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Demilitarized
Zone (DMZ)
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From
1954 until the defeat of the Americans in 1975, Ben Hai river
marked the division of Vietnam. 5km either side of the river was
declared a DMZ - a stark contrast to what really took place in
this region. In fact, the surrounding region experienced some of
the heaviest fighting during the Vietnam War. Some areas, such as
Vinh Moc were termed Free Fire Zones, allowing a virtual free for
all without fear of future repercussions and everything was
designated a target. As a result of this heavy fighting, there is
still heaps live ordnance lying around. There have been some
casualties as unexploded bombs blow up when farmers are working on
their lands nearby or children run up in a play. Khe Sanh, in
particular, was immortalized during and after the conflict. Now
when you catch the train or bus from anywhere South of Dong Hoi to
the DMZ, bomb damage and craters are still evident in paddies,
beside the railway tracks and beside the roads and bridges. As you
get closer to Dong Ha you will notice huge eucalyptus groves,
themselves a legacy of the war. These areas were completely
devastated either by relentless shelling or defoliation during the
war and were eventually replanted with eucalyptus trees, chosen
for their durability and speedy maturity.
Dong
Hoi - Phong Nha
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Dong
Hoi is the closest town from where you can visit the
impressive Phong Nha Cave. Although there is little else
to see in the area, there are some nice beaches that can
be visited on the other side of the river.
The
main attraction of Dong Hoi is a trip to the Phong Nha
Cave. This spectacular cave was used by the Northern
Vietnamese as a field hospital during the war and it has
the scars to prove it. The front face is pockmarked from
attempts to lob bombs into the entrance by US helicopters,
in the hope of collapsing the entrance. Fortunately their
attempts were all unsuccessful as the cave makes for a
fascinating visit.
Phong
Nha cave is explored mainly by boat, though there are a
couple of raised areas where your guide will walk you
around and explain the various points of interest. The
cave was not officially surveyed until 1990, however, the
cave walls show evidence of it being a popular place to
visit for quite some time.
The
tour consists of a boat trip to the cave entrance taking
around 45 minutes, then an hour drifting through the cave
guided by a couple of gas lanterns. It is an eerie feeling
as all you can hear is the gas lanterns hissing away, and
the water dripping as you slowly drift from chamber to
chamber.
The
cave is over 7km long but the tour only visits the first
800m or so. There have been some enterprising travelers
who have managed to bargain a few more hundred meters for
the guide, and it is apparently well worth the expense.
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See
also |
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Hanoi
& surroundings
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Halong & Catba island
The Northeast |
Sapa & the Northwest|
DMZ |
Hue |
Hoian - Danang
Coastline and Central Highlands
|
Saigon & the Mekong Delta
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Bridge
over Ben Hai River
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Ben
Hai River was the original demarcation point between North
and South Vietnam from 1954 to 1975 and is crossed by the
Hien Luong Bridge. The bridge was once symbolically
painted in red on the north side and yellow on the
southern end, but this ended with the destruction of the
bridge during the Vietnam War. In 1973 two flagpoles were
constructed, one at each side of the bridge, but the
southern one fell over during a storm and was never
repaired. On the north side of the Ben Hai rover there is
a memorial and an awful lot of water buffaloes, along with
a scenic view down the Ben Hai river.
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See
also |
|
Hanoi
& surroundings
|
Halong & Catba island
The Northeast |
Sapa & the Northwest|
DMZ |
Hue |
Hoian - Danang
Coastline and Central Highlands
|
Saigon & the Mekong Delta
|
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Vinh
Moc tunnels
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The
Vinh Moc tunnels are situated 19 km north of the Ben Hai
river. Faced with incessant bombing by US and ARVN forces,
in what was termed a free fire zone, the villagers at Vinh
Moc were faced with three options. One was to leave their
homes and livelihood, two was to stay in their homes and
probably be killed, or three was to start digging. They
took the third option and embarked on an excavation
project, taking 18 months to complete, that would
eventually relocate the entire village underground.
Similar tunnels were attempted at nearby villages, who
were also in the free fire zone, however they were not of
the same standard. At Vinh Quang, as a result of bombing
by US forces, the tunnels collapsed, killing all inside.
The US forces were never able to replicated their efforts
at Vinh Moc with only one of the most feared drilling
bombs hitting the target without exploding. These bombs
drill into the earth until they hit a pocket of air making
them explode. The resourceful villagers used the hole
created by the bomb as an air vent.
Unlike
the tunnels at Cu Chi that were made for fighting in,
these tunnels were designed to be lived in. This, the
tunnels are considerably larger, though a foreigner will
still find some of the corners quite tight and the roof
low in places. There are 3 levels of tunnels with the
lowest going to a depth of 30m, 12 entrances with 7
opening up to the ocean, and in total the tunnels cover
over 2 square km. The living quarters often consisted of a
family having to squeeze into a chamber with dimensions
around two by one and a half meters dug out form the main
corridor. Some of the chambers are reasonably spacious
such as the meeting widens slightly allowing a
considerable number of people to congregate to hold
meetings or listen to concerts. During the war time, most
of the children, women and elderly never saw daylight,
only rarely being allowed to leave the tunnels under the
cover of night and 17 children were born underground.
The
tunnels you will be taken through have been partially
restored and reinforced so do not worry about them
collapsing, though spare a thought for those who sat in
these tunnels as the bombs rained down. It was the very
claylike consistency of the soil in the area of Vinh Moc
which allowed these tunnels to be made, so do not try it
at home. In periods of heavy rain, the lower tunnels may
be flooded with the higher tunnels filling with puddles
and the stairs getting slippery. Make sure you take a
torch with you.
Next
to the tunnels is a museum with an emotional display of
memorabilia. Take special note of the before and after
photos of Vinh Moc and the stories about the Suicide
Squads. These volunteers were responsible for ferrying
supplies out to the offshore Con Co islands whilst under
the constant risk of being spotted and killed by US
helicopters specially stationed to sever those supply
lines.
|
See
also |
|
Hanoi
& surroundings
|
Halong & Catba island
The Northeast |
Sapa & the Northwest|
DMZ |
Hue |
Hoian - Danang
Coastline and Central Highlands
|
Saigon & the Mekong Delta
|
|
