Cu Chi Tunnels : Tunnels inviolability during Vietnam War

From the center of Ho Chi Minh City about 70 km to the northwest, where the Cu Chi Tunnels miniature battle and creative transformation of the army and people of Cu Chi in the long-term struggle, fierce 30 years against enemy aggression, independence, freedom for your country.

President of Argentina - Cristina Fernández de Kirchner to visit Cu Chi Tunnels

 - With his victories stature, Cu Chi Tunnels went into the history of the heroic struggle the people of Vietnam as a legend of the 20th century and became a well-known landmarks in the world. This is a fight unique wonders unique to about 250 km tunnels spreading like cobwebs in the ground, which works combined with the tunnel, such as trenches, emplacements, fighting drive, eating stew, sleeping, meetings, activities, medical, food warehouses concealed, wells, Hoang Cam stove ...

- The real area of ​​the tunnels were beyond human imagination. Just go under a tunnel passage, you will understand why the little water Vietnam enemy victory is a big country and the world's richest. Why Cu Chi, poor land deal again uninterrupted for 21 years with a larger army than warlike, armed with weapons and means of modern warfare, superior. In the fight, the army and people of Cu Chi was resounding victory. Based on the subway system, fortifications, trenches, soldiers and people of Cu Chi have fought very bravely, setting miraculous feats. US troops land in Cu Chi first encountered fierce resistance from the tunnels in difficult bases weak, exclaimed: "Village Underground", "Password danger zone" ...

Village underground Cu Chi

Origin of the tunnel

- The secret bunker in enemy territory, the people are sheltered, protected. Secret tunnel constructed in many ways, but mostly in the ground, only one reached the mouth up and down both shoulders and vents to breathe. Hatch lid closed, the enemies come on the ground hard to detect a cellar. Officers who live in enemy territory, daytime shelter underground secret, new night off the ground, away operation.

- But the secret tunnel has the disadvantage of being discovered, vulnerable to arrest the enemy to control or kill, by overwhelming enemy and more advantages. From then on it was thought that should extend into the secret bunker tunnels and bore to the surface in many secret door to just shelter has fought against the enemy, and when needed, will escape the danger to one other places.

 - From there, the tunnel was born bears a special significance during combat operations, work for officials, soldiers and fellow fringe of Sai Gon - Cho Lon - Gia Dinh.

- In Cu Chi Tunnels earliest in 1948 in two communes of Tan Phu Trung and Phuoc Vinh An. At first only the short simple structure used to hide documents and weapons , they need to stay active in the enemy territory. Later spread to many communities. From 1961 to 1965 guerrilla war in Cu Chi district 's population has grown , causing the enemy great losses, contributing to strategic defeat " special war " of America. Six northern communal complete Cu Chi tunnels were the "backbone ". Then, the agencies and development unit of food through the branch tunnel road " backbone ", a continuous tunnel system.

- Entering the period against US imperialism invaded Vietnam, Cu Chi Tunnels thrive, especially in early 1966, when US infantry Division uses Number 1 "Red Brother" make a major military operation named crimp, sweeps, raiding the bases, and the next, put Division 25 "tropical lightning" to establish bases Dong Du, consecutive opening sweeps, raiding fierce revolutionary forces here.

- Before the fierce attack of the US - camouflage by wars brutally destroyed, the Party Committee of Saigon - Cho Lon - Gia Dinh, Cu Chi District Party Committee led the people and the armed forces determined to hang on to fight , destroy the enemy defending the homeland and defend the revolutionary base of strategic importance, the approach and attack weak for capital insurance Saigon puppet. With the slogan "not an inch away, a glass not to leave", the army, militia, political party offices with people tried to emulate the people digging tunnels, trenches, fortifications around the clock, regardless accept bombs, rain or shine, actively building "hamlet fight" set "kill US belt" into a solid ball siege, advancing attrition, destroy enemies.

- Tunnels dug movement increasingly thriving, strong everywhere, young and old, boys and girls participating slaves tingle fight tectonic tunnel. Willpower of humans have difficulty winning. Only by means of very primitive tools hoe blade and the ground contact bamboo ki, army and people of Cu Chi has created massive work with hundreds of kilometers of underground horizontal vertical underground, connecting the hamlets together as an "underground village" magic. Only the transfer thousands of cubic meters of non-evidence taken somewhere else to keep the secret tunnels, was something extremely arduous, meticulous. Someone asked a large volume of soil where it hid in the end? I would say there are many ways: poured countless submerged crater, up into termite mounds, pour out plowing fields, planting crops up on ... only a trace of time is lost. The families in the region, "belt", which also dug trenches in the tunnels connecting to create a position for continuous production to just hang on, just fight, keep the village. Every citizen is a soldier, every tunnel is a fortress to fight the enemy. fight kept village. Every citizen is a soldier, every tunnel is a fortress to fight the enemy.

