Địa đạo Vịnh Mốc

Vịnh Mốc tunnels

Useful Information

Location:	Thôn, Vịnh Mốc, Vĩnh Linh, Quảng Trị, Vietnam. North of the Bến Hải River at the coast. (17.0741960, 107.1098905)
Open:	All year daily 7-17. [2024]
Fee:
Classification:	Secret Bunker
Light:	Incandescent
Dimension:	L=2,000 m.
Guided tours:
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Vịnh Mốc tunnels, Thôn, Vịnh Mốc, Vĩnh Linh, Quảng Trị, Vietnam, Tel: +84-233-3823-238.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1957	Vietnam War begins.
1959	first American combat troops involved.
1965	massive increase of American troops.
1966	begin of 30 m deep underground village started.
1972	bunker abandoned.
1973	U.S. Army leaves the country.
30-APR-1975	war ends.
1995	tunnels opened to the public.

Description

Địa đạo Vịnh Mốc (Vịnh Mốc tunnels, Vinh-Moc-Tunnel) are a military bunker of the vietcong during the Vietnam War, which is called the American War in Vietnam. The tunnels form a labyrinth of passages which connect various bunkers with command rooms, living rooms, kitchen, and hospital. Unlike the more famous Cu Chi Tunnels, which were a military structure, this is actually an underground village. The American forces suspected the villagers of Vinh Moc to supply food and armaments to the North Vietnamese garrison on the island of Con Co. They tried to force them to leave the area by bombing the village. But Vietnam is overpopulated, and they did not know where to go, so they started to move their village 10 metres underground. The Americans designed bombs which were able to destroy tunnels 10 m below ground. So these tunnels were constructed 30 m below ground. The tunnels were dug into limestone, which is stable enough to need no support.

The construction began in 1965 with the 10 m level. The 30 m level was sarted in 1966 and finished in 1967. It had wells, kitchens, rooms for each family and a small hospital. It was inhabited by some 60 families and 17 children were born underground. In the end, the structure had three levels. The underground village was used until early 1972.

Unlike the military tunnels which were intentionally dug as small as possible, to make it difficult for American soldiers to enter, these are living quarters. So the tunnels are rather spacious, and it’s normally possible to walk upright. Also, the climate is cooler than in Ho Chi Minh, and so the temperature inside the tunnels is quite comfortable.

While the tunnels are open for individual travellers daily, they are normally visited by foreign tourists on organized tours. There are tours offered to tunnels, as well as tours to the DMZ which include a visit to the tunnels. The DMZ or demilitarized zone during the Vietnam War nas numerous such tunnel complexes, the Vịnh Mốc tunnels are only one small part. There are more than 60 tunnel complexes.