Muong Thanh Valley
Encyclopedia
The Mường Thanh Valley is a valley located in the Điện Biên district of Northwestern Vietnam
. The valley is approximately 12 miles long by 3 miles wide. A heart-shaped basin, the valley is surrounded by a region filled with jungles, rice paddies, and lakes. Located within the Muong Thanh Valley is the city of Dien Bien Phu
. The capital of Dien Bien Province, Dien Bien Phu is famous for being the site of a long battle between French and Vietnamese forces between March and May 1954.
to the east and north, and Son La
to the east and south. The northern section of Dien Bien province borders the province of Yunnan
in China and the entire Western border of the province is shared with the Phongsali
province of Laos
. The valley is located 420 kilometers away from Hanoi
..
The Muong Thanh Valley lies in a hilly, lush region. The valley runs north-south and is situated in the western portion of the Dien Bien Province, approximately 16 km from the border with Laos.
ethnic minority group. While the delta and coastal plain regions of Vietnam are largely populated by the ethnic majority Vietnamese, also known as the Kinh, the highlands are home to many of Vietnam's ethnic minority groups. Many of the ethnic groups in Northern Vietnam are Chinese-descended. However the Thai, among other ethnic groups that inhabit the Muong Thanh Valley and the surrounding highland regions, are not Chinese-descended. The Thai, along with other ethnic groups that inhabit the Dien Bien Province, are largely independent and follow their own series of customs and traditions. The Thai, among other non-Chinese minority ethnic groups in Vietnam such as the Tay
, Nung
, Hmong
, Muong
, Cham, Khmer
, Kohor, E De
, Bahnar
, and Jarai
, have their own languages and writing systems. Belief holds that the Thai are originally descended from lowland natives of Malay origin. They were forced into the highlands by continuous invasions of the Mongoloid people of China.
Much Thai folklore surrounds the history of the Muong Thanh Valley. According to Thai folklore, the Thai originally named the valley Muong Then (the land of God) sometimes spelt Muang Thaeng. The Vietnamese Government provides the following story about the history of the Thai people according to Thai folklore:
While the Thai are the largest single ethnic group in the Muong Thanh Valley, the Hmong, Dao
, and Day
ethnic groups also inhabit the valley.. There is also a substantial population of the Vietnamese ethnic majority group, Kinh, in the city of Dien Bien Phu.
Most of the groups in the regions follow animistic religious beliefs. There are also Catholics, Protestants, Buddhists, and Muslims.
In the 15th century the troops of Vietnamese Emperor Lê Lợi allied with the indigenous inhabitants to expel the Chinese Ming
invaders.
Three hundred years later the Muong Thanh Valley came under the occupation of the Phe
people from Laos. The Thai vigorously fought the Phe invaders and finally defeated them in 1751 with help from a peasant leader from Son Nam named Hoang Cong Chat.
Until French rule began, the inhabitants of the Muong Thanh Valley and many of Vietnam's other highland minority groups were quite isolated from the lowland populations. When the French arrived in the nineteenth century they began to consolidate rule and contact between highland regions such as Muong Thanh and the lowland regions increased. The French sought contacts with the Thai and other highland groups in order to cultivate their land. This often led to conflict between the French and the minority groups because the natives did not trust the French.
After independence from the French, the Muong Thanh Valley fell under the rule of the North Vietnamese government and the inhabitants were given a certain degree of autonomy as a compromise for accepting the rule of the central government in Hanoi.
The Vietnamese government is working to develop the Muong Thanh Valley into a popular tourist destination. Many war veterans and other tourists come to the region to revisit the important sights of the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. The Vietnamese government is now working to further develop the region's tourist infrastructure and appeal by promoting the diversity of local culture.
The Vietnamese government is advertising local Thai culture in an effort to introduce outsiders to the local culture. In 2004 the Vietnam Administration of Tourism and the Dien Bien Province announced that that year would be the "Year of Dien Bien Tourism". This announcement came with a gift of around US$9500 to each commune in Dien Bien to build a commune hall to host visitors. These communes will showcase and introduce tourists to Thai culture.
Trekking, mountain biking, and other nature-oriented tourist activities are also being promoted in the Muong Thanh Valley.
Additionally, a commercial airport is located in the Muong Thanh Valley. The airport
, located in Dien Bien Phu, offers flights to Hanoi.
