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Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)
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 |
Halong & Catba island
The Northeast|
Sapa & the Northwest |
DMZ |
Hue |
Hoian |
Danang |
Dalat
Coastline |
Central Highlands |
Saigon & the Mekong Delta
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Dong Ha
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 At first glance Dong
Ha, the chief town of Quang Tri Province, appears to be little more
than another drab roadside town, and during the rainy season it
could almost be mistaken for the most miserable place on earth.
However, once you get off the main road and go wandering it is quite
enchanting, and you can return very quickly to the attractive life
of rural Vietnam. Dong ha is the most central town to the
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and the tunnels of Vinh Moc, and because of
this, during the Vietnam War the UIS built many military bases
around the town. |
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See also |
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Hanoi & surroundings |
Halong & Catba island
The Northeast|
Sapa & the Northwest |
DMZ |
Hue |
Hoian |
Danang |
Dalat
Coastline |
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 |
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Hanoi & surroundings |
Halong & Catba island
The Northeast|
Sapa & the Northwest |
DMZ |
Hue |
Hoian |
Danang |
Dalat
Coastline |
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.
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See also |
|
Hanoi & surroundings |
Halong & Catba island
The Northeast|
Sapa & the Northwest |
DMZ |
Hue |
Hoian |
Danang |
Dalat
Coastline |
Central Highlands |
Saigon & the Mekong Delta
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