Cu Chi Tunnels: Promoting cultural and historical values ​​in the "land of steel and bronze" - Lang Son Newspaper and Radio and Television

Foreign tourists listen to explanations about weapons at the engineering workshop. (Photo: Thu Huong/VNA)

After a long period of resistance war to save the country, Cu Chi Tunnels Relic Site (Ho Chi Minh City) today not only has typical historical and cultural values ​​but is also a tourism resource, a source of attraction for domestic and foreign tourists.

Underground "village"

Located about 70km northwest of Ho Chi Minh City, Cu Chi Tunnels is a miniature of the creative and varied battle formations of the army and people of Cu Chi during the long and fierce 30-year resistance war against invaders to gain independence and freedom for the Fatherland.

With only rudimentary means and tools, the army and people of Cu Chi created a massive tunnel project with hundreds of kilometers of underground tunnels, connecting communes and hamlets together.

During the resistance war, this was where revolutionary cadres lived in enemy territory. During the day, they hid in secret bunkers, divided into three different depths, spreading out like a spider web including trenches, fighting nests, eating, sleeping, meeting, living, medical, food storage, water wells, Hoang Cam kitchen, etc.

At night, they came to the surface and carried out revolutionary activities. They were attached to the tunnels, shed sweat, blood and intelligence, organized battle lines to fight the enemy, and won many glorious victories during the two resistance wars against French colonialism and American imperialism.

Relying on the tunnel system, the army and people of Cu Chi steadfastly held their ground, fighting the enemy with all three prongs (military, political, and military propaganda) with the motto "grabbing the enemy's belt and fighting," implementing close combat with sniper, ambush, and raid tactics, maximizing the combined strength of people's war, neutralizing many of the most modern weapons and foiling the enemy's plot.

Nowadays, when coming to Cu Chi Tunnels, tourists will watch documentaries to visualize the fierceness of the resistance war; the bustling pace of life and fighting of the army and people of Cu Chi.

The tunnels, spike pits, historical artifacts… from that film are still preserved and renovated to this day for generations to come and learn and experience.

Visiting Cu Chi Tunnels, veteran Nguyen Van Lieu (Phu Tho) was moved when remembering the heroic past of the nation.

Visitors must bend down close to the ground to move around in the tunnel because the space is very small and dark. (Photo: Thu Huong/VNA)

As a direct participant in the Ho Chi Minh Campaign, Mr. Lieu said that although the war has been over for 50 years, the memories of a time of bombs, bullets, and fire are still intact in him.

The land of Cu Chi, "the land of steel and bronze", contributed to the resounding victory of our army and people to liberate the South and unify the country.

Mr. Luong Van Truyen (a tourist from Bac Ninh) shared: “I really admire our ancestors in the past for building this great project. To build such a dense underground tunnel system, only love for compatriots, the Fatherland, the desire for independence and freedom and the will of the Vietnamese people can motivate people to overcome their limits and accomplish such unbelievable things.”

Focus on preserving and promoting values

With the stature and value of a "unique" work, Cu Chi Tunnels have entered the history of the heroic struggle of the Vietnamese people as a legend of the 20th century and become a famous place in the world.

In order for the relic to last forever with the nation, over the years, Cu Chi Tunnels have always received attention from leaders at all levels and investment from the State to preserve and promote the value of the national historical relic.

Cu Chi district actively implements management, conservation and promotion of the value of relic sites in many forms; reviews relics, promptly detects deterioration for quick repair and restoration.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Tam, Deputy Director of Cu Chi Tunnels Historical Relic Site, said that the unit is always active in building, preserving, restoring and maintaining works; receiving and adding historical artifacts to enrich the display area.

The unit directs the professional department to regularly post images and activities of the relic site on mass media and social networks...

The unit applies automatic interpretation technology to improve the overall quality of operations of the Cu Chi Tunnels Relic Site; spread the values ​​of the relic site to the community, attract the attention of domestic and international tourists to visit and learn about the relic site.

Scenes of people's daily life in the liberated areas are recreated in the "War Zone Moonlight" night tour at Cu Chi Tunnels. (Photo: Thu Huong/VNA)

From a professional perspective, Ms. Le Tu Cam, President of the Ho Chi Minh City Heritage Association, said that digital transformation is an inevitable trend today.

For relics, the gradual digital transformation is considered an important step to improve conservation, bringing positive changes to promote historical and cultural relics to the general public.

However, the unit needs to combine content with technology, offering programs suitable to the nature of the relic to attract and appeal to visitors.

“Red address” of traditional education

Cu Chi Tunnels is promoting cooperation with travel businesses, museums, relic sites... to improve quality, efficiency and renew itself, creating attraction and appeal to tourists.

In August 2023, Cu Chi Tunnels Historical Site in collaboration with Tran Huu Trang Opera House launched a night tour program at the liberation reenactment area with the theme "War Zone Moon."

The tour spreads to many tourists, especially young people, about the history of the steel homeland of Cu Chi, contributing to educating patriotism for generations of Vietnamese.

Serving tourists on the 15th day of the lunar month, the night tour focuses on moonlight, recreating the nightlife of Cu Chi people living in the liberated zone with tunnel digging, weaving under the moonlight, boys and girls singing and responding to each other in the fields, holding markets, performing arts for the soldiers...

Visitors can also watch a diorama and a 3D film recreating the Cedar Falls raid. Lasting more than two hours, “Moon in the War Zone” takes visitors back to and into the life of Cu Chi village.

In the middle of the old forest, each realistic scene makes visitors feel like they are living in that period.

The weaving activity under the moonlight of Cu Chi people in the liberated zone is recreated in the night tour "Moon in the war zone." (Photo: Thu Huong/VNA)

Mr. Truong Le Tri Cong (from Binh Duong) shared that he had visited Cu Chi Tunnels in the morning but only listened to the explanation so he could not fully understand what the tour guide said.

The evening program with many vivid scenes, attracted him to follow each historical period and the daily life of Cu Chi people at that time.

According to Ms. Le Nguyen Mai Phuong (officer of the Women's Union of Binh Tan District), the performance "Moon in the War Zone" helped her have more ideas about educating the young generation about revolutionary traditions in a visual and vivid way.

This is the motivation for her to build practical activities to take care of her family in the district. As the person who came up with the idea of ​​the “Moon of the War Zone” tour, Colonel Le Van Phuoc, Director of the Cu Chi Tunnels Historical Site, said that up to now, visitors to the site have been able to watch documentaries and visit the tunnel system; thereby understanding the fierceness of war.

However, the people of Cu Chi were not always fighting. They still lived and worked every day but were not clearly reflected. That was the idea of ​​the tour.

“War Zone Moon” not only propagates and educates about the revolutionary tradition of Cu Chi Tunnels but is also a night tourism product, contributing to enhancing the value of the relic, developing tourism, attracting domestic and international tourists to the “wonder in the middle of the steel land.”./.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/dia-dao-cu-chi-phat-huy-gia-tri-van-hoa-lich-su-noi-dat-thep-thanh-dong-5044221.html