Once a year, during the end of the year, people from all over will return to their homeland to reunite with family for the Tet holiday. This is the largest festival of the year in Vietnam, as well as in other East Asian countries such as China, Japan, etc. So, what is the significance of Tet Nguyen Dan (Tet Holiday)? Let’s explore more useful information with DanangPrivateCar.com’s through this article!

Tet Holiday, What Is It?

Lunar New Year, also known as Tet or Tet Holidays, is the most important festival of the year for the Vietnamese people, celebrated at the beginning of the lunar year. Lunar New Year goes by various names such as Tet Ca, Tet Am Lich, Tet Ta, Tet Co Truyen, and more.

The Tet Holiday is the most important festive occasion of the year for the Vietnamese people, as well as in some other Asian countries

In terms of Han-Vietnamese phonetics, ‘Tet’ in Han characters represents the festival, ‘Nguyen’ signifies the beginning, and ‘Dan’ refers to the early morning. Therefore, the most accurate pronunciation in Han-Vietnamese phonetics is Lunar New Year.

How is the time of Tet Holiday calculated?

Lunar New Year is calculated to begin on the first day of the lunar year, typically falling 1 to 2 months later than the Gregorian New Year due to the rule of adding an intercalary month every three lunar years. Therefore, the start of Lunar New Year usually falls between January 21st and February 10th.

Lunar New Year takes place during the leisure time of farmers, providing a break for rest and preparation for the upcoming farming season. Traditionally, as the majority of people in Vietnam are involved in agriculture, the holiday allows them to take a break and rejuvenate their spirits after days of hard work.

Example: According to the lunar calendar, the 30th day of Tet in 2024 falls on a Friday, February 9, 2024, in the Gregorian calendar, and the 1st day of the Year of the Wood Dragon is on February 10, 2024, falling on a Saturday.

What is the origin of Tet Holiday?

The origin of Lunar New Year is still a subject of debate. Most information suggests that Lunar New Year originated in China and was introduced to Vietnam around the time of the Chinese domination, about 1000 years BCE. However, according to Vietnamese historical folklore, particularly the story of “Banh chung banh day,” the Vietnamese people celebrated this festival during the reign of the Hung Kings, which is more than 1000 years BCE, predating Chinese domination.

What is the origin of Tet Holiday?

Confucius wrote, ‘I do not know what Tet is, I heard somewhere that it is the name of a great festival of the Man people, where they dance wildly, drink alcohol, and have fun on those days.’ This suggests that Lunar New Year may have originated in Vietnam.

While there is ongoing debate about whether the origin of Lunar New Year is from Vietnam or China, it is evident that each country’s celebration of Lunar New Year has unique characteristics. This festival holds significant importance for the people of each nation.

What is the significance of the traditional Tet day?

Lunar New Year is the intersection of heaven and earth

Lunar New Year is considered a time representing the intersection of heaven and earth, where spiritual beings connect with humans. ‘Tet’ during Lunar New Year signifies the seasonal changes, operating through the four seasons of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, reflecting an agricultural cycle that held special meaning in the ancient economy.

Lunar New Year is an occasion to express reverence to ancestors

It can be said that this is the most important time of the year when family members gather to prepare and offer the most elaborate meals and trays of fruits to the ancestral altar.

The Tet holiday is an occasion to express reverence to our ancestors

According to tradition, during this holiday, ancestors return home to celebrate Tet with their descendants and bless the family with health and harmony.

Tet Holiday is a day of luck and hope

The new year symbolizes a new beginning, so every Tet, people often visit temples to seek blessings and good fortune for the upcoming year.

From ancient times until now, there is a belief that Lunar New Year will drive away the misfortunes of the old year and welcome the hopes for a better new year. Therefore, many people choose this time to start their work for the year and initiate new ventures due to the auspicious energy of the new year.

Tet Holiday is a time for families to come together

Not every family is always close by, so Lunar New Year is the most anticipated time for everyone to reunite with their loved ones. Coming together around the pot of Chung cake on New Year’s Eve is a dream shared by many.

The Tet holiday is a time for families to come together.

