23 October 2007
Located in Long Phuoc Commune, seven kilometers northeast of Ba Ria Town, there is a complex system of tunnels concealed in the natural landscape of the surrounding area, called Long Phuoc tunnels, that are worthy of a visit by tourists.
The tunnels have not been developed into a tourism destination, which has helped to preserve their rural characters. Visitors to this area will feel they are stepping back in time when wandering around the hidden area in the trees and gardens and along the narrow, bushy road behind the memorial house to climb down into the tunnels.
The campaign to dig the underground hideouts started in a home of a man called Nam Hoi in 1948. Subsequently the local people dug groups of tunnels in all of the five hamlets of the commune: North, West, East, South and Phuoc Huu hamlets.
The groups of tunnels were linked together by a connecting ‘spine’, or corridor, to form the Long Phuoc tunnel complex. This corridor was built two to three meters under the ground, 1.5 to 1.6 meter high and 0.6 to 0.7 meter wide, with caches to preserve food and fortifications for fighting. The tunnel in the Eastern route extends to over 360 meters with many caches for food, weapons and hospitals.
In April 1963 the tunnel complex was dug six meters deeper and the corridor was made larger, the height extended to 1.6-1.8 meters and the width to 0.7-0.8 meter, with many doors and air holes. Despite being only about one kilometer long and hidden in the gardens of the locals, the tunnels sheltered guerillas and helped them in many fights.
The tunnel complex was claimed as an historical relic by the Ministry of Information and Culture in 1990. It is now almost 60 years old and has become one of the destination stops for tourists going to Ba Ria-Vung Tau.
The locals expanded the once dark and narrow stairs into the tunnels so that tourists could more easily step down. The walls of the tunnel were also cemented and the tunnels are now lighted by hurricane lamps. The two entrances to the tunnels have been covered with thatched houses to protect them.
The war has been over for over thirty years, but evidence of the spine of the tunnels into the bowels of the earth is still there; when stepping down into it visitors will have a glimpse into the unforgettable past.
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