Cu Chi

The Cu Chi Tunnels are located approximately 70 km northwest of Ho Chi Minh City center in Cu Chi District. This tunnel network stretches over 200 km, comprising a main tunnel system with branches leading to hideouts, shelters, and other tunnel entrances. Cu Chi District is nationally known as the operational base of the Vietnamese military during the Tet Offensive in 1968.

The tunnels measure only 0.5 to 1 meter in width, just enough for a person to pass through by bending down or crawling. However, some sections have been widened to accommodate visitors. The thick topsoil layer, 3 to 4 meters deep, can support the weight of a 50-ton tank and withstand light artillery and bomb damage. This tunnel network provided sleeping quarters, meeting rooms, hospitals, and other communal spaces.

Visiting the Cu Chi Tunnels helps tourists gain a better understanding of the Vietnamese people's protracted resistance war, emphasizing the resilience and ingenuity of the Vietnamese nation. The Cu Chi Tunnels, a seemingly invisible place, have certainly carved out an important place in the history of guerrilla warfare. This renowned yet invisible underground system proved challenging and ultimately detrimental to the American military.

The tunnels were dug in the late 1940s before the Vietnam War, in response to the brutal and mobile occupation by the French colonizers. The Vietnamese military's plan was straightforward: launch a quick attack against the enemy and then disappear. Today, this unseen and unclaimed territory is being honored as a National Historic and Cultural Relic, with Halls of Tradition displaying images and artifacts. Nearby, the Ben Duoc - Cu Chi War Memorial showcases above-ground models of the tunnel system, paying tribute to a silent war.