Rice farming also contributes to the local economy.
began on December 19, 1946 as a battle between the French trying to regain their colonial claims in Vietnam and the Viet Minh
attempting to gain control of the area. In the early 1950s Viet Minh forces were making steady advancements on French-controlled parts of Northern Vietnam. By late 1952 much of the Red River Delta
was under Viet Minh control. Due to its proximity to supply routes from China, the Muong Thanh Valley region was vital to the survival and support of the Viet Minh. The French forces in Vietnam under General Henri Navarre
sought to occupy Dien Bien Phu. This would allow them to cut off an important supply route to the Viet Minh and also help them to fight against a Viet Minh offensive in Laos.
Thus, in November 1953, French forces occupied the town of Dien Bien Phu and used their nearby military post at Lai Chau
for reinforcement. Also during November 1953 the Northern Vietnamese Government
indicated that it would examine diplomatic settlement proposals from the French. If the Vietnamese army could successfully attack a French-held zone leading up to the talks that were scheduled for April and May 1954, they felt that they would have enough leverage to broker an acceptable peace agreement. Because of Dien Bien Phu's strategic importance, it was chosen as the stage for this attack.
The siege of Dien Bien Phu began on March 13, 1954. By this date the Viet Minh had approximately 50,000 regular troops, 55,000 support troops in the area. They also had around 100,000 transport workers in the Muong Thanh Valley area bringing in Chinese aid. The French garrison at Dien Bien Phu relied on air supply and on March 27 the Viet Minh had destroyed the French airfield. This left the French effectively cut off from the outside world. The Viet Minh had artillery posts and troops set up throughout the valley and were able to continuously assault the French.
The French garrison in Dien Bien Phu surrendered on May 7 after the less-than-two-month assault had cost the lives of around 25,000 Vietnamese and 1,500 French.
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. The valley is approximately 12 miles long by 3 miles wide. A heart-shaped basin, the valley is surrounded by a region filled with jungles, rice paddies, and lakes. Located within the Muong Thanh Valley is the city of Dien Bien Phu
Dien Bien Phu
Điện Biên Phủ is a city in northwestern Vietnam. It is the capital of Dien Bien province, and is known for the events there during the First Indochina War, the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, during which the region was a breadbasket for the Việt Minh.-Population:...
. The capital of Dien Bien Province, Dien Bien Phu is famous for being the site of a long battle between French and Vietnamese forces between March and May 1954.
Geography and location
Located in the Dien Bien Province of Northwestern Vietnam, the Muong Thanh valley lies at the crossroads of many different modern political boundaries. Two other Vietnamese provinces border the Dien Bien province, Lai ChauLai Chau
Lai Châu is the capital town of Lai Chau province in the Northwest region of Vietnam....
to the east and north, and Son La
Son La
Sơn La is a city in northwestern Vietnam. It is the capital of the Son La province....
to the east and south. The northern section of Dien Bien province borders the province of Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
in China and the entire Western border of the province is shared with the Phongsali
Phongsali
Phongsali or Phongsaly is the capital of Phongsali Province, Laos. It is the northernmost among provincial capitals in Laos opposite Attapeu in the south. The town has about 6,000 inhabitants and is located at approximately 1430 meters on the slopes of Mount Phu Fa . Phongsali has pleasant summer...
province of Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
. The valley is located 420 kilometers away from Hanoi
Hanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
..
The Muong Thanh Valley lies in a hilly, lush region. The valley runs north-south and is situated in the western portion of the Dien Bien Province, approximately 16 km from the border with Laos.
Demography and culture
Approximately 40 percent of the inhabitants of the Dien Bien Province belong to the ThaiThai people
The Thai people, or Siamese, are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries in Southeast Asia as well as southern China. Their language is the Thai language, which is classified as part of the Kradai family of...
ethnic minority group. While the delta and coastal plain regions of Vietnam are largely populated by the ethnic majority Vietnamese, also known as the Kinh, the highlands are home to many of Vietnam's ethnic minority groups. Many of the ethnic groups in Northern Vietnam are Chinese-descended. However the Thai, among other ethnic groups that inhabit the Muong Thanh Valley and the surrounding highland regions, are not Chinese-descended. The Thai, along with other ethnic groups that inhabit the Dien Bien Province, are largely independent and follow their own series of customs and traditions. The Thai, among other non-Chinese minority ethnic groups in Vietnam such as the Tay
Tay people
The Tày people speak a language of the Central Tai language group, and live in northern Vietnam. They are sometimes also called Thô, T'o, Tai Tho, Ngan, Phen, Thu Lao, or Pa Di....
