Cu Chi Tunnels in Ho Chi Minh City

CU CHI TUNNELS IN HO CHI MINH CITY

PROLOGUE:

Cu Chi Tunnels in Ho Chi Minh city are the underground defending system in Cu Chi district, 70km from Ho Chi Minh City to the northwest. It was dug by the South Vietnam Liberation Front in the war period of Indochina and Vietnam. It includes clinics, rooms, kitchens, offices and underground road system. It is 250km long and has a breathing system. It is located at the end of Ho Chi Minh Path. At the beginning of 1968 (Tet Mau Than in Vietnamese), South Vietnam Liberation Front used the tunnel system to attack into Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City now).

HISTORY OF CU CHI TUNNELS IN HO CHI MINH CITY:

Digging Cu Chi tunnel started in two villages: Tan Phu Trung and Phuoc Vinh Hung in 1948. At the first time, there were only short sections having simple structure, used for hiding documents, weapons, and officers). After that, the tunnel spread many villages.

From 1961 to 1965 the guerilla war of local people developed highly, causing large losses to the opposition. Six northern villages finished the “spine” tunnel. After that, the branch tunnels were dug, forming a link Cu Chi Tunnel.

With very simple devices such as hoes, shovels, baskets made from bamboo or iron the army and people of Cu Chi were set up a grand construction with underground roads having the length of hundreds of kilometers, connecting villages, hamlets into a wonderful underground village.

Cu Chi Tunnels Tour

cu chi tunnels in ho chi minh city

STRUCTURE OF CU CHI TUNNELS IN HO CHI MINH CITY:

Cu Chi tunnel has three deep floors. The above is 3m deep, the middle is 6m deep and the bottom is over 12m deep, 258km kilometers long.

Cu Chi “spine” tunnel spreads countless long or short branches connecting with each other. There are many branches going to Saigon River in case of dangerous situations. There are so narrow sections that a person having large size can hardly go through. There are secret tunnel caps and breathing holes cleverly camouflaged. The channel can bear the weight of tanks and a part of bomb and bullets.

Countless nests of the fight were set up in order to fight against the opposition. Many traps made from bamboo or iron were put almost everywhere, which made the opposition horrified.

Cu Chi Tunnel has large rooms to take a rest after fighting, places storing weapons, food, water, wells, Hoang Cam stoves, which hide smoke underground (Hoang Cam is the name of a cook in the war), working places for the leaders, surgery rooms, rooms for the injured, rooms for the old, women, children. There are large tunnels comfortably covered for meetings, showing films, and performing art.

The structure of Cu Chi Tunnels shows the intelligence, hardship, and determinedness of the army and people in conserving their land.

Some pictures of Cu Chi Tunnel’s structure:

Rolling Trap In Cu Chi Tunnels

A cleverly camouflaged rolling trap – cu chi tunnels in ho chi minh city

Breathing Hold Lying In A Termite's Nest In Cu Chi Tunnels

A breathing hole on a small hill

Hoang Cam Stove

“Hoang Cam” Stove – cu chi tunnels in ho chi minh city

Meeting Room In Cu Chi Tunnels

Meeting room

A Room For Resting In Cu Chi Tunnels Tracy

A sleeping bunker with a hammock – cu chi tunnels in ho chi minh city

The life under the tunnel:

In the disastrous war period, every activity of the fighting force and people were under the tunnel. Life was extremely arduous. On the ground, bombs and bullets plowed, fires and smoke were dim. In the tunnel was dark, narrow, wet, little oxygen, and light. If someone was faint, people had to bring him to the tunnel door to do artificial respiration. In the rainy, there were lots of poisonous insects even snakes and centipedes.

For women, the activities were more difficult, especially for some women giving babies and bringing up them. Going up and down tunnel doors of hundreds of people, but still keeping secret was a complexity. Each member had to be careful to erase every track so that the opposition could not discover it. In spite of the arduous life, there were also happy minutes when people saw films or plays. Everybody loved and helped each other. All members were the same as a family.

Warmest Greetings To All from Tracy Do! If you have any questions about Vietnam including Vietnam tours, do not hesitate to contact me.

Tracy’s team is proud to provide excellent Ho Chi Minh City Day Trips including Ho Chi Minh Motorbike Tour, Ho Chi Minh Food Tour, Mekong Delta Tour, Cu Chi Tunnel Tour, Ho Chi Minh Transfer Service, and Shore Excursion to thousands of guests for nearly 10 years. Let us have a chance to show you South Vietnam to the fullest.

Cu Chi tunnels at present:

Today the tunnel continues to be preserved. It becomes a site attracting local and foreign tourists.

Coming to the tunnel, you can enjoy the following things:

  • visiting Ben Duoc Temple where soldiers are worshiped.
  • going into the tunnel to understand clearly the life of the army and people here in war years.
  • trying firing a gun with true bullets.
  • visiting war weapon’s museum.
  • camping among fresh and green campus.
  • having dishes containing favor of Southeast Vietnam such as sour soup “la vang”, in-large bowl-braised fish, paper cake with young fish, pancake, a seven-dish-cooked young cow.
  • cu chi tunnels in ho chi minh city

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