Steps and arched walkway inside Vietnam War tunnel at Cu Chi
About this photograph
- Creator
- Margery H. Freeman
- Date created
- May 1997
- Location
- Cu Chi, Vietnam
- License
- This photograph copyright ©1997. Terms of use
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Steps and an arched walkway are seen inside a Vietnam War tunnel at Cu Chi. The surfaces appear to be carved of packed earth.
During the 1960s, Communist guerillas dug these narrow tunnels that ran for about seventy-five miles from the countryside in Cu Chi west of Saigon all the way to the Cambodian border. When the U.S. forces could not control the tunnel areas effectively with ground troops, they dropped B-52 bombs on the area, seriously damaging the tunnel network and nearby land.
At two sites in Cu Chi, about 45 miles northwest of Ho Chi Minh City, the tunnels have been restored and are open for visitors. Tourists can enter some of the tunnels and examine supply storage areas as well as false entrances created to trick enemies. The tunnel sites and monuments are part of Vietnam’s recent efforts to develop “war tourism” for foreigners interested in Vietnam War history.
