Cu Chi district is the centre of a network of 200 kilometres of underground tunnels used by resistance fighters during the war of liberation. The tunnels were built over a period of twenty-five years by Viet Minh in their fight against the French and repaired and extended by Viet Cong while they were fighting the South Vietnamese and American forces. The tunnels incorporated all the amenities required to sustain life underground including kitchens, hospitals, recreation areas and sleeping quarters. The site has a museum with many photographs and a documentary film describing the role the tunnels played during the war and how they have fought against American troops. Cu Chi is a great learning experience for all those who want to gain a greater understanding of the Vietnamese psyche.
The Cu Chi Tunnel is an underground network which was excavated by the Vietnamese and used by the Viet Cong during both the French-Indochina War (1946-1954) and the Vietnam War (1955-1975). Situated near Ho Chi Minh City, the tunnels took around 25 years to construct and were finished in the 1960s. Stretching for over 200km (124 miles) and connecting numerous villages in the provinces, the tunnels once housed mini-hospitals, store rooms and factories, and were used as living quarters by both Vietnamese fighters and local villagers. The tunnels stand today as a symbol of the struggle by the Vietnamese people on one of the most famous battlegrounds of the Vietnam War. Cu Chi district was heavily bombed during the two wars and was particularly targeted at night, forcing residents to live in underground tunnels. Today, visitors to the site can experience life underground during their tour of the tunnels and imagine what life would have been like for the Vietnamese
