Monday, September 14, 2009

Southern Vietnam – Cu Chi Tunnels

Cu Chi Tunnels, located in greater Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), is a network of tunnels built by the Communist guerrillas during the Vietnam War. The tunnels served as the living areas, storage facilities, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centers and kitchens for the insurgents. (Source: Lonely Planet)

I was on a business trip to HCMC a few years ago. After completed my duty, I took the opportunity to visit Cu Chi Tunnels. According to the tour guides, America sent ground troops to search for the Communists in Cu Chi area, but the narrow tunnels proved too tough for the taller Western soldiers.

Note that Vietnam War is known as American War in the country it was fought. Apparently, Hanoi wants to emphasize that the War was fought NOT between North and South Vietnam. Rather, it was a war between (all) Vietnamese and the American intruders.

Here is a tank abandoned by the Americans. The guy in blue shirt is the tour guide…


This is a booby trap constructed by the Communists. It is difficult to imagine that the guerrillas used such old-fashioned method to deal with the American troops, who possessed advanced weaponries.


And here is the entrance to one of the tunnels…


This is me emerging from the tunnel




Coming up next: Mekong Delta

23 comments:

  1. according to my mum these tunnels had been enlarged, they were narrower previosly ~

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  2. A friend who has been there said the tunnel was really small. Did you feel claustrophobic inside it? Was it easy to breathe in there?

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  3. hmmm, i am curious to see how is the inner part of the tunnels, and how the network links them together.. :)

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  4. 迷迭香
    That's possible.
    You mum has visited many places...

    Happysurfer
    Breathing was no problem, but moving about was tough.

    SK
    Then you should travel to Southern Vietnam, and visit the tunnels.

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  5. Any possibility for a careless tourist to fall into the booby trap? It looks scary even though old-fashioned.

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  6. 古芝地道也

    裡面很窄又不透氣~

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  7. 有机会我也要去看看。。。^_^

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  8. is it scary inside the tunnel?

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  9. Very interesting site. A must visit in HCMC? Those with a fear of small confined spaces might have a problem though.

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  10. cool~ i never been there yet :)

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  11. Will there be ghost wandering around there? LOL :D

    Hmm...thanks for sharing bro. The tank was abandoned by the Americans? No one bother to remove it? :)

    The booby trap...really gives me the creep.. :(

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  12. Grass
    I think there is such possibility.

    龙猫 
    o奥,你也知道古芝地道。

    花木兰
    挺不错的。

    wenn
    It was scary in 1960s, LOL...

    HCMC
    Not must visit, but definitely worth it.

    kikey
    You complete your Europe tour first ^^

    tekkaus
    Perhaps there are wandering ghosts of soldiers.

    The abandoned tank is now a tourist site, so it is not going to be removed.

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  13. is there anything else in the tunnel? other than darkness and the lack of space? is it soil or cement wall?

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  14. Let us remember history, and learn from it.............

    I guess many of us have fogotten Yap Ah Loy.

    take care now

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  15. xin
    I only 'crawled' a short distance in the tunnel, so can't say much. I believe the space used for sleeping, cooking etc. during the War is still there.

    eugene
    Do kids still learn about Yap Ah Loy in school?

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  16. xin
    Oops, sorry...
    For the communists, there was no luxury of cement.

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  17. 明年一月去HCM不知道有没有时间去这个地方~

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  18. I went there too when I worked at Ho Chi Minh.. The tunnel really narrow dark.. Really sweat when came out from the tunnel.. really cannot imagine how people stay there for so long time....

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  19. The old-fashioned booby traps really look like it can cause a painful death.

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  20. icic. thanks for the info. it must have been a tough time for them.

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  21. 少俊
    Half day will do.

    keeyit
    Actually many communists died there.

    shingo
    Old fashioned, but still effective.

    xin
    Definitely tough for them.

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  22. Note that Vietnam War is known as American War in the country it was fought.

    Like WWII called "war against Japan" is China I guess!
    Very interesting pictures.

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  23. Zhu
    You make a good point!

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