Inter agency standing committee

The request was made at a conference on February 23 between the agency and the Hanoi Party Committee, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the UNESCO representative in Vietnam.

At the conference, experts noted that the site management work should be unified under an agency as recommended by UNESCO, suggesting that the Ministry of Defence should transfer the remaining area of the site that is under its management to the agency soon.

They also asked the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences to hand over the archaeological findings during its research to Hanoi.

For the central sector of the citadel, it is necessary to soon relocate the former building of the Department of Operations, as it is blocking the space of Kinh Thien Palace, the core of the citadel.

According to experts, research should be made to restore Kinh Thien Palace using 3D technology first before proceeding with the physical restoration.

For the archaeological zone at 18 Hoang Dieu, researchers called on the agency to take measures to preserve the zone in the long term as the current shelter system has degraded.

They also called for the timely relocation of houses built within the Co Loa Citadel to the north of the city centre and suggested building a temple dedicated to Ngo Quyen in Co Loa to honour the hero who restored Vietnam’s independence in the 10th century.

Speaking at the conference, Hanoi Party Secretary Vuong Dinh Hue praised the Thang Long Citadel management agency for promoting the value of the imperial citadel while calling for greater efforts to accelerate the conservation projects.

Pham Xuan Thang, member of the Party Central Committee and Secretary of the Hai Duong provincial Party Committee, speaks at the meeting on March 1 (Photo: VNA)

It will shift to a new status, both drastically fighting the coronavirus and taking action to conduct socio-economic development tasks.

This was decided by the Standing Board of the provincial Party Committee at a meeting on March 1 reviewing anti-COVID-19 efforts.

The coronavirus broke out in Hai Duong province on January 27.

The hotspot in Chi Linh has now been eliminated, while the one in Cam Giang district is under control. Relevant forces are also ramping up efforts to address a cluster in Kim Thanh district, which has been sealed off, as soon as possible.

Applauding the province’s sense of responsibility, Tran Nhu Duong, Deputy Director of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology and head of the Ministry of Health’s working group, pointed out that its greatest success is that there haven’t been any related fatalities, testing capacity has increased dozens of times, and nearly 11,000 groups for COVID-19 monitoring, prevention, and control were set up in the community with the participation of over 25,000 people.

He also warned, however, about a possible resurgence of the virus, and asked the province to view fighting COVID-19 as a regular and ongoing task in the “new normal”.

Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Pham Xuan Thang said that, from March 3, Hai Duong will carry out 10 groups of anti-COVID-19 solutions and five groups of socio-economic development solutions.

As the outbreak may return, the entire local political system will not lower its guard and will remain on alert and be stringent in the fight, he stated.

As of the afternoon of February 28, Hai Duong had recorded 665 cases of COVID-19 in this new outbreak, with 297 recoveries. More than 16,000 people were sent to concentrated quarantine sites.

Authorities have also strictly dealt with violations of rules on disease prevention and control, imposing fines totalling over 3.4 billion VND (147,000 USD).

But the city, the country’s largest, also has a great deal of historical value related to the wars of resistance against the French and Americans to offer interest to tourists as well as locals.

One of the most fascinating destinations is Cu Chi guerrilla warfare tunnels, located about 70km from downtown HCM City.

Built by South Vietnamese liberation forces as shelter from US and Sai Gon troops during the war, the site is known over the world, but even many locals have yet to visit the tunnels.

Revolutionary spirit

First formed in 1948 during the resistance war against the French colonialists, the original network of tunnels was in Tan Phu Trung and Phuoc Vinh An wards.

Initially, the tunnels had only short paths and simple structure that were used to hide documents, weapons and resistance members deep inside the enemy-controlled area.

Only during the anti-American war were the tunnels reinforced and widened.

Beginning in 1961, when the Party Committee and headquarters of the Sai Gon-Gia Dinh Military Region of the liberation forces chose Cu Chi as an operating area, the tunnel system maximized its use for years, especially in 1966, against the Americans broadening the war in the South.

With their indomitable strength, Cu Chi’s resistance forces and local people created a system of crisscrossing tunnels with multiple floors, with more than 200km of underground trenches in total.

For a long time, the enemy attacked the base and the tunnel network relentlessly by pumping water into the tunnels, using German shepherd dogs to hunt and identify the tunnels then using bombs to destroy them.

The US forces were involved in 5,000 attacks that aimed to wipe out the Cu Chi resistance base. In addition, thousands of tonnes of various chemical toxins were sprayed on the area.

But, relying on the tunnel network, the Vietnamese liberation soldiers and Cu Chi locals were able to counter all the enemy attacks.

They engaged in 4,269 big and small fights, eliminated 22,582 enemy troops, destroyed and took over 5,168 military vehicles (mostly tanks and armoured vehicles), shot down and destroyed 256 airplanes (mainly helicopters), sank and burned 22 warships and boats, and captured 8,581 guns of all types. They also destroyed 270 enemy stations in Cu Chi District.

The Cu Chi tunnel relic site includes the Ben Duoc Tunnel (Sai Gon-Gia Dinh military base, Zone A), Sai Gon-Gia Dinh base (Zone B), and the Ben Dinh Tunnel (Cu Chi District base).

The tunnel system runs in a zig-zag shape underground, and the main route branches out in multiple directions that connect in some areas, depending on the terrain.

Many exits open to the Sai Gon River so that when emergencies occurred people could take river route to Ben Cat resistance base in Binh Duong Province.

The tunnel system is bulletproof and can withstand the weight of tanks and armoured vehicles.

Some tunnels have structures that include two to three floors. Stairs between floors have lids that go to secret vaults.

Seeking UNESCO’s recognition

Recently, the city’s authorities sent a proposal to the Ministry of National Defence to seek the UN culture agency UNESCO’s recognition for the Cu Chi Tunnels as a World Heritage Site.

Vietnam is home to eight UNESCO World Heritage sites, including Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, My Son Sanctuary, Hoi An Ancient Town, the Complex of Hue Monuments, and the Citadel of the Ho dynasty in the central region.

The other sites are Ha Long Bay, the Trang An Landscape Complex, and Thang Long Imperial Citadel, which are located in the north.

If the Cu Chi Tunnels network is recognised, it will be the south’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In 2015, the historic area was recognised as a special national relic site. For tourism purposes, more than 120km out of over 200km of the tunnels have been preserved.

Le Van Liem, vice chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee, said the area in the outlying Củ Chi District is a “valuable historical and cultural site that reflects outstanding military and scientific work of the Vietnamese people”.

The tunnels have been a popular tourism landmark for years, attracting thousands of visitors each day. Visitors are able to experience the resilience and unyielding will of the people who lived in the tunnels during wartime.

Dr Phan An, head of the Southern Institute of Social Sciences, said: “The Cu Chi Tunnels’ architecture is one of a kind. UNESCO World Heritage Site acknowledgement would not just introduce global friends to it, but would also be a chance for Vietnamese nationwide to appreciate the relic more.

“The site has not yet received the acknowledgement it deserves. Many HCM City residents have never visited the site despite its historical importance. Publicity is still limited, leading to inadequate attention for preservation of the relic site. Only a small part is preserved for visits and tourism.

“It runs a high risk of destruction from natural and human impact. So, if UNESCO acknowledges it as a World Heritage Site, local authorities and residents will be more responsible and collectively care for and preserve the entirety of the tunnels. At the same time, it would heighten public awareness about heritage sites like this.”