Moreover, it is also a time for descendants to express gratitude to their grandparents, parents who gave birth and raised them with the most sincere affection, whether through heartfelt thanks or simple gifts for Tet day.

Lunar New Year is an occasion to express reverence to the spiritual beings.

From ancient times to the present, the Vietnamese people highly value the act of worshiping their ancestors to seek blessings for the family. This is the most emphasized ritual, and according to folklore beliefs, farmers express their gratitude to Rain God, Earth God, Sun God, etc., for the assistance they provided throughout the year.

Tet is the birthday of everyone.

“Happy new age”: This is a familiar saying from grandparents, parents, uncles, and aunts when they exchange Tet greetings to celebrate each other’s additional year.

During this occasion, people exchange the best wishes, hoping for a better new year. Adults celebrate the age of the elderly and the young to wish the elders a long, healthy life and hope that the younger ones grow quickly, behave well, and excel in their studies.

Customs and traditions of the Vietnamese during Lunar New Year

Worshiping Ong Cong and Ong Tao (Kitchen guardians)

Before Lunar New Year, on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month each year, families clean their kitchens and prepare an offering with fruits, savory foods, and a live carp. This is to prepare for Kitchen guardians, who ascend to heaven to report the family’s activities to the heavenly court.

Making Chung cakes (Stuffed sticky rice cake) and Tet cakes (Cylinder sticky rice cake)

As Tet approaches, markets are filled with stalls selling dong leaves, banana leaves, and bamboo sticks for wrapping traditional Tet cakes. Stuffed sticky rice cake and Cylinder sticky rice cake are essential items in the Tet menu, offered to ancestors on the ancestral altar or given as Tet gifts to friends and family.

Wrapping Chung cakes and Tet cakes is an indispensable culinary tradition during the Tet holiday

Cleaning and decorating homes

For the Vietnamese, cleaning the house at the end of the year symbolizes getting rid of the negatives from the old year, preparing to welcome luck and prosperity for the new year. It is a time for family members to come together to refresh their homes.

In addition, to decorate their homes for Tet, the Vietnamese also buy various flowers, such as Water Lily, Money Tree, Chrysanthemum, with different colors and meanings.

Arranging the Five-Fruit Tray

Arranging a Five-Fruit Tray to offer to the ancestral altar is an indispensable tradition during Lunar New Year. It expresses the respect and gratitude of the descendants to their ancestors.

In each region, there are different ways to arrange the Five-Fruit Tray, and various fruits may be used. However, all share the common meaning of wishing for luck and peace in the new year.

Tending to ancestral graves

This custom takes place in the days leading up to Lunar New Year. On these days, family members gather at the graves of their ancestors to clean and visit. This practice demonstrates the respect and filial piety of the descendants towards their deceased grandparents, parents, and ancestors.

Year-end worship

Year-end worship is a long-standing tradition in Vietnamese culture. It is a significant ritual usually performed on the 30th day of Tet to invite the ancestors to celebrate Tet with the family. It marks the end of the old year and prepares for a new year of safety and prosperity.

First-Footing

After the New Year’s Eve moment, the first person to enter the house is the one performing the ‘first-footing’ for the family. According to tradition, this person should be compatible with the family’s head to bring a prosperous and harmonious year with good health.

Giving red lucky money envelopes to children is a tradition for wishing them luck and success in the new year, especially in their studies

Tet greetings and birthday celebrations

The new year symbolizes everyone getting a year older. People exchange the best wishes to hope for a successful new year. On the first day of Tet, the younger generation visits their grandparents, parents, and then the elders traditionally give lucky money to the children for a fortunate and successful new year.

This article has presented the significance of the Tet Holiday and common activities during Tet for the Vietnamese people. Hopefully, through this, you have gained more information about the traditional Tet day and wish you a warm and joyful Tet celebration with your family!

 In the tourist attractions of Quang Tri , not mentioning La Vang is a shortcoming. Visiting La Vang holy land, walking around the campus, you will feel the comfort and coolness of big old trees. Sit in front of the statue of Our Lady to find inner peace and comfort. Or ask for holy water at the holy well of La Vang to pray for peace and happiness. Regardless of religion, you will still feel the peace of mind when coming here.

