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Cu Chi Tunnels
 The
Cu Chi Tunnels were pivotal to the Communist's victory over the
American and the South Vietnamese Army as they allowed the Viet Cong
to control a large rural area around
Saigon. At its height, the tunnel system, parts of which were several
levels deep, stretched over 200 km from
Saigon
to Cambodian border.
The
area of Cu Chi was
one of the most pro-communist districts in the
far south; indeed the VC used the tunnels to organize the 1968 Tet
Offensive. During the Vietnam War the entire area of Cu Chi was
designated a free fire zone and was heavily bombarded: you can still
see numerous craters caused by 500 pounds of B52 bombs.
It
was this persistent bombing campaign that drove many of the
residents of Cu Chi together with the Viet Cong underground.
Originally the tunnels had been created as far back as 1948 to help
combat the French. Now they were rapidly expanded to include
innumerable trap doors, specially constructed living areas, storage
facilities, weapons factories, field hospitals,  command
centers, kitchens and even schools.
Today
the remaining tunnels of this intricate network have been widened to
accommodate the larger western frame and have now become a major
tourist attraction giving the visitor a unique experience of what
underground life in the Vietnam war must have been like and a deep
appreciation of the courage and ingenuity of the Vietnamese people.
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