Vietnam celebrates Dien Bien Phu battle that ended French rule

DIEN BIEN PHU, Vietnam - Vietnam commemorated the 70th anniversary of the pivotal battle of Dien Bien Phu, which marked the end of French colonial rule in Indochina.

Led by General Vo Nguyen Giap, Vietnamese troops surprised French forces with heavy artillery fire at their mountainous garrison in northwestern Vietnam.

The fall of Dien Bien Phu in 1954 signaled the conclusion of almost a century of French