AloTrip

Where do you travel?

trustpilot

Cu Chi Tunnels exploring trip part 1

Wed, 14 May 2014. Last updated Fri, 19 Oct 2018 16:01

Approximately 70 kilometers from the center of Ho Chi Minh City, Cu Chi Tunnels is an ideal destination not only for travelling but also for exploring the history of Vietnam.

Staying in Saigon, the other name of Ho Chi Minh City, for a few days, I was recommended to visit Cu Chi Tunnels, a secret road of Vietnamese in war. My friend offered me two choices. One was going by bus from Ben Thanh stop to Cu Chi station. Going by bus was more convenient if the weather was hot but it was not able to visit other attractions. Therefore, I chose the remaining, going by motorbike.

Gate to Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station

On the way to Cu Chi Tunnels, we stopped at Minh Quy restaurant, the most famous restaurant for pork vermicelli in Hoc Mon, away 7 kilometers from An Suong Bridge. It was so well known that my friend forced me to depart in early morning in case the pork vermicelli would be sold out.

Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station

It took 2 hours to arrive in Cu Chi. The first attraction we visited was Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station. I was so fascinated to see the largest animal hospital in Southern Vietnam in possession of 30 species of fishes, over 150 rare species of gibbons, crocodiles, turtles, bears, otters and so on. A staff of the station carefully explained to me about behavior of each species, each case in which injured animals were saved and taken there. Many of them could not go back to the jungle anymore because of losing the ability to search for food. The visit to the station made me understand more about wildlife and rare species whose lives were in danger. It also made me feel admired to staffs whose work seemed silent but great. Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station is always opened for tourists. However, you should call them before you visit to be arranged a staff to guide.

Ben Duoc Temple in Cu Chi, Ho Chi Minh City

The second attraction we visited was the historical area, Cu Chi Tunnels. Cu Chi Tunnels system was built during Vietnam War and used as a secret road by Vietnam soldiers. The entrance ticket was 90 thousand VND for one person. The relic included Ben Duoc tunnel system, Ben Duoc Memorial Temple, Cu Chi liberation-reproducing work, and precious wood forest. The area was so large; therefore we decided to visit Ben Duoc Memorial Temple before moving to other attractions. Ben Duoc Memorial Temple was a spectacular architectural work with three-door entrance, basement, garden, memorial house, 9-floors tower and the main temple. The main temple was placed with steles of martyrs who had fought and died in Saigon during the war. The basement had 9 different spaces, of which each represented typical events during the war of Vietnam against France and America. Here, we offered incenses in memory of martyrs also. 

  • View
    4270
  • Share
    0
  • Comment
    0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0