Panoramic view of La Vang Holy Land (Hai Lang, Quang Tri) in 1969.
Panoramic view of La Vang Holy Land (Hai Lang, Quang Tri) in 1969.

La Vang Sanctuary, also known as “Basilica of Our Lady of La Vang”, is located in an area formerly known as Dinh Cat (in the reign of Lord Nguyen Hoang in the 16th century, this area was called Dinh Cat, meaning the Palace built on an area). sandy soil is sometimes called Cat Dinh). Today belongs to Hai Phu commune, Hai Lang district, Quang Tri province. This place is about 6km south of Quang Tri Citadel and 60km north of Hue city. La Vang Sanctuary is the national Marian center of the Vietnamese Catholic Church. Every year, millions of people make pilgrimages to Our Lady in this sacred place.

Gate to La Vang Holy Land
Gate to La Vang Holy Land

Legend of the name La Vang

According to one theory, under King Canh Thinh Tay Son Dynasty had a policy against Catholicism. So in order to avoid the punishment of the Tay Son Dynasty, many parishioners in Quang Tri ran up to this land.

This is a remote mountainous area, so in order to communicate with each other, they have to “scream” loudly, and “loud” to be “sound”. The name La Vang was born from there.

Another explanation is that when the parishioners ran to this land when there was an epidemic, at that time Our Lady appeared and instructed them to look for a type of leaf called a leaf – drinking it will cure the disease. Write “leaves” without accents as La Vang.

The story of Our Lady of La Vang Epiphany

According to the documents of the Archbishop of Hue – 1998, during the reign of King Canh Thinh (enthroned in 1792), with a decree banning religion on August 17, 1798, some of the faithful near Dinh Cat Hill (now the town of Hue) Quang Tri commune) had to find a place to hide. They took refuge in the mountains of La Vang.

In the sacred forest with poisonous water, difficult circumstances, lack of food, disease, fear of military officers, fear of wild animals, believers can only trust in God and Our Lady. They often gather together under the ancient banyan tree, together to pray, comfort and help each other.

One day, while praying together to the Blessed Mother, they suddenly saw a beautiful woman with a wide robe, holding the Child Jesus in her arms, with two angels holding lamps on either side. They immediately recognized the Virgin Mary. She showed kindness, tenderness, and comfort to the faithful who were willing to work hard.

Mother taught me to pick a kind of leaves available around there, boil water to drink to cure diseases. She gave her promise again: “I have accepted your request. From now on, whoever comes to pray to me in this place, I will receive the grace of my will.”

After that, Mother appeared many times to support and comfort her children in need.

Since then, the event of Our Lady’s apparition in the mountains of La Vang, through the generations, has been spread everywhere. And many people who sincerely believe, come to pray to Mother and receive grace according to their wishes. Our Lady of La Vang is often symbolized by a woman wearing a Vietnamese ao dai…

Visiting La Vang Holy Land

History La Vang church was originally built on the foundation of a shrine to worship Ba (maybe Buddha Ba Quan Am or Princess Lieu Hanh) for forest people, a former thatched roof under a banyan tree and a four-sided fence. After the apparition of Mary in 1789, it was given to the faithful to build a place to honor Mary.

In the center of the Holy Land, today remains the remains of the bell tower of the Basilica of Our Lady of La Vang. This work was built from 1924 – 1929, restored in 1959. In the summer of 1972, the Basilica was destroyed by war, leaving only the bell tower ruins.

La Vang Ancient Tower
La Vang Ancient Tower

On August 15, 2012, the first stone laying ceremony took place to build the new Basilica. In terms of size, this is the largest work of the Vietnamese Church ever. The church is designed in the style of traditional Asian Asian architecture in Vietnam, with a capacity of up to 5,000 people.

At the supposed location where Our Lady appeared near the old banyan tree, a monumental monument was built with the image of three banyan trees and Our Lady of La Vang in the middle. And the statue of Our Lady of La Vang was also built. located in many places in the Holy Land.

