In the messy quagmire that was the Vietnam War, the USA and the southern government that it was supporting had numerous advantages – including better military technology, air superiority, and more money.
Yet still, they ‘lost’ the war to North Vietnam (however you define ‘losing’).
How was the north able to win against the military might of the US? Well, there were a lot of complicated reasons, but one of them is quite simple – tunnels!
One of the most popular things to do in Ho Chi Minh City is to visit the Cu Chi Tunnels, and it’s here that you can see why they were such an important factor in the Vietnam War.
This network of underground passages were used by North Vietnamese forces (Viet Cong) within South Vietnam. Essentially, they were places to hide during the day, waiting to launch surprise attacks at night.
The US didn’t know where they would appear from because there were so many tunnels entrances hidden in the jungle. And as soon as they’d attacked, they would be back down the tunnels, so the US couldn’t retaliate.
One of the reasons for this element of surprise was that troops and equipment were able to move long distances underground and avoid detection. In total, the tunnels used by the Viet Cong spanned over 250 kilometres!
The Cu Chi Tunnels are just one section of the whole network – named because they are in the district called Cu Chi.
They are now the most famous because visiting the Cu Chi Tunnels is easy from Ho Chi Minh City, so tourism infrastructure has been developed and the tunnels have been preserved or restored.
Climbing down into one of the tunnels, I squeeze through the narrow passage that has been carved through the earth. It has been expanded slightly for tourists, but even so, there’s very little room.
I find the most comfortable way to move through is to crouch down and lean forward, shuffling through as my small backpack scratches the ceiling above.
It would be possible to crawl, but your hands and knees would get dirty.
I wouldn’t describe myself as skinny, but I’m also not particularly overweight, yet it’s still tight. The reality is that some people would struggle to fit through these old Viet Cong tunnels.
They were not easy to dig so the North Vietnamese only made them as wide as necessary. The people who lived down here during the war were naturally skinny, plus food was limited and illness very common.
If you are concerned you might not fit, or don’t like the idea of crawling…
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