Vietnam marks 70th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu victory over France

War veterans, soldiers and dignitaries gathered in Vietnam’s Dien Bien Phu on Tuesday to mark the 70th anniversary of the battle that ultimately brought an end to the French empire in Indochina.

Vietnam has invited for the first time a government minister from the former colonial power to attend official celebrations, which involve 12,000 people, a gun salute and howitzer and helicopter displays.

French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh are among those attending the two-hour event that has drawn huge attention from tourists and residents of northwestern Dien Bien province, which borders Laos.

As celebrations began before a crowd of 10,000 in Dien Bien Phu city’s stadium, 90-year-old veteran Pham Duc Cu spoke on behalf of his fallen comrades.

“It moves me to remember the people who died to achieve this earth-shaking victory,” he said.