- Exactly one year after the raid Crimp , dated 08.01.1967, the US military launched an operation Cedar Falls into the " Iron Triangle ", in order to dismantle the base and destroy the revolutionary forces. This time the tunnel system has reached the total length of about 250 km . Cu Chi Tunnels are not passive but proactive battle battlefield combined with landmines left thick on the ground , has become a daily hazard for enemy during war

Tunnel structure

                     Entrance to Cu Chi Tunnels

- Tunnel system running twist in the ground, from the "backbone" (main street) branches radiating countless short term, common eating together, or independently, depending on the terrain terminated. There are many branches bear the Saigon River, so when the situation is critical, could cross the river to the base of Ben Cat (Binh Duong).

- The tunnel was not very deep, but against the weight of artillery and tanks, armored vehicles, anti-deep sections are small bombs. There are structural sections from two to three floors (upstairs called "upstream", downstairs is considered "low"). Place up and down between floors, has a secret hatch covers. In tunnels with the necessary points stopper to prevent the enemy or toxic chemicals sprayed by the enemy. There are narrow passages, to be very compact new squeeze through. Along the tunnel vent above discreetly camouflaged on the ground and brought forth by many secret doors. Countless door drive is structured in combat, sniper gun emplacements very flexible. This is where suddenly the enemy. Under the single tunnel in weak coverage areas, have placed blind ditches, nail holes, pitfalls ...

- Around the hatch up and down many blind ditches arranged, nail holes, mines left ( called mail address ), including anti-tank landmines and cluster munitions launcher tray against shooting down helicopters, to prevent military defeat gan.Lien enemy to complete the tunnel with the wide tunnel to rest after the fight, with hammocks are. There the weapons storage area, food, food, drinking water, water wells, Hoang Cam kitchen ( stove smoke hid in the soil ), basement work of the leaders, commanders, tunnel surgery, nurturing invalids, the A solid basement for women, the elderly, children shelte. There are a large basement, a cool roof, above the cleverly disguised to meetings, film screenings, music performances ...

- In fierce raiding period, all activities of combat forces and the people's living will "sound" into the ground. In arduous conditions still trying to create a normal life, despite the above-ground bombs relentlessly plowing, smother the fire ... but the reality is in extremely arduous tunnel, which is about ten thousand reluctantly . Due to the need to preserve the force to fight so long to accept all the rigors beyond human endurance. By underground dark, cramped travel very difficult, crouching or crawling largely go. Tunnel where damp and stuffy due to lack of oxygen, light (light mainly candle or flashlight). Every time someone fainting, seek out the hatch to the new CPR awake. In the rainy season, many things underground arise poisonous insects, snakes places including ... For women, life is even more difficult. There she childbirth and parenting in the basement tunnels suffered many hardships. Did so, hundreds of people up and down every day through your mouth while keeping a secret tunnel to the tunnel is very complicated story. A broken grass, sticky soil, an unusual torn leaves must remodel if not enemy detection, attack.

CU CHI TUNNELS : DESTINATION OF EVERY GENERATION TRADITION AND FRIENDS AWE OF WORLD

- With the value and stature victory was gained by blood, the efforts of thousands of soldiers, the people, the Cu Chi tunnels basis by the Ministry of Culture recognized Historic Landmark National Culture.

Cu Chi Tunnels quickly attracted the attention of everyone. Hotels in the country and abroad to visit and learn more everyday. Cu Chi Tunnels become a traditional rendezvous of the Vietnam generation and awe of the world friends.

  From day peace returned, there were tens of thousands of tourist group with millions of full color, ethnicity in the world to visit the Cu Chi Tunnels. General Secretary of the Communist Party, the Head of State, to the politicians, generals, scientists, philosophers, writers, journalists, Veterans ... has set foot in the tunnels with all emotion and admiration for the heroic lands. A politician in the German Federal Republic, said: "For many years I had doubts about the struggle of the people of Vietnam. How can a small and poor country can defeat a large and wealthy countries like the United States. But coming here, to go through the 70 m tunnel, I had to manually answer that question. "

To Cu Chi , you can also soak up the tranquility of nature in the countryside here . Born in peace and war known only through books, so there is no reason why you can not spend a weekend to come up with soil Cu steel, as a way to learn more about history.