Cu Chi Tunnels: ‘The city underground’

About 70 km from the center of Ho Chi Minh City to the Northwest, Cu Chi Tunnels is a unique ‘wonder’, dubbed the ‘city in the earth’.
Cu Chi Tunnels is one of the 6 most special man-made structures in the world, also one of the 7 most exotic destinations in Southeast Asia.

With a 250km long tunnel system, inside the tunnel is full of works such as: trenches, food storage, kitchen, well, living room, office, clinic … seamlessly like a spider web. turned Cu Chi into a solid base for our troops and people in the war against the US. Today, the tunnel has been ranked a national special historical monument, is an interesting destination attracting a large number of domestic and international tourists to visit and learn about the war history of the Vietnamese people. Male. Cu Chi tunnels were formed during the resistance war against the French colonialism (1946-1948). During this period, the militiamen and soldiers of Tan Phu Trung and Phuoc Vinh An communes dug short tunnels for the purpose of hiding and hiding weapons. At first, each village built its own tunnels, but later due to the need to travel between villages and communes, they connected these tunnels to form a more complex and uninterrupted system. Cu Chi tunnels include an interconnecting cave system like an ant’s nest During the tour you’ll find secret passageways down the tunnels. Exploring the Cu Chi tunnels underground is the most interesting thing that visitors want to experience when coming here. To ensure safety, you should only get down when accompanied by your guide. The entrances – exits, ventilation, tunnels … are crowded like ant nests, you cannot believe you are scouting in a place built by the people of Saigon. Nguyen Ha Khanh, a visitor to Cu Chi Tunnels for the first time, could not hide his admiration and admiration, unexpectedly his father was able to dig up such sophisticated tunnels: “When entering the tunnels I feel like lost in the fairy world of dwarves or a maze of some kind. Very wonderful “. Visiting Cu Chi Tunnels, the guides will give you 2 options: go from the inner entrance or the outside entrance. The number of doors is not much, only the main aisle and secret doors. Secret paths are difficult to navigate and are only for those with adventurous blood. Particularly the main aisles are relatively wide. In the past, this was a trench leading to the cellar or the place where the wounded soldiers were carrying out food supplies, but later it was expanded. Entering the inner base, you will find many large rooms and valuable cultural heritage. The ambulance room, class room, conference room, even the tank in the headquarters … and many things worth taking pictures. Secret entrance to the tunnel underground. Talking about camouflage, we cannot help but mention a special type of kitchen in the tunnel: Hoang Cam kitchen. The unique feature of this type of stove is to minimize the spread of kitchen smoke on the ground so that the enemy does not know the exact location of our troops. Mr. Tran Triet Hung, tour guide of the historic Cu Chi Tunnels, introduced: “Before you put smoke on the ground, the guerrillas will keep those smoke in the mounds like this. We will dig from the kitchen a distance of at least 100-150 meters, with 4-5 mounds. When cooking starts, the smoke will accumulate in the first mound. If the first mound is full then the smoke will spread to the mound. Just like that, the smoke on the ground will be divided into at least 3 shots, the less smoke the more smoke the enemy will be. Speaking of Hoang Cam kitchen, it is necessary to mention a special dish associated with the struggles of the soldiers in the past, which is boiled cassava with sesame salt, which in the South is called cassava. At that time, the cassava trees grew like wild trees, so the American soldiers did not know that it was a food crop to destroy. HDV Tran Triet Hung shared, cassava is not only a food to save hunger but also has many other uses for soldiers in the past. “Guerrillas in the old days with a cassava tuber like this had to split into two, three… share to eat. For example, if you and I are teammates, we split up to have something to eat and fight. Cassava leaves are also edible, especially young leaves. Another use of cassava leaves, according to the folklore passed down, is that I dry them, and when the skin has a burn or wound, I put it on, it is capable of stopping the bleeding ”. Hoang Cam kitchen in the Cu Chi tunnels. Not only a destination of historical significance, Cu Chi Tunnels also have many interesting activities and destinations, ideal for relaxing trips on weekends or holidays. In the tunnel campus, there is an entertainment area with many activities such as bike rental, swimming, camping, eating, boating, canoeing, duck riding. Most of the games you have to buy tickets. Some games that you cannot ignore are war simulation games. This is a very interesting game and has an attraction to young people. Le Huu Thanh, a visitor from Hue, felt: “Not only is the famous military work of Vietnam and the world, is a historical relic … Cu Chi tunnels are also an attractive destination. with visitors. I am fortunate to come here and participate in war simulation games. I feel like going back to the Vietnam war against French colonialism and American imperialism. I also tried to disassemble guns, fight mock battles with paint guns, experience shooting sports and defense … The experience can be said to be extremely interesting and rewarding. Alternatively, if you are traveling in a group or family, you can also camp and picnic by the river. In the afternoon, the atmosphere around the banks of the Saigon River is very cool, let’s experience a boat ride on the river. In the afternoon, when the day is finished, you can move outside to find food outlets. Around Cu Chi Tunnels, there are quite a few restaurants with a variety of menu, including beef, buffalo meat, barbecue, river fish … you can choose according to your taste and budget. With a large area, green space and many entertainment activities, diverse experiences … Cu Chi Tunnels is a suitable destination for you to relax on weekends and learn more about historical traditions. of your father./.