Shrine of Our Lady of La Vang, photographed in 1967.
Shrine of Our Lady of La Vang, photographed in 1967.

Our Lady is often represented by the image of a woman wearing a Vietnamese ao dai holding a baby who is also wearing a traditional Vietnamese costume.

Today's Shrine of Our Lady of La Vang
Today’s Shrine of Our Lady of La Vang

In front of the bell tower of the Basilica of Our Lady of La Vang is a large square. On either side of the square is the Way of the Cross – a series of 14 sculptures, depicting the progression of Jesus’ passion, from his conviction to his crucifixion and finally his burial in St. catacombs.

In addition, within the sanctuary, there is also a well of Our Lady of La Vang, where each believer when coming here takes a sip of water to pay respect to Our Lady. Many believers believe that well water has the ability to cure diseases in the body.

Well of Our Lady of La Vang
Well of Our Lady of La Vang

Experiencing many ups and downs of history and time, up to now, La Vang Holy Land seems to radiate its ancient beauty under a corner of Hai Lang – Quang Tri.

Bas-relief of Vietnamese martyrs
Bas-relief of Vietnamese martyrs

La Vang pilgrimage festival (La Vang palanquin)

Every year on August 15 in La Vang, people often organize a pilgrimage festival, called “Kieu” (every 3 years there is a large “Kieu”, called “La Vang Congress”).

Pilgrims to this place can buy sage leaves, a type of leaf that is often used as a decoction or drink, which is cool, healthy and antibacterial, which is very good for women after giving birth. Not only that, visitors from all over the world come here to make pilgrimages and ask for blessings that Catholics believe that Our Lady will give them the grace they want.

After a hiatus, since 1990, the local government has allowed worship here again. La Vang has become the most important pilgrimage site for Vietnamese Catholics.

Sea of ​​people to Our Lady of La Vang
Sea of ​​people to Our Lady of La Vang

Traveling to Quang Tri , coming to La Vang, people feel like they are stripped of the worries in mundane life, and are relieved of the difficulties in life. When leaving, visitors feel at peace as being comforted, protected, encouraged, to build a better life together.

Hien Luong Bridge and Ben Hai River are located in the cluster of relics on both banks of Hien Luong at the intersection between National Highway 1A and Ben Hai River; the North belongs to Hien Luong village, Vinh Thanh commune, Vinh Linh district; The south belongs to Xuan Hoa village, Trung Hai commune, Do Linh district, Quang Tri province. These are two “historical witnesses” who carried the pain of dividing the country into North and South for more than 20 years.

Ben Hai River originates from Dong Chan mountain in Truong Son range and flows along the 17th parallel from West to East and then flows to Cua Tung estuary. Ben Hai River has a total length of nearly 100 km, the widest place is about 200m, the narrowest place is about 20 -30m, is the boundary between Vinh Linh and Gio Linh districts of Quang Tri province.

Ben Hai River was originally named Minh Luong. During the reign of King Minh Mang, due to the coincidence of the word “Minh”, he had to abstain from the name of the King (the word “Huy” is synonymous with “Knight” which means taboo). Therefore, the name of the village and river were changed to Hien Luong. Ben Hai River is also known as “Ben Hoi” river, the local dialect “bald” means small river.

Hien Luong Bridge was built in 1928 by Vinh Linh Phu mobilizing people in the area to contribute efforts. At that time, the bridge was made of wood, with iron stakes, 2m wide, just enough for pedestrians. In 1931, the bridge was repaired by the French to be wider, but traffic still had to go by ferry to cross the river. In 1943, the bridge was upgraded, now small motor vehicles can pass. In 1950, France built Hien Luong bridge with reinforced concrete, 162m long, 3.6m wide, 10 tons tonnage. Two years later, the bridge was demolished by our troops to prevent the enemy’s attack to the North.

In May 1952, France rebuilt a new bridge connecting the two banks of the Ben Hai River between Vinh Linh and Gio Linh districts. The bridge has 7 spans, 178m long, reinforced concrete pillars, steel beams, pine wood paving, 4m wide, 1.2m high barriers on both sides, 18 tons load.

