The echoes of history in Cu Chi Tunnels

Trying to fit the entrance and exit

“Cu Chi” is not just the name of a suburban district to the northwest of Ho Chi Minh City but also the name of a well-known historic site, the Cu Chi Tunnels. These tunnels are among the most fascinating relics of the wars in Vietnam fought against the French and Americans. The Cu Chi District witnessed some of the fiercest and most courageous battles in the southern Vietnamese people’s fight for independence.

The district of Cu Chi is home to a sophisticated system of rivers and canals. Construction of the Cu Chi tunnel system began between 1946 and 1948 during the war against French colonialists.

At first, this system consisted of short, simple tunnels excavated by residents in the communes of Tan Phu Trung and Phuoc Vinh An. These simple tunnels served as hiding spots and caches for weapons and documents. Over time, people in different communes and villages in the Cu Chi District dug tunnels and dugouts in which Viet Minh soldiers could evade French army sweeps. To meet demands for transport and communications, the separated tunnels were connected to form an integrated tunnel network. Between 1961 and 1965, during the war against the Americans, the tunnel network was upgraded to feature more complex architecture. The tunnels were used to support the troops and as communications bases. At the same time, on the ground, the Cu Chi people’s army built interlacing communication trenches, emplacements, minefields, and booby traps with bamboo spikes, which linked to the underground tunnel complex to create an interconnected battlefield for both combat and defense.

B52 Bomb Crater at Cu Chi Tunnels - Ho Chi Minh City tour

B52 Bomb Crater in the Cu Chi Tunnels

Kitchen in Cu Chi Tunnels

The soldiers’ indomitable spirit is evident in every bit of this tunnel system. Situated at the end of the Ho Chi Minh trail in a heavily-bombed region known as the “Iron Triangle”, the Cu Chi tunnel network stretches over 200 kilometers and consists of three lines. The top line lies at a depth of three meters; the second at a depth of six meters; and the third at 12 meters underground. In addition to shelters, the tunnels held clinics, living areas, kitchens, storage areas for food and weapons, meeting places, command centers, etc. Located deep underground in soil of clay mixed with laterite, the tunnels were able to withstand powerful bombs. From the main routes in communes in northern Cu Chi, the tunnels branched into many different areas, with some tunnels exciting into the Saigon River. Along the tunnels lay air vents. The small tunnel mouths measured just 30 cm x 40 cm. Made of concrete, the entrance doors were often hidden in brush and sometimes surrounded by booby traps. During the Tet Offensive in 1968, the underground tunnels of Cu Chi provided the key means for attacking Saigon. This attack helped to secure victory.

A biking tour to Cu Chi Tunnels from Ho Chi Minh City

Setting foot in these tunnels allows tourists to experience this area???s heroic past. A communication trench leads to the Phu Hiep military base in Phu My Hung commune in northern Cu Chi, a key location in the tunnel network. Located on solid rock able to withstand the pressure of 500kg bombs and heavy vehicles, this base was surrounded by thick forests of rubber trees and bamboo, favorable terrain for guerrilla warfare.

Only after walking through a tunnel section can we begin to understand what the people who created this complex tunnel network experienced. It is impossible not to admire their courage and ingenuity. While war is in the past, out heroic history teaches us to respect, love and preserve our independence and freedom.

(Source Quynh Anh - Heritage Magazine)