The Mường Thanh Valley is a valley located in the Điện Biên Province of Northwestern Vietnam. The valley is approximately 20 km long by 5 km wide. A heart-shaped basin, the valley is surrounded by a region filled with jungles, rice paddies, and lakes. Located within the Mường Thanh Valley is the city of Điện Biên Phủ. The capital of Điện Biên Province, Điện Biên Phủ, is famous as the site of a decisive battle in 1954 in which French forces were defeated by Việt Minh troops under general Võ Nguyên Giáp.
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Mường Thanh Valley in the context of Điện Biên Phủ
Điện Biên Phủ (Vietnamese: [ɗîənˀ ɓīən fû] , chữ Hán: 奠邊府) is a city in the northwestern region of Vietnam. It is the capital of Điện Biên Province. The city is best known for the decisive Battle of Điện Biên Phủ, which occurred during the First Indochina War of independence against France. The region is a center of ethnic Tai culture. In prior history, the city was formerly called Muang Thaeng.
Điện Biên Phủ lies in Mường Thanh Valley, a 20 km (12 mi) long and 6 km (3.7 mi) wide basin sometimes described as "heart-shaped." It is on the western edge of Điện Biên Province, of which it is the capital, and is only about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the border with Laos.
View the full Wikipedia page for Điện Biên Phủ