Visiting
the former Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)
in Vietnam is a look into a very significant chapter of Vietnamese and U.S.
history. This dividing line between North
and South Vietnam, despite its name, became the most militarized area in the
world and saw some of the heaviest and bloodiest battles of the war.
Its
battles and landmarks became household names during America’s first televised
war. Although most of the landmarks are
destroyed, reforested, or planted with coffee and rubber, what took place on
this stretch of land during the Vietnam War will forever be etched in history.
What to See
The Rockpile
The Rockpile,
usually the first stop on the DMZ day tour, sits just off of Highway 9, south of
the DMZ. As its name suggests, it is a solitary
240-meter-high karst outcrop in the midst of fields. Its location and the relative inaccessibility
of its peak (reached only by helicopter) made it a strategic observation and
radio post for the US Marines.
Dakrong Bridge
Dakrong Bridge
lays further west down Highway 9 and marks a main access point with the Ho Chi
Minh Trail network. The bridge was
bombed and rebuilt multiple times during the conflict, with the current one being
built in 1974. Besides a marker hailing
its importance as a conduit to the Ho Chi Minh Trail network there’s
nothing of much interest here. But, like
the Rockpile, it’s on the way to the Khe Sanh Combat Base, so it’s on every
tour.
Khe Sanh Combat Base
Khe Sanh
Combat Base is one of the highlights of the DMZ tour. The base was the site of the most famous
battle, and one of the bloodiest, of the Vietnam War; the Battle of Khe Sanh. January 21, 1968 started a 75-day siege that
would take the life of around 250 US soldiers, over 10,000 North Vietnamese,
and countless civilians. The battle commanded
heavy international attention and was featured in Newsweek, Life, and countless
newspapers around the world. This, along
with the shock of the Tet Offensive that followed, turned public opinion of the
war sharply.
Today, most of the base has been
taken back by nature or planted with coffee, but there is still a small section
that can be toured. There is a small museum
that has a good display of photos and artifacts from the base, as well as gives
a little history of the fighting that took place here. On the site there is also a few bunkers and
trenches that can be explored, part of the old airstrip with a plane, two
helicopters, and some tanks.
Hien Luong Bridge
Hien Luong
Bridge crosses the Ben Hai River, the former border between North and South Vietnam. Although the bridge is just a quick stop or
drive-by for most tourist, it played a significant role in the Vietnam War. Five kilometers on each side of the river was
meant to formed the Demilitarized Zone until elections could decide the new
president and reunite the country, but it was instead a huge step towards
war.
 |
| Hien Luong Bridge flagpole. |
Today there is a memorial monument
to the families that were separated, a small museum, and replicas of the
propaganda speakers and watch towers.
The foot bridge, although not the original, is painted half in yellow
and half in blue like it was during the war.
Vinh Moc Tunnels
 |
| An entrance to the Vinh Moc Tunnels. |
The Vinh Moc Tunnels are definitely
the highlight of the DMZ tour. Located just
north of the DMZ, the tunnels played a critical role in the lives of civilians
in the area. Unlike the Cu Chi Tunnels
of the south, which were used for combat troops, the Vinh Moc Tunnels were
primarily used for civilians.
 |
| Living quarters inside the Vinh Moc Tunnels. |
Secretly built between 1966-67, the tunnels were a network extending
about two kilometers long and consisted of three levels and 13 entrances; 7 of
which went to the sea. Inside the
tunnels were nooks for sleeping, meeting rooms, kitchens, operating room, and maternity
ward (17 babies were born in the tunnels during the war). During bombing raids (nearly 9000 tons of
bombs were dropped on the area) the families would find refuge in the tunnels.
 |
| Inside the Vinh Moc Tunnels. |
The tunnels are just slightly over 5’ tall so most people
will have to crouch down a bit while they walk through. The tunnels remain mostly how they were during
the war, except for the addition of electric lights through most of the upper tunnel
system. Even with the lights it can be
fairly dark in the tunnels so having a light is recommended. Although you can do it on your own, having a
good guide (provided with DMZ tour) adds to the experience. For those that are claustrophobic: this is
probably not for you.
Cost: 50,000 VND/2.12 USD (if not in a tour group)
Truong Son National Cemetery
Truong Son National Cemetery is
Vietnam’s largest war cemetery and consists of more than 10,000 graves. Each grave is marked by a simple white
headstone with the inscription liet si (martyr). Many of the graves lay empty, representing
only a fraction of the 300,000 soldiers missing in action. The cemetery is named after then army corps that
maintained and protected the Ho Chi Minh Trail and is divided into five major
zones, each representing a region of Vietnam.
These are then further divided into provinces and hamlets in which the
soldier had lived.
How to Get There
Tour
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| Plane through a bunker window; Khe Sanh Combat Base, Vietnam. |
The easiest way to tour the DMZ is
through an organized tour from Hue. You
travel from location to location in an air-conditioned bus, have a guide for locations
and information along the way, and entrance fees are taken care of. You should be able to reserve a tour through
your hotel. I reserved mine through
Lucky Homestay, where I was staying, and highly recommend them because they are
not only a great hotel, but also amazing people!
The cost
for my full day tour was 400,000 VND/17.11 USD.
Bus/Motorcycle
If you wish to do it on your own
then it is recommended that you spend the night in Dong Ha and do the tour from
there the following day. You can rent a
motorcycle in town and drive to each of the sights. This will allow you to spend more time at
each spot than you would in an organized tour.
Just simply map out the sights on Google Maps before hand and let Google
do the rest.
What is the most interesting part
of the DMZ?
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