Điện Biên province

Điện Biên is a province in the Northwest region of Vietnam. It is bordered by Lai Châu to the northeast, Sơn La to the southeast, Pu'er City, Yunnan, China, to the northwest, and Phongsaly province in Laos to the west. The province covers an area of about 9539.93 km2 and as of 2022 it had a population of 635,920 people.

History
The name "Điện Biên" means "stable frontier" (referring to Điện Biên's location on the border between Lan Xang and Vietnam). Điện Biên has various ancient monuments including the caves Thẩm Khương, as well as Thẩn Búa in Tuần Giáo. The original settlers were the Ai Lao or Tai people who are a direct ancestor of Lao people in Laos today. The names of some villages and towns still use words of Tai origin, such as Mường (city) and Tham (cave).

In the 9th and 10th centuries, the Lự in Mường Thanh were the most developed in the area and controlled Sìn Hồ, Mường Lay, and Tuần Giáo.

In the 11th and 12th centuries, Tai people (not to be confused with the Thai people of Thailand) from Mường Ôm and Mường Ai occupied Mường Lò in Nghĩa Lộ and Mường Thanh in Điện Biên. They eventually gained control of the whole area between Mường Lò and Mường Thanh (Điện Biên).

Places
Chua ta cave: Located at an altitude of nearly 1,000m above sea level, in a limestone mountain range with a geological tectonic process of millions of years, Tham Khen cave in Muong Dun commune, Tua Chua district has also been recognized by the Ministry of Culture. Sports and Tourism ranked national relics and scenic spots according to decision No. 3086/QD-BVHTTDL dated October 27, 2020. In addition to being unique like other caves, Chua Ta cave also has two typical types of ecosystems: Limestone mountain ecosystem and cave ecosystem. This place converges the diverse properties of nature.

Climate
Điện Biên province has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa).

Administrative divisions
Điện Biên is subdivided into 10 district-level sub-divisions:

They are further subdivided into five commune-level towns (or townlets), 116 rural communes, and nine wards.

Places in Điện Biên

 * Mường Thanh Valley