, Nung
Nung people
The Nùng are an ethnic minority in Vietnam. In China, the Nùng, together with the Tày, are classified as Zhuang people.-Description:The population of the Nùng is estimated to be more than 700,000...
, Hmong
Hmong people
The Hmong , are an Asian ethnic group from the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Hmong are also one of the sub-groups of the Miao ethnicity in southern China...
, Muong
Muong people
The Mường is the third largest of Vietnam’s 53 minority groups, with an estimated population of 1.2 million. The Muong people inhabit the mountainous region of northern Vietnam, concentrated in Hoa Binh Province and the mountainous districts of Thanh Hoa Province. They are most closely related to...
, Cham, Khmer
Khmer people
Khmer people are the predominant ethnic group in Cambodia, accounting for approximately 90% of the 14.8 million people in the country. They speak the Khmer language, which is part of the larger Mon–Khmer language family found throughout Southeast Asia...
, Kohor, E De
E De people
The E De are an ethnic group of southern Vietnam .-Language:The E De language is a member of the Chamic group of the Malayo-Polynesian branch of the Austronesian language family...
, Bahnar
Bahnar people
The Bahnar are an ethnic group of Vietnam living primarily in the Central Highland provinces of Gia Lai and Kon Tum, as well as the coastal provinces of Bình Định and Phú Yên...
, and Jarai
Jarai
The Jarai is an ethnic group based primarily in Vietnam's Central Highlands. The Jarai language is a member of the Malayo-Polynesian branch of the Austronesian language family...
, have their own languages and writing systems. Belief holds that the Thai are originally descended from lowland natives of Malay origin. They were forced into the highlands by continuous invasions of the Mongoloid people of China.
Much Thai folklore surrounds the history of the Muong Thanh Valley. According to Thai folklore, the Thai originally named the valley Muong Then (the land of God) sometimes spelt Muang Thaeng. The Vietnamese Government provides the following story about the history of the Thai people according to Thai folklore:
While the Thai are the largest single ethnic group in the Muong Thanh Valley, the Hmong, Dao
Yao people
The Yao nationality is a government classification for various minorities in China. They form one of the 55 ethnic minority groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China, where they reside in the mountainous terrain of the southwest and south...
, and Day
Day
A day is a unit of time, commonly defined as an interval equal to 24 hours. It also can mean that portion of the full day during which a location is illuminated by the light of the sun...
ethnic groups also inhabit the valley.. There is also a substantial population of the Vietnamese ethnic majority group, Kinh, in the city of Dien Bien Phu.
Most of the groups in the regions follow animistic religious beliefs. There are also Catholics, Protestants, Buddhists, and Muslims.
Political history
Due to its location along the border with Laos and near the border with China, the Muong Thanh Valley and the surrounding region has had a long history of invasions and political change.In the 15th century the troops of Vietnamese Emperor Lê Lợi allied with the indigenous inhabitants to expel the Chinese Ming
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
invaders.
Three hundred years later the Muong Thanh Valley came under the occupation of the Phe
PHE
PHE may refer to:* Population Health and Environment , an approach to development that integrates health or family planning with conservation efforts* Paramount Home Entertainment* BitTorrent protocol encryption...
people from Laos. The Thai vigorously fought the Phe invaders and finally defeated them in 1751 with help from a peasant leader from Son Nam named Hoang Cong Chat.
Until French rule began, the inhabitants of the Muong Thanh Valley and many of Vietnam's other highland minority groups were quite isolated from the lowland populations. When the French arrived in the nineteenth century they began to consolidate rule and contact between highland regions such as Muong Thanh and the lowland regions increased. The French sought contacts with the Thai and other highland groups in order to cultivate their land. This often led to conflict between the French and the minority groups because the natives did not trust the French.
After independence from the French, the Muong Thanh Valley fell under the rule of the North Vietnamese government and the inhabitants were given a certain degree of autonomy as a compromise for accepting the rule of the central government in Hanoi.
