
But thecity, the country's largest, also has a great deal of historicalvalue related to the wars of resistance against the French andAmerican aggressors to offer interest to tourists as well as locals.
Oneof the most fascinating destinations is Cu Chi guerrilla warfaretunnels, located about 70km from downtown HCM City.
Builtby South Vietnamese liberation forces as shelter from US and Sai Gon troopsduring the war, the site is known over the world, but even manylocals have yet to visit the tunnels.
Revolutionary spirit
Firstformed in 1948 during the resistance war against the Frenchcolonialists, the original network of tunnels was in Tan Phu Trung and Phuoc VinhAn wards.
Initially,the tunnels had only short paths and simple structure that were usedto hide documents, weapons and resistance members deep inside theenemy-controlled area.
Onlyduring the anti-American war were the tunnels reinforced and widened.
Beginningin 1961, when the Party Committee and headquarters of the Sai Gon-GiaDinh Military Region of the liberation forces chose Cu Chi as an operatingarea, the tunnel system maximized its use for years, especially in 1966,against the Americans broadening the war in the South.
Withtheir indomitable strength, Cu Chi’s resistance forces andlocal people created a system of crisscrossing tunnels withmultiple floors, with more than 200km of underground trenches intotal.
Fora long time, the enemy attacked the base and the tunnel networkrelentlessly by pumping water into the tunnels, using Germanshepherd dogs to hunt and identify the tunnels then using bombs to destroy them.
TheUS forces were involved in 5,000 attacks that aimed to wipeout the Cu Chi resistance base. In addition, thousands of tonnesof various chemical toxins were sprayed on the area.
But,relying on the tunnel network, the Vietnamese liberation soldiers and Cu Chilocals were able to counter all the enemy attacks.
Throughoutthe two resistance wars against the French and the Americans, theresistance army and the people of Cu Chi achieved outstanding victories.
Theyengaged in 4,269 big and small fights, eliminated 22,582 enemy troops,destroyed and took over 5,168 military vehicles (mostly tanks and armouredvehicles), shot down and destroyed 256 airplanes (mainly helicopters),sank and burned 22 warships and boats, and captured 8,581 guns of alltypes. They also destroyed 270 enemy stations in Cu Chi District.
Tunnelstructure
TheCu Chi tunnel relic site includes the Ben Duoc Tunnel (Sai Gon-Gia Dinhmilitary base, Zone A), Sai Gon-Gia Dinh base (Zone B), and the Ben DinhTunnel (Cu Chi District base).
Thetunnel system runs in a zig-zag shape underground, and the main routebranches out in multiple directions that connect in some areas, dependingon the terrain.
Manyexits open to the Sai Gon River so that when emergenciesoccurred people could take river route to Ben Cat resistancebase in Binh Duong province.
Thetunnel system is bulletproof and can withstand the weight of tanks andarmoured vehicles.
Sometunnels have structures that include two to three floors. Stairs between floorshave lids that go to secret vaults.
Insidethe tunnels are areas that could prevent toxic chemicals spraysor the enemy's break-ins. There are pathways so narrow thatpeople have to turn sideways to enter.
Theexits were well camouflaged to avoid enemy detection. Some of themwere also designed as flexible combat and sniping spots to counterenemy attacks.
Aroundthe tunnel entrances, booby traps were placed to prevent enemy entry.
Throughoutthe war, the tunnels in Cu Chi proved to be a source of frustration forthe US and Sai Gon troops. The Vietnamese liberation soldiers were sowell entrenched in the area by 1965 that they were in the uniqueposition of being able to control where and when battles would take place.
Byhelping to covertly move supplies and house troops, the tunnels of Cu Chiallowed Vietnamese fighters to survive and increase the US and Sai Gonmilitary casualties until the US withdrawal from the South in 1973, andtheir final defeat in 1975.
TheCu Chi Tunnels reflect the Vietnamese military arts andthe revolutionary heroism and courageous mindset of the people.
Thetunnel architecture, with its outstanding innovations, played apart in the anti-American war.
Today,the site educates people about the Vietnamese revolutionary traditionand patriotism and shows appreciation for the war heroes, warmartyrs and previous generations who fought and died in the SaiGon-Cho Lon-Gia Dinh area in two resistance wars.
These valueswere cited when the Government officially named the site a nationalhistoric relic on December 23, 2015.
Seeking UNESCO's recognition
Recently,the city's authorities sent a proposal to the Ministry of National Defenceto seek the UN culture agency UNESCO's recognition for the Cu Chi Tunnels as aWorld Heritage Site.
Vietnamis home to eight UNESCO World Heritage sites, including Phong Nha-Ke BangNational Park, My Son Sanctuary, Hoi An ancient city, the Complex of HueMonuments, and the Citadel of the Ho dynasty in the central region.
Theother sites are Ha Long Bay, the Trang An Landscape Complex, and ThangLong Imperial Citadel, which are located in the north.
Ifthe Cu Chi Tunnels network is recognised, it will be the south’sfirst UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In2015, the historic area was recognised as a special national relic site.For tourism purposes, more than 120km out of over 200km of thetunnels have been preserved.
Thetunnels have been a popular tourism landmark for years, attractingthousands of visitors each day. Visitors are able to experiencethe resilience and unyielding will of the people who lived in the tunnelsduring wartime.
Dr PhanAn, head of the Southern Institute of Social Sciences, said: “The Cu ChiTunnels' architecture is one of a kind. UNESCO World Heritage Siteacknowledgement would not just introduce global friends to it, butwould also be a chance for Vietnamese nationwide to appreciate the relicmore.
“Thesite has not yet received the acknowledgement it deserves. Many HCMCity residents have never visited the site despite itshistorical importance. Publicity is still limited, leading to inadequateattention for preservation of the relic site. Only a small part is preservedfor visits and tourism.
“It runsa high risk of destruction from natural and human impact. So, if UNESCOacknowledges it as a World Heritage Site, local authorities andresidents will be more responsible and collectively care for andpreserve the entirety of the tunnels. At the same time, it would heightenpublic awareness about heritage sites like this.”/.