This main axis system has many branches connecting to underground hideouts, shelters, and entrances to other tunnels. The cu chi tunnels are one of the best known tourist attractions in south vietnam. Cu chi, vietnam the rattle and pop of automatic weapons greet a visitor. The cu chi tunnels are the most popular day or half day excursion from ho chi minh city. A harrowing account of americas tunnel rats in the underground battlefields of vietnam kindle edition by tom mangold.
While ben dinh tunnels is mostly visited by tourists and foreigner travellers, ben duoc tunnels still remains mostly for local vietnamese tourists. In order to combat bettersupplied american and south vietnamese forces during the vietnam war, communist guerrilla troops known as viet cong vc dug tens of thousands of miles of tunnels, including an extensive network running underneath the cu chi district northwest of saigon. The tunnels of cu chi and over one million other books are available for amazon kindle. Dec 31, 2012 the story of an extraordinary campaign in the vietnam war fought in a 200mile labyrinth of underground tunnels and chambers. When you participate in cu chi tunnels tour, you can visit, learn, experience the imprint of history, moreover you can buy yourself the souvenirs to keep the memories of the relatives trip to cu chi tunnels. I read this book, describing the us side and the sorrow of war. This film tells the story of life underground, and the fight to defeat the us, by those who lived the experience. A harrowing account of americas tunnel rats in the underground battlefields of vietnam kindle edition by mangold, tom. Cu chi tunnels can be crowded, so we recommend booking etickets ahead of time to secure your spot. War underground, chu chi district, operation crimp, the guerillas of the viet cong, the tunnels, survival underground, born in a tunnel, the tunnel rats, not worth a rats ass, stop the americans. If the tenacious spirit of the vietnamese can be symbolised by a place, few sites are more symbolic than cu chi.
The tunnels of cu chi quotes showing 14 of 4 this is how i see humanity. In addition to providing underground shelter, the cu chi tunnels served a key role during combat operations, including as a base for communist attacks against nearby. Dec 19, 20 video and photographs of the cu chi tunnels in vietnam taken by eugene taylor and abraham krikorian in november 20. About a two hours drive from the former south vietnam capital, cu chi tunnels today comprise a popular saigon tourist destination that provides visitors with an evocative look at vietnam war history. Cu chi travel ho chi minh city region, vietnam lonely. Apr 25, 2000 this was the reality of warfare in the tunnels of cu chi, the viet congs underground fortress dug beneath the jungles of south vietnam. Young women in the black pajamas of the vietcong flit through the woods. If youre searching for the best cu chi tunnels tour from ho chi minh city, consider a speedboat, cycling and tunnel tour with les rives and their partner grasshopper adventures. After the war, the vietnamese government preserved parts of the tunnels as a national monument.
Cu chi tunnels, vietnam crawl through a small trapdoor into narrow, stifling tunnels and enter an underground village with kitchen. Along the way, stop by a rubber plantation for a look at a local industry. Cu chi tunnels half day tour by luxury speedboat les rives. The incredible true story of american and viet cong soldiers, battling in vast underground tunnels north of saigon. If you like active travel, its one of the top day trips from saigon you can do. Vo hoang letunnel surgeon, psychological operations, fighting science, rat six and batman, vo thi mothe girl guerrilla, tunnel rat squad, winners and losers. The best cu chi tunnels tour our speedboat spreads ripples through the. Recounts the discovery of a network of tunnels around saigon and the resulting underground fighting between viet cong guerrillas and american special forces for control of the tunnels.
The local people of cu chi started digging this 250km. It is believed that over 45,000 vietnamese men and women died protecting the cu chi tunnel system during the war. Realistically, this may have been a former supply tunnel because it was much larger than the majority of the real tunnels. The campaign in the tunnels of cu chi was fought with cunning and savagery between viet cong guerrillas and special teams of us infantrymen called tunnel rats. Sep 23, 2015 the local people of cu chi started digging this 250km network of connecting underground tunnels during the french occupation in the 40s and continued in the 60s, when they were used by the north vietnamese to fight the americansouth vietnamese army. The cu chi tunnels are an elaborate underground community made up of 250 km of tunnels and chambers below the city understand. Today, the cu chi tunnels form an almost obligatory stop in most tour itineraries for tourists visiting vietnam. Our team is made up of experienced and dedicated tour operators and guides who will be by your side throughout your journey in vietnam especially to the cu chi tunnels.
