For people traveling to Vietnam, a popular tourist destination near Ho Chi Minh City is the Cu Chi Tunnels. Learn all about history and the war tactics of the Vietnamese army at this former battleground.
This 200km system of tunnels was a major battleground. Built in the 1940′s to hide from the French, these tunnels became a major factor in defeating the Americans during the Vietnam War. Hidden in the jungles of the Mekong Delta, Vietnamese soldiers eluded the Americans for years on end in this endless labyrinth of passageways.
The land was bombarded with napalm and agent orange in an attempt to wipe out the tunnels. Soldiers knew that they were there, but it was almost impossible to find. The jungle was wiped out and became a waste land, but you would never know it today. Trees and plants have grown back showing just how resilient this earth is.
If you are lucky, you may receive a first hand account from a former Vietnamese soldier. Guides will tell you stories of their time in the war and can give you information on intimate details of the war that took place in this jungle. If you listen carefully, you can learn a great deal about history.
The Viet Cong were very clever indeed. They would run through the jungle and disappear by sneaking into cave entrances camouflaged by having termite hills placed on top. Cayenne pepper would be sprinkled around the entrance to disrupt the search dogs senses. The cave entrances were small too. So small that even if the Americans found them, the large G.I.’s would not fit through. A blast would make the opening larger but it would also alert the people underground that they had been found and they could slip away to another part of the cave. They even had escape routes leading to the river to be swept away to safety.
They knew their tunnels well, unlike the American soldier. They would enter the tunnel avoiding the booby traps placed to kill or maim the enemy. Several different types of crude traps were laid in wait for the poor soldier that had to follow them in or the soldier that was sent to investigate upon a discovery.
Not only did the Americans have to deal with booby traps, heat and fear of not knowing what was around any corner in the jungle. They had the added burden of foot rot. Their heavy army boots didn’t allow for room to breathe and being in water and humidity took its toll on their feet making it impossible to walk. The Vietnamese avoided this by wearing sandals made of tire rubber allowing their feet to breathe. These sandals are on display at the tunnels and you can even buy a pair as a souvenir.
It is impossible to imagine how people managed to live in these tunnels for several years. The passageways were very tight at less than a meter high and they were dark and filled with disease. They had to deal with insects and venomous snakes and the fear of being found out. However, the Vietnamese managed to carve out a way of life however building kitchens, living areas and first aid stations.
When visiting the tunnels, your tour will take place in larger quarters that have been blasted out for tourists. But if you are very brave, you can decide to crawl through a 150 meter long piece of the tunnel left in its original form.
The Entrance is tiny and you will have to squeeze through an opening in the ground not much wider than 30 centimeters. Large overstuffed tourists will not be able to even think about entering this tunnel. Don’t expect your guide to come with you, he is too smart to go into this hot, dark and claustrophobic place. But it is highly recommended. You will actually get a feel as to what it might have been like to be in these tunnels during the war and then be grateful that you didn’t have to be there. It is a long crawl with crude lighting and it is left in its original form to give you a true taste of authenticity.
During your tour you will learn little tricks like how the Viet Cong tracked U.S. soldiers by following these fascinating plants that actually pointed in the direction that people walked. As you brush by, the leaves of the plants curl in the direction that you are heading. A dead giveaway for the unsuspecting American soldier. You will try to food of the Viet Cong and you will visit different rooms that were camouflaged above ground, learning all about how the Vietnamese kept themselves from being discovered.
You will learn and experience a lot during your time at the Cu chi Tunnels, but it is not over yet. Before leaving, you can even fire an automatic weapon at the firing range. See what it feels like to fire an automatic weapon.
Visiting the Cu Chi Tunnels will definitely give you a feeling as to what life was like during the Vietnam War. It is unbelievable to think that these tunnels remained in tact through two major wars. One with the French and one with the Americans. If you are visiting Ho Chi Minh, they are certainly worth a visit.