A1 hill is located in the East, about 500m from the center of Đien Bien Phu. It is 32m above the road, with a total area of 100,000m2. A1 is the most important site of the five hills in the east and is the last shield protecting the French headquarters. The French colonialists built A1 hill into a solid defensive system with strong military and firepower.
The name A1 is given to the hill by Vietnamese army. This hill has different names: It was called Lang Chượng in the period of conflict between the land lords. After the French occupied Đien Bien Phu (in 1890 and 1945), they built a fortification on this hill, so it was called the Westen fort. In 1953, the French occupied Đien Bien Phu again and this hill was named Eliane 2 - a beautiful French woman, with the purpose of encouraging French soldiers to protect the fort as protecting their sweetheart.
The battlefield on the A1 Hill took place in 39 days and nights (from March 30 to May 7, 1954). This is the fiercest battle in the Đien Bien Phu Campaign. Vietnam has organized four attacks, one defense to destroy this fortification. The Vietnamese soldiers with cleverness and creativity have destroyed and captured all French forces occupied here and collected all weapons. However, over 2,500 Vietnamese soldiers were scarified to destroy the A1 basement completely. This victory was an inspiration for the soldiers to cross Muong Thanh Bridge, attack the headquarters and capture General De Castries in the afternoon of May 7th, 1954.
Nowaday, the A1 hill relics has a lively and peaceful appearance. This place has become a tourist attraction with historical education value and interesting experience. The historical A1 hill along with other relics of Đien Bien Phu battlefield are immortal pride and attractive destinations for many tourists.