Army sketch of the tunnels provides a sense of how the underground network worked. Area right of tunnels and underground office meetings. This area covered 200 miles of underground tunnel complexes of as many as four separate levels. Mar 28, 2018 ben duoc tunnels the base of the district commissioner and the military zone of saigon cho lon gia dinh at phu hiep hamlet, phu my hung commune, cu chi district, ho chi minh city recognized by misnistry of culture as national cultural and historical relic accroding to decision no. At first glance there is scant evidence today of the fighting and bombing that convulsed cu chi during the war.
The tunnels were dug with simple tools and bare hands during the french occupation in the 1940s, and further expanded during the vietnam war in the 1960s to provide refuge and a defensive. Book your tickets online for cu chi tunnels, ho chi minh city. Cu chi is about 40 km northwest of ho chi minh city in southern vietnam. As a specialist about organising tour to cu chi tunnels, cu chi tunnels tours would like to show you a general information. Jan 21, 2010 top 10 underground walks from national geographic. Cu chi tunnels tour facts and photos global travel press. Video and photographs of the cu chi tunnels in vietnam taken by eugene taylor and abraham krikorian in november 20. Having been down one of the tunnels, i cannot believe that anyone could live down in them for years, as they were so claustrophobic and very humid. These tunnels allowed whole units to move throughout south vietnam undetected and protected the viet cong from the uss superior firepower. Cu chi travel ho chi minh city region, vietnam lonely planet. The cu chi tunnels, a mickey grant film, is the story of life underground told by the people who lived the experience.
Following the war, the vietnamese government set out to preserve the old tunnel system and today tourists can. Our multilingual guides and staff members are chosen for their wealth of knowledge about local culture as well as their dedication to providing outstanding service for our clients. During the war in vietnam, thousands of people in the vietnamese province of cu chi lived in an elaborate network of underground tunnels. The tunnel network played an important role during the vietnam war for viet cong forces, who used it for food storage, living quarters, and a hospital, among other things. Visit the cu chi tunnels on this 6hour tour from ho chi minh city. The cu chi tunnels are an elaborate underground community made up of 250 km of tunnels and chambers below the city. And i put quotation marks because the tunnels are much more than a museum for the enjoyment of national and foreign visitors.
Cu chi tunnels and saigon underground city tour les rives. The vietnam war ended with the fall of saigon in 1975. Cu chi tunnel listed among top attractions in the world the tunnels were used by vietnamese independence fighters as hiding spots during combat, as well as serving as communication and supply routes, hospitals, food and weapon caches and living quarters. Ironically, what these men knew about the great underground tunnel complex. These tunnels are approximately 200 kilometers long and were hand dug by the. Cu chi tunnels cu chi tunnels consist of more than 200km of underground tunnels. Cu chi tunnels half day tour by speedboat is one of les rives best selling tours, you will travel like a vip and arrive hours before the large bus tour groups to the famous cu chi tunnels historical site also pronounced as chu chi tunnels by some foreigners. Cu chi tunnels, vietnam dark tourism the guide to dark.
This is a fascinating read about the underground tunnels that kept americans. The tourist tunnel extends for 20 or 30 meters and it is about 20 feet underground. It is legendary for its network of tunnels, which extend over 220km, and is a popular destination for both vietnamese and foreign visitors. The highlight of the tunnels in phu my hung is the sound of underground tunnels. This went on until they finally cleared all the tunnels lying within the camp. With ba ong ngo, thi dinh nguyen, phuong dong huynh, phuong vien. Fortunately, there was a section of the cu chi tunnels tour that tourists could enter and travel through. The tunnels of cu chi focused on a very specific, but important aspect of the vietnam war. The bombs abouve, the maze below the new york times. Books similar to the tunnels of cu chi the tunnels of cu chi. It is a story told by a surgeon, an artist, and actress, an engineer, and the few survivors of the guerilla band who left the tunnels each night to fight against an enemy of vastly superior strength.
A great book that should be read by anyone interested in this unique war fought in the tunnels of cu chi. Because this is a popular attraction with vietnamese school children and holidaymakers, we set out early to avoid large crowds. Cu chi base camp relied on local workers for support. On the same day, you will visit the cu chi tunnels and explore the secret places of saigon that affected resistance during the indochina and vietnam wars.
The tunnels of cu chi by tom mangold, john penycate alibris. Army tunnel rats, who tried to explore and clear the underground cities. Cu chi tunnels are also the souvenir shop with more than 0 items meet all types. A man in green fatigues picks his way down a narrow trail, leading a small platoon of foreign tourists. This has been increasingly developed for tourism, esp. Working from government documents and corporate records, sauder has compiled an impressive book that digs below the surface of the militaryas supersecret underground. Celeste ng, ann patchett, min jin lee and others on the books that bring.
