At The Cu Chi Tunnels, You Will Feel The Horrors Of War
- Anuj Saripalli
- May 4, 2022
- 5 min read
Updated: May 5, 2022
The Vietnam War from 1955-75 was horrendously traumatising for the brave soldiers — no textbook can truly describe the conditions they were forced to endure. Read on for a glimpse into the lives of Vietnamese soldiers in the Cu Chi Tunnels.
Contents
Beautiful display of Vietnam
We drove for about 2 hours from our hotel in Ho Chi Minh City to Cu Chi District, and it was a really enjoyable ride! About midway we stopped at a lovely handicraft shop. What was special about this was that the craftspeople were all people with physical disabilities, and it was beautiful to see them showcase their skills 🥌
Life in the tunnels
They’re more than just complicated
Our chatty tour guide, Tú, told us all the secrets the Cu Chi Tunnels held. These are an immense network of underground tunnels that span 250km long!
These elaborate connections gave insight into how difficult the 20 years of war were. There were 3 levels underground, all linked together, with different sections.
For instance, the triangular-shaped bunker on the left was used for making ammunition but also to safely secure young children (the walls were thicker than usual in this part of the tunnel).
The 3 rules of survival
The following were key to remain undetected by the enemy in these secret tunnels:
Communicate with absolutely no sound. 🤐
Cook with no smoke emission. 😶🌫️
Walk (or, well, crawl/slither/wiggle) through the tunnels only with Ho Chi Minh sandal to prevent any noise.
Also, if a South Vietnamese soldier (supported by the USA) faced a Vietcong soldier (supported by communist Vietminh forces), then they had to kill to proceed further since there was virtually no room to turn around and flee.
Life (or death) above tunnels
Digging their own graves
The land above was a very dense jungle with creepers hanging and insects crawling and guns firing left, right and centre.
But what you can’t see are the innumerable bamboo traps 🎍 that can either severely injure one by crushing their legs or a swift death. Sometimes, the traps were so hidden that many soldiers died in their own trap.
There were 7 types of bamboo traps, some with revolving spikes, some that completely locked your legs that they had to be cut off, and some that were installed in their own homes to kill intruders.
Storing ammo was not easy
There were porous mounds on the ground used for air ventilation for life below the ground. But, these were also used to sneakily hide guns.
The unwanted tunnel rats were a problem
No, I’m not talking about some sneaky mouse 🐀 The tunnel rats not only refer to the soldiers that lived there but also to the thousands of refugees from the Philippines, Japan and other bordering countries, like Cambodia (where, if you go by motorbikes using these routes you will reach there in 1.5 hours), who escaped due to conflicts in their own countries.
Many, sadly, had met their ghastly end to the unkind guns and unforgiving traps.
Honing survival skills
Apart from being incredibly insecure and suspicious by nature, the people who lived in camouflaged huts usually worked as spies or in ammunition and sandal workshops. There were also rice paper and rice wine 🍶 workshops as well. (These papers are used for Saigon’s popular spring roll.)
Experiencing the past
Hide in a pit and wait for the enemy!
The first thing you would do in the tour is to get inside a vertical pit (this was made for tourists like us, but they were essentially the entrance/exit points of the tunnels). The mouth of the tunnel will be shut close, and POOF! You are now a soldier who can jump up and shoot the unaware enemy. Only difference is, they had to carry huge guns and constantly be ready to face death.
Some tunnels were inaccessible, though
Over the years, however, many tunnels were closed due to safety issues. Some were infested with a myriad of insects 🕷 🐜 and others just not big enough anymore except for small cats or dogs.
BUT… some tunnels provided an unforgettable memory
For adventurous tourists like us, there was a 100-metre-long tunnel for us to crawl through! The tunnels took sudden turns or sometimes randomly decided to make us go up and down, but this is an experience I’ll never forget. Just imagine, soldiers had to crawl tens of kilometres and had to live here for 20 years 😧
Note: Those who are claustrophobic or with certain health issues are advised to skip this part of the tour. There are exit points every 20 metres for those who couldn’t proceed any further.
The gunshots in the background are not sound effects
Throughout the tour you will hear deafening gunshots being fired from somewhere. As you near the end of the walking tour, there will be a shooting range where you can shoot real guns used at the time, like AK, Colt 45, M16. 54.
I did not shoot, but I did sneakily get a picture holding it 😉
The hospitality was the cherry on top
Purchase lovely souvenirs
There is a souvenir shop near the end of the tour where you can buy fridge magnets, paintings, figurines and other memorabilia! This is in the same place as the shooting range! (See above)
Food is catered to your palate!
There is a restaurant over there which offers mind blowing food that can be tweaked to suit your preferences. (Like vegetarian options or avoiding certain types of meat.)
You would certainly be exhausted after the 2-hour tour, so all you have to do is to just directly go to the restaurant where piping hot food is already waiting at the table!
I‘ll say it again, Tú was too good
Of course, without a proper tour guide this experience will not be that great, but our guide made sure that every fact was presented in a memorable way. (The journey was full of tidbits that made it more enjoyable!)
This is a must-visit if you are in Vietnam because it is a portal to the dark past. As with most of my other experiences, one feeling I was left with was gratitude because the life I have is a blessing compared to the unfair lives the soldiers endured for those 20 years.
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