The Dien Bien international trade and tourism fair has opened in Dien Bien Phu city, Dien Bien province, as part of the 53^rd anniversary celebrations of the Vietnamese victory over French colonialists (May 7).

More than 50 Vietnamese businesses and a number of Lao and Chinese companies are displaying their products in 120 booths. These include major companies from Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Bac Ninh and Bac Giang provinces.

Nguyen Quang Sang, Chairman of the Dien Bien Phu City People’s Committee said the city annually welcomes 120,000-150,000 visitors, earning about VND30 billion from tourism services. The city is set to become a socio-economic centre of the whole northwestern region by 2010.

On this occasion, about 20 delegations have visited and extended greetings to General Vo Nguyen Giap, commander of the Dien Bien Phu battle, which lasted for 56 days and ended Vietnam’s nine-year resistance war against the French colonialists from 1946 to 1954.