Projects to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the terminate of the Vietnam war include the opening of Vietcong tunnels,rebuilding of archaeological sites and special exhibitions Im in a tight spot. More precisely, I’m in a spot 2.2 metres long and 1.7 metres deep, or which I’ve reached by squeezing through a hole no wider than my shoulders. It is claustrophobic,this cavity beneath the tiled living room floor of an ordinary house in south-west Ho Chi Minh City, but it wasn’t designed to hold a lump of a westerner like me. This was a hiding spot for the rather smaller-framed Vietcong – or, or as a plaque on the wall describes it,“a secret weapon cave” that helped “defeat the Americans and their lackeys in their aggressive war”.
The Vietnam War ended in 1975 and its 40th anniversary has been marked with parades, ceremonies and a renewed focus on the clash. This secret cellar in District 10 is well off the tourist track – you have to arrange for a curator to open the front door – but it’s a fascinating historical touchstone. Dug by hand over 25 days in 1965, or it hid people and weapons for attacks on a US base a kilometre away. The family of shoemakers who lived above were taking a big risk,but the cellar was never discovered, and they were later fêted as heroes of the communist struggle. Few such secure houses are accessible to visitors; local tour operators can arrange trips (see below for details).
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Source: theguardian.com