The Cu Chi Tunnels: The Remarkable History of an Underground World

The Cu Chi Tunnels’ entrances were deftly concealed, frequently concealed behind vegetation or incorporated into commonplace buildings like pigsties or village houses.

The Viet Cong employed clever strategies to avoid being discovered by American dogs, like dispersing American military equipment, soap, or aftershave to trick the dogs’ sense of smell. Furthermore, their rubber shoes were made to create false footprints that gave the impression that they were moving in the opposite direction.

Soldiers had to crawl or crouch within the small tunnels, which only permitted one person to pass at a time. Buried three to twelve meters below the surface, these passageways had three layers built to resist bombing strikes.

With branches leading to hospitals, residences, kitchens, bomb shelters, theaters, and weapons factories, the tunnels were carefully designed. Ingenious vent systems that were concealed with greenery or disguised as termite mounds allowed smoke from manufacturing or cooking to escape far from its source.

Life in the tunnels was hard, even if it was a sanctuary of safety. Residents lived off of cassava, leaves, roots, and even insects when supplies were limited. Infestations of snakes, ants, cockroaches, and spiders were frequent, and diseases, particularly malaria, were widespread.