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Situated 13km east of the national Highway 1A and just 6km away from the sea, Vinh Moc, a place well-known as an underground village designed to avoid bombardments during the American War, has become a favourite destination for foreign tourists, especially American war veterans.
The spectacular tunnel network stands as a testament to the endurance, wisdom and bravery of the local people in their fight for independence. The network's total length is nearly 2km, structured into three floors with the first 13m beneath the ground, the second 15m and the third, 23m. The village was built over two years and required approximately 6,000 m³ of earth to be dug out. It is linked to the sea by seven exits, which also function as ventilators, and to a nearby hill by another six.
The "underground village "was home to 94 families and included wells to supply water, a meeting room for 60 people, toilets, a maternity ward, an operating theatre, rice stores, switchboards and observation posts. The village featured unique Hoang Cam stoves, named after the general who invented the store to allow for underground cooking without emitting smoke, thus evading the discovery by bombers.
Before entering the tunnels, visitors are shown the displays of that brutal period in Vietnam's history. Two photos provide a sharp contrast: one shot in February of 1965 features a peaceful village mushroomed with houses, the other shows the debris of the same village in the wake of devastating bombings. The vitality of the local people is clearly evident in another picture showing 11 children, born inside the tunnels during war time, celebrating on the victory day. In another photo, visitors see a group of four optimistic girls in white shirts singing inside the tunnels. They meet the four again in another picture, wearing the popular green military outfit while on the ground firing at enemy bombers.
The war forced many people to either leave their villages or live beneath the ground. Vinh Moc residents opted for the second solution. As many as 17 children were born in these tunnels between 1967 and 1968.
Few would imagine that the rubber and pepper tree plantations today used to be a fierce battleground from 1966-1972 when Vinh Moc was not only the Northern Vietnam front but also a place to pass food and ammunitions to Con Co Island, 28km away.
The area underwent tens of thousands of tonnes of bombs by U.S warplanes. The invaders wanted to return the area to the "stone age "and launched a destructive war there. It was estimated that local residents endured the equivalent of 500 heavy rockets per day.
In 1976, the Ministry of Culture and Information recognised Vinh Moc as national heritage site and included it in a list of especially important historical sites. To ensure security for visitors, the tunnels were restored with reinforced concrete and internal lightening.
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