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Location: Vinh Moc Tunnels is
situated in Vinh Linh Village, Vinh Thach Commune, Vinh
Linh District, Quang Tri Province.
Characteristics: Vinh Moc Tunnels - a place well-known
as an underground village constructed to avoid
bombardments during the American War (1965-1966).
Situated 13km east of the national Highway 1A and just
6km away from the sea, Vinh Moc Tunnels has become a
favorite 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 tunnels used to be
thousands of meters long. But now there remain only
1,700m. This underground network is linked with 13 doors
(seven opening to the sea and six to the hills). The
structure is divided into three layers, the deepest
being 23m underground. They are connected by a 768m main
axis that is 1.6 to 1.8m high and 1.2 to 1.5m wide. It
is linked to the sea by seven exits, which also function
as ventilators and to a nearby hill by another six.
Along the two sides of the main axis are housing
chambers. There is also a large meeting hall with a
seating capacity of 50 to 80 people, which was used for
meetings, movies, art performances, surgeries, and even
the delivery of babies (17 were born here). There are
also four air wells, two watch stations and three water
wells. 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 by
some photos. They provide a sharp contrast for the
vitality of the local people in during war time,
celebrating on the victory day.
The war forced many people to either leave their
villages or live beneath the ground. Vinh Moc residents
opted for the second solution. A few would imagine that
the rubber and pepper tree plantations today used to be
a fierce battleground from 1966-1972 when Vinh Moc was a
place to pass food and ammunitions to Con Co Island.
The area underwent tens of thousands of tones of bombs
by US 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
recognized Vinh Moc Tunnels 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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Source: Vietnam Nation Administration of Tourism
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