Initially, Cu Chi Tunnels was built in 1948 with small-scale and it is only a place for Communist soldiers’ activities. After that, the tunnels’ network reaches to 25 km in length supplying shelter for thousands of people. In 1965, the “blood branch” (main branches) of Cu Chi tunnels had finished. After that, the smaller branches of the tunnels were expanded quickly basing on the main branches. Even, each house of local people had also a secret underground path connecting with Cu Chi Tunnel.
A part of Cu Chi Tunnels' model
The tools for digging the tunnels are extremely simple such as hoes or bamboo shovels. A question appears in everyone’ mind where thousand tones of soil for digging the tunnels is delivered. The answer is that the local people transported soil to paddy fields for farming and used for flatting bomb holes. This process of delivering soil has to complete secretly to avoid the detection of enemy. Due to the lack of high technology, the local people joined hands with Communist soldiers to build concrete tunnels at that time.
A staircase in Cu Chi Tunnels
Not only being a secret place for Communist Soldiers, Cu Chi Tunnels had also become a miniature village at which serves for accommodation of Vietnamese in the severe wartime until its expansion. A system of complex structures was interconnected in the Cu Chi Tunnels such as housing troop, large bedroom, meeting room, kitchen, and food storages. In statistics, there are thousands of Vietnamese people passing away in the tunnels for many reasons such as lack of sanitations, diseases or the detection of enemy’s military.
A corner of Vietnamese kitchen in Cu Chi Tunnels
A small hospital in Cu Chi Tunnels
Many secret doors was designed in Cu Chi Tunnels that its size is only fit enough for one person to go inside. There are also a large number of vents for getting air into the tunnels. Those structures are camouflaged carefully to avoid the detective campaigns of enemy. Some weapons and military structures were also designed for defense such as booby troops and trends.
Cu Chi tunnels can bear the large bomb attack of enemy without collapse because of the extreme depth of the tunnels and its stability of geological factors. The central tunnels The central tunnels are one of the most important parts of the destination. It is a working place for senior commanders of Vietnam Communist Party. Those tunnels have special designation with the most firm frame and there are different emergency exits for preventing the sudden attacks of enemy.
During the defense against the invasion of foreign countries, Cu Chi Tunnels is always a stronghold for Communist Military. From every branch of the tunnels, they can appear suddenly and attack the enemy without being detecting. For this reason, the troops of French colonists and American imperialist tried to destroy the tunnels. Many methods were implemented for this plot. When a part of the tunnels is detected, the enemy pumped water from nearby river to flood the tunnels. However, the plan failed because the small amount of water cannot access the high terrain of Cu Chi Tunnels. The American troop both trains professional solders for destroying tunnels and equips modern weapons for destroying the tunnels. Thousand tons of B52 and Napalm bombs were spread the area of Cu Chi Tunnels. German dogs also used for discovering Vietnamese people’s trace in the tunnels. Despite of high efforts, the enemy cannot break down the firm tunnels.
