Cu Chi Tunnels
Cu Chi Tunnels were pivotal to the Communist's victory over the American and
the South Vietnamese Army as they allowed the Viet Cong to control a large
rural area around
Saigon. At its height, the tunnel system, parts of which
were several levels deep, stretched over 200 km from Saigon to Cambodian
border.
The area of Cu Chi was one of the most pro-communist districts in the far
south; indeed the VC used the tunnels to organize the 1968 Tet Offensive.
During the Vietnam War the entire area of Cu Chi was designated a free fire
zone and was heavily bombarded: you can still see numerous craters caused by
500 pounds of B52 bombs.
It was this persistent bombing campaign that drove many of the residents of
Cu Chi together with the Viet Cong underground. Originally the tunnels had
been created as far back as 1948 to help combat the French. Now they were
rapidly expanded to include innumerable trap doors, specially constructed
living areas, storage facilities, weapons factories, field hospitals,
command centers, kitchens and even schools.
Today Cu Chi is a district of
Tay
Ninh province, the remaining tunnels of this intricate network have been widened to
accommodate the larger western frame and have now become a major tourist
attraction giving the visitor a unique experience of what underground life
in the Vietnam war must have been like and a deep appreciation of the
courage and ingenuity of the Vietnamese people.