See all 425 cu chi tunnels tickets and tours on tripadvisor. Cu chi tunnels ho chi minh city 2020 all you need to know. At the height of the vietnam conflict, a complex system of secret underground tunnels sprawled from cu chi province to the edge of saigon. Top 10 underground walks travel national geographic. Because of their inside connection, the vc in the cu chi district and the iron. This was the reality of warfare in the tunnels of cu chi, the viet congs underground fortress dug beneath the jungles of south vietnam. How to visit the cu chi tunnels on your own bona travels.
Chi are an immense network of connecting tunnels located in the c. Underground conference rooms where campaigns such as the t. Area left of the battalion stationed where glory defense team. At its peak the cu chi tunnel network covered some 250 kilometres from the cambodian border in the west to the outskirts of what was then saigon.
It is legendary for its network of tunnels, which extend over 220km, and is a popular. Just 30 km from ho chi minh city or saigon, hundreds of miles of narrow underground tunnels attest to the determination of the viet cong during the vietnam war. Cu chi tunnels which is famous with its complex tunnels system of 250km long, has two public tunnels. The authors, bbc journalists, discuss the vietcong who lived, worked and fought. This is a combination of les rives cu chi historical site tour by speedboat and saigon underground city tour by motorbike. See all 422 cu chi tunnels tickets and tours on tripadvisor. In these burrows, the viet cong cached their weapons, tended their wounded, and prepared to strike. The tunnels of cu chi by tom mangold, john penycate waterstones. The tunnels of cu chi by tom mangold and john penycate. Following the war, the vietnamese government set out to preserve the old tunnel system and today tourists can visit and tour the cu chi tunnel systems. The cu chi tunnels are a network of underground tunnels, carved out by hand, located 55 miles northwest of ho chi minh city saigon. This is the site of the cu chi tunnels, one of the most famous battlegrounds of the vietnam war. Most of these people were vc sympathizers who gathered intelligence for the vc from across the base. To ask other readers questions about the tunnels of cu chi, please sign up.
Using firsthand accounts from men and women on both sides who fought and killed in these underground battles, authors tom mangold and john penycate provide a gripping inside look at this fearsome combat. Cu chi tunnels are located approximately 70km northwest of ho chi minh city centre in cu chi rural district. Publisher description at the height of the vietnam conflict, a complex system of secret underground tunnels sprawled from cu chi province to the edge of saigon. The story of an extraordinary campaign in the vietnam war fought in a 200mile labyrinth of underground tunnels and chambers. Buy the tunnels of cu chi by tom mangold, john penycate online at alibris. Cu chi tunnels ho chi minh city 2020 all you need to. Cu chi underground tunnels half day tour tnk travel. The tunnels of cu chi is a war classic of unbearable tension and unforgettable heroes. Full day tours begin in the early morning and head first of all to the cao. The tunnels of cu chi are an immense network of connecting underground tunnels located in the cu chi district of ho chi minh city saigon, vietnam, and are part of a much larger network of tunnels that underlie much of the country. Buy a cheap copy of the tunnels of cu chi book by tom mangold. Astoundingly, given their great length, the tunnels were dug with bare hands or very simple tools during the french occupation in the 1940s, and further expanded during the american war better known in this hemisphere as the vietnam war in the 1960s. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Oct 06, 2006 just 30 km from ho chi minh city or saigon, hundreds of miles of narrow underground tunnels attest to the determination of the viet cong during the vietnam war.
Largely in part to the battle in the tunnels of cu chi between viet cong guerrillas and american tunnel rats. Located 60km from ho chi minh city, cu chi is now considered a heroic district for its role during the american war in vietnam. The underground tunnels of cu chi, vietnam amusing planet. Go behind the scenes into littleknown corners of the. The tunnels were used by viet cong guerrillas as hiding spots during combat, as well as serving as communication and supply routes, hospitals, food and weapon caches and living quarters for numerous guerrilla fighters. The cu chi tunnels were the location of several military campaigns during the vietnam war, and were the viet cong. During the vietnam war, thousands of people in the province of cu chi lived in an elaborate system of underground tunnels. To see what went on, you have to dig deeper underground. The cu chi tunnels were the location of several military campaigns during the vietnam war, and were the viet congs base of operations for the tet offensive in 1968.