Tunnels of Cu Chi

The tunnels of Củ Chi, near Ho Chi Minh City are known due to the Vietnam War. Partly thanks to these tunnels the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and Vietcong (VC) managed to beat the Americans. They are part of a very large network of some 300 km of tunnels.

The tunnels date from just after World War II, from the time when Vietnam was still the French colony (French Indochina). They were built to expel the French. Then in 1965 the Americans entered Vietnam, right away the North Vietnamese leader Hồ Chí Minh ordered to expand the tunnels. They constructed hospitals, meeting rooms, bedrooms and weapon storage locations. Further, the tunnels were carried out with ventilation ducts in order to ventilate the tunnels as good as possible. The entrances to the tunnels were small and barely visible, so the NVA or VC soldiers were able to assassinate and disappear without trace.

The tunnels were well armed against explosives, poison gas and so called tunnel rats (special trained American soldiers). The tunnels were full of booby traps, snakes and Punji sticks (sharp bamboo sticks or iron pins, sometimes poisoned). there was often a water seal to keep out poison gas. Many attempts by the Americans to destroy the tunnels, to conquer or to fill them up with gas almost always failed. The only way that has had some impact, were the heavy bombings, carried out in the area, by the well-known large B52 bombers.

Some of the tunnels can be visited under the guidance of a tour guide. The tunnels are well adapted to tourism, they are, for example, more spacious than originally. The majority of the tunnels are closed and are not in use anymore. The area is set up as a museum, there is plenty of things to see that has to do with the Vietnam War. Furthermore other tourist attractions are possible like shooting with the typical weapons of that time, such as the AK-47, M16 or M60.

For current visiting hours, please visit the website of the museum.

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar.nl
• Photos: Stef Spakman
• De Geschiedenis Van De Vietnam Oorlog, Deltas, 2004.