VIETNAM – DMZ

MARCH 3, 2026

i accidentally booked a private tour for the DMZ – Demilitarized Zone. It actually worked out better because we could stop when something caught our eye and we could ask lots of questions.

We were picked up from the REX HOTEL. The first place we stopped was VINH MOC TUNNELS. These tunnels are built near the 17th parallel, the dividing line between, what was then, North and South Vietnam. It was an area of intense bombing by the United States forces. The US thought the people of Vinh Moc were supplying the North Vietnamese garrison on the island of Con Co, which they were. The US dropped 9,000 tons of bombs in the area, with an average of 7 tons per person. The villagers had nowhere to go or hide. From 1965-1967 they dug 2000 meters (6562 ft) of tunnels. Initially the tunnels were only 10 metres (33 ft) deep, but the intensified bombings had them dig down 30 metres (98 ft), on three levels, into the limestone. They were easy enough to dig into, but sturdy enough that no supports were needed.

The complex grew to include wells, kitchens, ‘apartments’, and even a nursery. 60 families lived in the tunnels with 17 babies born. The tunnels were used until 1972.

The tunnels were a success and no villagers lost their lives. The only direct hit was from a bomb that failed to explode; the resulting hole was utilized as a ventilation shaft.

There were six entrances to the tops of hills and seven entrances to the South China Sea. The wind off the sea provided the much needed fresh air. The guys who were delivering supplies to the island had only a 30% survival rate. Therefore, before they headed out a funeral was held for them – BEFORE they headed out. Just in case their bodies were never found.

On our way to the next location we saw lots of planted trees with buckets attached to them. Our guide said they were rubber trees and the latex was caught in the buckets. It is a process similar to our maple tree harvest in Canada. Because of the monsoons, trees are planted to prevent erosion. Rubber, fruit and lumber trees are the most popular, as their roots protect the soil from erosion and they also produce a cash crop.

Another type of plant looked like a vine crawling up another tree or a pole. These were pepper vines. They need another plant to crawl up while they produce their harvest. We only saw the green, unripe peppercorns.

Our next stop was the 17th PARALLEL; the dividing line between North and South. The DMZ was not actually on the 17th parallel, but close enough. It followed the eastward flowing BEN HAI RIVER. It was a buffer zone of 5 km (3 mi) on either side of the river. The line was set post-French colonial at the Geneva Conference in 1954. It became an area of intense fighting during the Vietnam war from 1965-1973. It ceased to be a dividing line with the 1976 reunification.

Our guide told us that before the Americans got involved, the North and South had almost childish ways of intimidating the other side. They would blare propaganda over huge loud speakers, trying to outdo each other. They would continually build taller flag poles. (Mine is bigger than yours). When the HIEN LUONG BRIDGE needed to be painted the South painted their half a certain colour. The North painted their half the same colour, as a sign of reunification. The South were not having that, so they painted their half a different colour. Today, the bridge is still two-tone. The North is blue, the South is yellow.

The North erected a flagpole that is 38.6 meters (126 feet) high. The South tried to destroy it many times. During the Vietnam war Americans also targeted the flag. The North responded with a new flag every time the old was was destroyed. They went as far as having sewing machines and tailors brought to the front line to speed the manufacturing time. From 1956 to 1967, the police on the front line hung 267 flags.

On the South side of the river the MONUMENT of DESIRE for REUNIFICATION. It depicts a mother and child, symbolizing the desire for reunification. The tall leaf-shaped structures represent the strength and resilience of the people.

While we walked ahead, our guide was stopped by another couple. When she caught up to us, she said the man was a Vietnam veteran from the USA. He wanted to apologize to her.

Our next stop was the QUANG TRI ANCIENT CITADEL. Built in 1809, it once served as the administration office of the Nguyen Dynasty. After the abdication of the Emperor in 1945, it was used by the French, then the Americans, as a military defense. Today it is known for the vicious battle between the Communist North and the US backed South in 1972. The brutal battle lasted lasted 81 days. Up to 20,000 artillery shells were dropped every day, in an area less than 3 sq. km. (1.15 sq mi). It is estimated that the total amount of ordnance used is as high as 328,000 metric tonnes (361558 tons).

The entire citadel is considered ‘Spiritual Land” because it is one large graveyard. There is a large amount bones, of soldiers from both sides, still buried within the site. Over 10,000 North Vietnamese, over 7700 South Vietnamese and 20 Americans bled and died in the 81 days of battle. The South won, but at what cost?

There is a memorial in the centre of the citadel, which is similar to our Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It is a huge hill with a walk-through the centre. There are 81 steps, representing the 81 days of battle, leading to the top where there was a large candle and small temple. The enclosure had 81 bronze reliefs attached to the perimeter.

It looked like a pretty park, but the history and the fact that we were walking on the bones of soldiers smacked us back to a sombre reality.

Our last stop was TRUONG SON NATIONAL MARTYRS’ CEMETERY. It is the largest military cemetery in Vietnam holding the remains of 10,000 soldiers. Each grave is marked with a simple white tombstone inscribed with the martyr’s name. Some graves are empty, representing a fraction of Vietnam’s 300,000 soldiers missing in action.

It was a sombre tour, but we learned a lot about the Vietnam war from the Vietnamese point of view.