HCMC – CU CHI TUNNELS – HCMC, PRIVATE DAILY TOUR
TOUR CODE: DAY2
Time : 07:30 – 12:30 OR 13:00 – 18:00
Highlights:
- Watch a short documentary about Cu Chi during the war
- Experience the network of Cu Chi Tunnels
- Gain more knowledge about the amazing tenacity shown by the locals during the Vietnam war
- Try some rifle shooting (optional with surcharge)
Origin of the tunnel
During these years of fighting against the French (1945-1954), the soldiers hid under the secret bunker in enemy territory, protected by the people. The tunnel secretly constructed in many ways, but mainly underground, .only .one cover large enough to get in and out, and a vent to breathe. When the cover was closed, it was difficult for the enemy to detect the bunker.
In enemy territory, the soldier stayed in the secret underground bunker in the daytime, in the night, he got out of the ground for operation.
But the disadvantage of the secret bunker was that upon being detected, it was easily controlled or killed by the enemy as they were more crowded with more advantages. Due to that, it was thought necessary to extend the secret bunker into the tunnels and onto the ground with many secret doors to both shelters and fight against the enemy, and when necessary, to escape the danger to anywhere else.
Since then, the tunnel was born with the special significance in combat operations, working for the soldiers and people in the outskirts of Saigon – Cho Lon – Gia Dinh.
In Cu Chi, the earliest tunnel appeared in 1948 in two communes of Tan Phu Trung and Phuoc Vinh An. At first, there were only short and simple structured sections, used to conceal documents, weapons, hiding soldiers operating in enemy territory. Later, it spread to the communes. From 1961 to 1965 the guerrilla war of the people in Cu Chi had grown rapidly, causing huge losses to the enemy, contributing to defeat the strategic “special war” of the American. Six communes in the north of Cu Chi had completed the “backbone” tunnel. Then, the agencies and units developed branch tunnels connecting with the “backbone”, an interconnected tunnel system.
Entering the era of fighting against American imperialism in Vietnam, Cu Chi Tunnel thrived widely, especially in the beginning of 1966, when the US used infantry Division No. 1 ” Red Brother ” and performed major operations named crimp, sweeping, raiding bases, and the next, putting Division 25 “tropical lightning” to establish Dong Du basement, consecutive sweeps, fiercely attacking the revolutionary forces here.
Before the fierce attack of the America – puppet with barbaric destruction war, Commissioner Saigon – Cho Lon – Gia Dinh area, Cu Chi District’s Party Committee led the people and the armed forces determined to manage to fight, destroy enemy defense and homeland security, protecting the revolutionary base areas of strategic importance, the approach and process for a major attack to Saigon puppet’s head office. With the slogan “not an inch away, not a glass leave,” the army, militia, political parties and civil authorities and the people tried to emulate digging tunnels, trenches, fortifications around the clock, regardless of any bombs, rain or sun, actively building “hamlet fight” to set “kill Americans belt” firmly into the defense, the attrition process, destroy enemies.
One year after the Crimp raid, dated January 08th, 1967, the US military launched the Cedar Falls military operation in the “iron triangle” area, aimed at destroying bases and destroying the revolutionary forces. This time, the tunnel system had reached a total length of about 250 km. Cu Chi Tunnel was not passive but proactive to fight in the battle with landmines left thick .on the ground, to become a daily threat to the enemy during the war.
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