de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

Today, a tour of these tunnels near Cu Chi is an interesting day trip from Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon). The first stop on the tour is in a thatched-roof briefing shed, where a 1960's propaganda movie and a map of the 125 miles of multi-leveled tunnels under the area near Cu Chi are shown. The hard clay soil near Cu Chi is very conducive to tunnel building, and all the tunnels were dug by hand, many of them in the 1940's during the struggle for freedom from the French. In addition to being an underground pedestrian highway, 6,000 Vietnamese lived, worked, and fought the Americans from the Cu Chi Tunnels during the mid-1960's to 1975. The tour includes mannequins of Viet Cong fighters and many different types of Viet Cong booby traps with punji stakes and other horrendous killing techniques. A section of the tunnels (about 165 feet) is open to visitors who want to walk through the dark passages.

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Cu Chi Tunnels - Near Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam	Cu Chi Tunnels - Vietnam Guide Demonstrates How Tunnels Are Hidden	Cu Chi Tunnel Entrance in Vietnam	Cu Chi Tunnels - Marvel Paull Climbs Out of the Cu Chi Tunnels
Cu Chi Tunnels - Viet Cong Booby Trap	Cu Chi Tunnels - Punji Stakes Under Viet Cong Booby Trap	Cu Chi Tunnels - Wax Figures of Viet Cong Soldiers	Cu Chi Tunnels - Termite Mound Ventilation Shaft at Cu Chi Tunnels
Cu Chi Tunnels - American Tank Destroyed by Viet Cong Landmine in 1970	Cu Chi Tunnels - Making Explosives and Ammunition	Cu Chi Tunnels Kitchen	Restaurant Near the Cu Chi Tunnels in Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Tour

Shore Excursion Tour of Ho Chi Minh City Sights

Ho Chi Minh City (still called Saigon by most residents) is a fascinating city. The streets of Saigon are filled with motorbikes and people, and memories of the Vietnam War like the Cu Chi Tunnels are nearby. Tours of the city include:

History Museum - Traces the history of Vietnam from all the major historical eras from the Bronze Age to the present.
War Remnants Museum - Opened in September 1975, this sobering museum presents the story of the Vietnam War (called the American Way in Vietnam) from the perspective of the current Vietnamese government. The museum was formerly known as the American War Crimes Museum and does not show a balanced picture of the war.
Reunification Palace - formerly the Presidential Palace of Vietnam
Cholon Market - busy market in old Chinatown area
Thien Hau Pagoda - one of the most richly embellished pagodas in Saigon
Tay Son Kingdom of Lacquerware - lacquerware factory and showroom
Notre Dame Cathedral - largest church ever built in the old French Empire

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Sailing up the Saigon River on the Crystal Symphony	Sailing up the Saigon River on the Crystal Symphony	Sailing up the Saigon River on the Crystal Symphony	Sailing up the Saigon River on the Crystal Symphony
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) History Museum	Vietnamese Mummy at the Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) History Museum	Pottery at the Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) History Museum	Sculpture at Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) History Museum in Vietnam
Water Puppets at Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) History Museum in Vietnam	Water Puppeteers at the Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) History Museum	Making Lacquer Boxes in Vietnam	Reunification Hall in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)