Cu Chi Tunnels Tour
Cu Chi Tunnels Remind of Vietnam’s Deep and Dark Past
Historical Prevalence of Cu Chi Tunnels :
The Cu Chi tunnels were built over a period of about 25 years. It started sometime in the late 1940s during the war against the French. They were chiefly used for communication as well as to evade the French army sweeps. When NLF or the National Liberation Front insurgency started around 1960, these tunnels were repaired and new extensions excavated. Within only a few years, these acquired immense significance and most of the Cu Chi district and the nearby areas came under the Viet Cong control. The Cu Chi tunnels tour bear testimony to the fact that the secret tunnels were not just fortifications for the Viet Cong guerillas but the center of community life. There were underground schools as well as public spaces where the couples were married off. There were also theaters where the performers entertained people with dance as well as traditional stories.
Life Inside the Cu Chi Tunnels:
Life in the tunnels was extremely hard. Water, air and food were scarce and the tunnels were infested with poisonous centipedes, ants, scorpions and spiders. The guerillas spend the day working or resting and used to come out at night to tend to crops, scavenge for supplies or engage the enemy in battles. At times, during heavy bombing or the American troop movement, they were forced to remain underground for days at a stretch. Sickness was prevalent among the people living in the tunnels. Malaria was the second largest cause of death next only to the battle wounds.
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