Natural life
Flowing through the Muong Thanh Valley is the Nam Rom River. The presence of the Nam Rom River in the valley makes the valley region highly fertile. Much of the natural environment of the Muong Thanh Valley is jungle. The non-urbanized land in the valley is now largely used for agriculture, namely rice growing.Economic development
While the area surrounding the Muong Thanh Valley is largely rural and undeveloped, the valley itself is developed. The capital of the Dien Bien Province, the city of Dien Bien Phu, is located inside the valley.The Vietnamese government is working to develop the Muong Thanh Valley into a popular tourist destination. Many war veterans and other tourists come to the region to revisit the important sights of the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. The Vietnamese government is now working to further develop the region's tourist infrastructure and appeal by promoting the diversity of local culture.
The Vietnamese government is advertising local Thai culture in an effort to introduce outsiders to the local culture. In 2004 the Vietnam Administration of Tourism and the Dien Bien Province announced that that year would be the "Year of Dien Bien Tourism". This announcement came with a gift of around US$9500 to each commune in Dien Bien to build a commune hall to host visitors. These communes will showcase and introduce tourists to Thai culture.
Trekking, mountain biking, and other nature-oriented tourist activities are also being promoted in the Muong Thanh Valley.
Additionally, a commercial airport is located in the Muong Thanh Valley. The airport
Dien Bien Phu Airport
Dien Bien Phu Airport is located at Dien Bien Phu in Vietnam....
, located in Dien Bien Phu, offers flights to Hanoi.
Rice farming also contributes to the local economy.
Battle of Dien Bien Phu
The First Indochina WarFirst Indochina War
The First Indochina War was fought in French Indochina from December 19, 1946, until August 1, 1954, between the French Union's French Far East...
began on December 19, 1946 as a battle between the French trying to regain their colonial claims in Vietnam and the Viet Minh
Viet Minh
Việt Minh was a national independence coalition formed at Pac Bo on May 19, 1941. The Việt Minh initially formed to seek independence for Vietnam from the French Empire. When the Japanese occupation began, the Việt Minh opposed Japan with support from the United States and the Republic of China...
attempting to gain control of the area. In the early 1950s Viet Minh forces were making steady advancements on French-controlled parts of Northern Vietnam. By late 1952 much of the Red River Delta
Red River Delta
The Red River Delta is the flat plain formed by the Red River and its distributaries joining in the Thai Binh River in northern Vietnam. The delta measuring some 15,000 square km is well protected by a network of dikes. It is an agriculturally rich area and densely populated...
was under Viet Minh control. Due to its proximity to supply routes from China, the Muong Thanh Valley region was vital to the survival and support of the Viet Minh. The French forces in Vietnam under General Henri Navarre
Henri Navarre
Henri Eugène Navarre was a French Army general. He fought during World War I, World War II and was the seventh commander of French Far East Expeditionary Corps during the First Indochina War...
sought to occupy Dien Bien Phu. This would allow them to cut off an important supply route to the Viet Minh and also help them to fight against a Viet Minh offensive in Laos.
Thus, in November 1953, French forces occupied the town of Dien Bien Phu and used their nearby military post at Lai Chau
Lai Chau
Lai Châu is the capital town of Lai Chau province in the Northwest region of Vietnam....
for reinforcement. Also during November 1953 the Northern Vietnamese Government
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
indicated that it would examine diplomatic settlement proposals from the French. If the Vietnamese army could successfully attack a French-held zone leading up to the talks that were scheduled for April and May 1954, they felt that they would have enough leverage to broker an acceptable peace agreement. Because of Dien Bien Phu's strategic importance, it was chosen as the stage for this attack.
The siege of Dien Bien Phu began on March 13, 1954. By this date the Viet Minh had approximately 50,000 regular troops, 55,000 support troops in the area. They also had around 100,000 transport workers in the Muong Thanh Valley area bringing in Chinese aid. The French garrison at Dien Bien Phu relied on air supply and on March 27 the Viet Minh had destroyed the French airfield. This left the French effectively cut off from the outside world. The Viet Minh had artillery posts and troops set up throughout the valley and were able to continuously assault the French.
The French garrison in Dien Bien Phu surrendered on May 7 after the less-than-two-month assault had cost the lives of around 25,000 Vietnamese and 1,500 French.