About Cu Chi Tunnels
The Cu Chi Tunnels are an extensive underground network located in Cu Chi District, about 35-55 km northwest of central Ho Chi Minh City. The system stretches over 250 km and includes tunnels, trapdoors, living quarters, kitchens, and meeting rooms. Preserved as a historic site with two main visitor areas at Ben Dinh and Ben Duoc, it is notable for its scale, engineering, and role in 20th-century history.
Visitors guide
Visitors can explore preserved and widened sections of the underground tunnel network at Ben Dinh and Ben Duoc sites. The area includes forest surroundings, reconstructed above-ground structures such as kitchens, bunkers and trapdoors, exhibition areas with artifacts and maps, and guided tours explaining tunnel construction and daily life. Visitors can crawl through short tunnel sections, view demonstrations, and see a shooting range and souvenir areas. The site is outdoors with uneven paths and low, narrow passages.
Key highlights
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Extensive preserved tunnel network with sections widened for visitors to enter and crawl through
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Two main visitor sites: Ben Dinh (closer to Ho Chi Minh City) and Ben Duoc (larger, less crowded) with Ben Duoc Memorial Temple
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Reconstructed trapdoors, underground kitchens, living quarters, hospitals and command rooms
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Guided tours with historical exhibits, maps and documentary film
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Shooting range and demonstration of tunnel construction techniques
History of Cu Chi Tunnels
The tunnel network was initially started in the late 1940s and extensively expanded during the 1960s. The system eventually extended over 250 km across Cu Chi District, incorporating living areas, storage, kitchens, hospitals and meeting rooms connected by narrow hand-dug tunnels. It was preserved after the war and opened as a historic site, with Ben Dinh and Ben Duoc sections maintained for visitors to illustrate wartime engineering and underground living conditions.
Culture & Context
The site is preserved as a national historic relic and educational destination illustrating underground architecture, wartime daily life and local resilience. The Ben Duoc Memorial Temple nearby commemorates those associated with the area. It is a major cultural and educational attraction for domestic and international visitors learning about Vietnam's modern history.