambodian people to topple and get rid of the genocidal regime.

The Government leader voiced his belief that the country will continue strongly promoting the spirit of “to fight and to win” of the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, surmount difficulties and challenges, and exert all-out efforts to make new “Dien Bien Phu miracles” in the building and safeguarding of the socialist Fatherland.

On this occasion, on behalf of Party and State leaders, PM Chinh presented the first-class Independence Order to the Party organisation, administration, and people of Dien Bien province in recognition of their remarkable attainments and contributions to the Party and the nation’s revolutionary cause.

Following the ceremony, a military parade and a procession of civil forces gathering over 12,000 people took place to celebrate the anniversary. At the beginning, helicopters of the Vietnam Air Defence and Air Force carrying the national and Party flags flew over the stage. Leading the way was a vehicle carrying the National Emblem of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, followed by the parade of the forces carrying the Party flag, the Fatherland flag, and the portrait of President Ho Chi Minh, and the Dien Bien Phu Victory model car.

After that, the forces and units continued parading through the main roads of Dien Bien Phu city, with a large number of people and tourists coming to watch and cheer. The parade affirmed the significance, stature, and great historical value of the Dien Bien Phu Victory, as well as demonstrated the nation’s determination to realise the aspiration to build an increasingly wealthy, democratic, prosperous, civilised, and happy socialist Vietnam.

Some photos of the military parade and procession of civil forces at the grand ceremony: