The Cu Chi tunnels of Vietnam

By: Michael Nguyễn Đình Vinh (2nd year Aspirant)

One weekend, we made a trip to Cu Chi Tunnels, which were the centre of the communist leadership of Saigon during the war. It is known as the steel Land and bronze Rampart. It protected the communist soldiers during the wars against the aggression of the French and Americans.

Located 70 km from HCM City in the Northwest, with total length about 250 km and with a special architecture lying deeply underground, Cu Chi Tunnels are widely considered as a unique wonder. The tunnels were dug deep underground from 3 – 8 meters with stratums, nooks and crannies as complex as a cobweb, having spaces for living, meeting and fighting. Specially, there was one kind of kitchen named Hoang Cam kitchen, which interested the tourists because that was an original creation of the socialist soldiers.

 We arrived at Cu Chi around 9 o’clock. After buying tickets and entering the gate, one guide led us into a place that was a village in the war. The people in this village participated in fighting and supporting the communist troops to hide from the enemy. Despite the fact that it was hot and we had to go on the clay roads under branches and leaves, we could imagine the activities and the life of the villagers in the past. They weren’t afraid of the threat, the hunt and the suppression of the enemy, but continued to hide and feed soldiers. The thatched houses, the scenes, the market, the ruins of war and the models of people made us feel that the war has not ended.

Leaving the village, we went to a large lake. Around the lake, there are some buildings considered as symbols of the North, Centre and South. This is the pretty cool place, so visitors can stop to rest and relax. However, we did not have much time to stay there, so we had to go to visit some other parts of the tunnel system. Before seeing it, we watched a documentary film to understand the war generally and the birth of the tunnel system. Indeed, our generation or the foreign visitors didn’t live in this war, so we don’t understand the documentary of the war and whether they are true or not. However, we could consider that the wars damaged this country and caused a big division for the Vietnamese and many of them had to leave their native land.

When the guide led us into the forest, we saw some very small entrances and exit holes which are disguised skillfully for safety. Some of us tried to creep down into the underground to experience the sensation that the soldiers had when they fought against their enemy. For our part, visiting the tunnels, seeing vestiges or being told about the cunningness and cleverness of the communist soldiers, we had a feeling that the communist soldiers seemed not to be afraid of any thing and were willing to sacrifice their lives for their country. The spirit of the VC soldiers and the people of Cu Chi have left us with a big question: what motivated them to create such a great tunnel system? Have their hardships and sacrifices been remunerated or not?

In brief, the trip to the Cu Chi tunnels helped us to discover a place for visiting, resting and relaxing in the weekend. This place also made us review our country’s history and remember the people who sacrificed a part of their life for our peace. Nevertheless, Cu Chi has left us many questions about the truth and the ruthlessness of the wars that was caused by people in general. 

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