The event was attended by Most Venerable Thich Tri Quang, Supreme Patriarch of the Patronage Council of Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, and tens of thousands of local Buddhists to mark the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory.

Most Venerable Thich Tri Quang said the grand requiem paid tribute to the soldiers' sacrifices in securing the country's liberation.

"To express our gratitude to the soldiers and people who sacrificed their lives for national liberation and peace, we need to unite to defend and develop our country so that no enemies can invade us in the future," he stressed.

After the requiem, participants offered incense and Buddhist rituals to commemorate the soldiers who died at Dien Bien.

The 3.2-hectare A1 Cemetery, built in 1958, is the final resting place for 645 soldiers who died during the historic Dien Bien Phu Campaign in 1954. Another 869 rest nearby at Him Lam Cemetery, and 2,432 others are buried at Doc Lap Cemetery. Most of the graves here are unknown.

From March 13 to May 7, 1954, Vietnamese armed forces and civilian population shattered France's Navarre Plan over 56 consecutive days, bringing an end to French colonial rule in Vietnam, in a historic victory at Dien Bien Phu.