Cu Chi Tunnels and the War Museum

The Cu Chi tunnels were initially constructed in the 1940's but they are most famous for the role they played in the American (Vietnam) war. They were greatly expanded thought the 1960's to link villages and provide protection and communication for the Viet Cong (VC). My trip to the Cu Chi region was led by a tour guide who's family were members of the VC and had lived in the tunnels for years though the war. He spoke very passionately, although he tried to stick to the script he was clearly proud of the role his family had played in "outwitting" the enemy.

The tunnels at one point ran through a huge part of Southern Vietnam, from Saigon all the way to the Cambodian border - there was a 250km network in the Cu Chi region alone. The tunnel networks were sometimes three stories deep and sometimes people lived underground for weeks or months at a time. My guide demonstrated how to get into the hidden system:

Arms up, as you can't fit with arms at your side.

It was actually quite eerie walking through the jungle, as I could hear people firing the AK47s at the range. The VC became industrious as they did not have enough weapons of their own, they would use anything they could find from the enemy to make their own.

I did climb down through the shorter tunnel (20m long) and it was horrendous - hot and very narrow (almost hands and knees) - this one had even been enlarged for tourists:

The VC were difficult to fight in this area, as they could disappear and reappear from many locations whilst targeting enemy soldiers. The US eventually determined this whole area a free-fire zone, meaning no authorisation was required to shoot - anything that moved was assumed to be the VC. This area is widely known as "the most bombed, shelled, gassed, defoliated and devastated area in the history of warfare". Even today crop yields are low and continue to be affected by the tonnes of chemicals dumped on this area.

The VC used many techniques to avoid detection - washing in American soap so dogs could not locate them, disguising ventilation shafts (for oxygen and cooking smoke) with termite mounds and wearing shoes that left backwards footprints. They also built the most hideous traps, which had originally been designed to trap animals:

The "souvenir" trap - as once your foot goes in you can't get it out.....

The devastation, both to the people and the environment, in this area is unimaginable. And I didn't truly appreciate it until I visited the War Remnants Museum the next day.  Outside the museum there is a collection of tanks, guns, planes and helicopters (some trainee soldiers were enjoying the trip out too).

But the photographs on display inside were deeply disturbing. They were from international and Vietnamese photographers and they told horrific stories of war, torture and suffering (mostly against the Vietnamese, but some from the other side too). There were also photographs of the effects of the agent orange and other chemicals used - some of which were recent second/third generation sufferers. I don't think I have ever been so affected by a museum, it was very upsetting. Millions of Vietnamese people have been and continue to be killed or maimed by the war. It was in stark contrast to the relatively upbeat visit to Cu Chi, which championed the Vietnamese tenacity and spirit.