Life Underground at Cu Chi Tunnel

If you think Cu Chi tunnel is large and comfortable where you can do what you want, you’re wrong!

It’s not that luxury. It appears during Vietnam wars and used to fight against the Americans-the most powerful army in the world with all sorts of aircraft and technologies that kept on searching the Vietnam soldiers day and night.

If the Vietnam soldiers get caught, not only they died but also the entire tunnel systems are discovered which might cause dangers to others in the tunnels systems.

Vietnam soldiers therefore make use of the tunnel systems, being more resilient and smarter than their enemies to survive.  

So, how the tunnel systems look like and how did Vietnam soldiers built it? 

  This is the entrance of the tunnel. The guide picks a heap of dried leaves to cover the entrance of the tunnels to ensure the enemies not discover it.

 Booby traps, one of the trap Vietnam soldiers use to ambush the Americans soldiers.

Can't imagine if I fall down. Must be pain to death. 

One of important part of the tunnel-ventilation holes are hided in the foot of trees, fake hills, termite nests.

Americans soldiers once used the shepherd dogs to detect the Vietnam soldiers and foods. The Vietnam soldiers utilize stolen American soaps in order to make the shepherd dogs identify them as friendly. 

Additionally, the captured and stolen American soldiers’ uniforms were tied at the ventilation holes to confuse the dogs. 

I appreciate Viet Congs' brilliant and expertise to build and hide the ventilation holes from the enemies.

 Door trap. 

Viet Cong recycle the weapons of Americans by taking few years times. 

 making rice papers 

Vietnam soldiers makes the sandals from the rubbers with shaped backwards to thwart anyone following their foot trails

Vietnam soldiers rubber shoes with shaped backwards are available in various sizes 

The entrance of the tunnels. The tour let us go down to the tunnels. The tunnels get deeper and narrower.

So, when I reach emergency exit tunnel each 20 meters I choose to go out as I found it too hot.

Hidden beneath the tunnels have underground kitchen, water wells, hospitals, food/weapon supply storage store and schools. 

 meeting room

Hospital 

Water wells

The special tunnels for releasing the cooking smokes. These tunnels are in other places as not to give enemies Viet Cong locations. 

Viet Cong uniforms

Seeing the above tunnel conditions, the life in tunnels is extremely difficult for Vietnam soldiers. The tunnels are damp and dark. Air, food and waters are scare. The tunnels definitely infested with ants, poisonous snakes, scorpions, worms and centipedes.  

Vietnam soldiers are not the supermen so they afraid with those poisonous snakes, scorpions, worms and centipedes. At the meantime, they have to face the constant attacks from the American soldiers either underground or the ground.

When comes to worst condition, they have to eat grass and drink urine to survive. Fortunately, everything is over-no wars, no gun shooting sounds and no injuries.