In 1954, after the defeat at Dien Bien Phu, the Geneva Agreement was signed. According to the Geneva Agreement, Vietnam was temporarily divided into two regions, taking the 17th parallel (Ben Hai river running through Do Linh and Vinh Linh) as a temporary military boundary. Hien Luong Bridge is divided into two parts, each side is 89m long, painted in two different colors. The North bank consists of 450 decking boards, the South bank 444 panels. The temporary schism was thought to last only 2 years and ended after the unification of the general election, but in reality it lasted for 21 years.

In 1956, Ngo Dinh Diem-President of the Republic of Vietnam with the backing of the United States did not conduct the general election to unify the country as stipulated in the Geneva Agreement. From here, Hien Luong bridge has become historical evidence for more than 20 years separating the North and South. The bridge also witnessed many events of tenacious and heroic struggles and became a great symbol of the aspiration for unification, reunion and reunion of many Vietnamese families and people.

Hien Luong Bridge seen from the North bank
Hien Luong Bridge seen from the North bank

In the wars that took place at Hien Luong, perhaps “Choi Che” was the fiercest and fiercest battle that took place during 14 years. Since the demarcation line was demarcated, the height of the flagpole has been continuously raised, because our flag cannot be lower than that of the puppets.

When the red flag with a yellow star was raised high, the people on both sides of the North and South cheered happily. The US and Wei were completely surprised by this event. They hastily raised their flagpoles to 35 meters.

Not to let our flagpole be lower than the enemy’s, in 1962 the government sent the Vietnamese machine assembly corporation to process a flagpole and then moved it to Hien Luong, the flagpole was 38.6 meters high, and the flag was raised 134 m2. weighs 15 kg. There is a cabin 10 meters from the top of the flagpole for our soldiers to collect and hang the flag. This is the highest flagpole on the line.

Continuously for many years, after each battle, the flagpole was broken, the flag was torn by bombs and shells, immediately a new flagpole, a new flag was replaced. From 1956 to 1967, the frontline police officers had flown 267 flags of all sizes.

South Bank "If you want to unify the territory, you must have President Ngo Dinh Diem"
South Bank “If you want to unify the territory, you must have President Ngo Dinh Diem”

The American puppet’s plot to divide our country is also reflected in the painting of the bridge. Hien Luong Bridge was rebuilt by the French in May 1952, 178 meters long, 7 spans, reinforced concrete pillars, pine wood deck, 4 meters wide. The South-North dividing line is a white painted line 1cm wide as the boundary between the two regions. Every day, the police and police of the two regions are on guard, changing turns to return in a combined mode.

North Bank "Long live President Ho Chi Minh"
North Bank “Long live President Ho Chi Minh”

To create an image of dividing our country, the US-Saigon government actively painted the southern hemisphere blue. But with the intention of “unifying the mountains and rivers”, they had just finished painting at the beginning of the day, but in the night, the police painted half of the bridge on the North bank in blue to blend in one color. Later, they let people repaint the southern bridge with brown color. Like that, Hien Luong Bridge always changes color. Whenever the enemy paints a different color to create two opposing colors, we immediately repaint it into a common color.

After the Geneva Agreement, in order to educate and encourage the people to fight for national reunification, we built a loudspeaker system, distributed in 5 clusters throughout the length of 1,500 meters on the north bank. Each cluster of 24 speakers type 25 W facing the south bank.

Loudspeaker system between the North and South
Loudspeaker system between the North and South

Annoyed by this incident, a few weeks later, America-Diem attached to the south bank clusters of loudspeakers manufactured by West Germany and Australia with large capacity, loud, overwhelming even our loudspeakers. In order to “fight words”, the US-Diem launched dangerous psychological warfare in Ben Hai. Every day they talk for 14 to 15 hours, one or two in the morning have turned on the speakers at full capacity.

The 21-year resistance war on the banks of Hien Luong is a resistance war against the US to save the country full of sacrifices and hardships of our army and people. The country reunified peacefully, the dead, the survivors; But the merits of the army and people in the border area are recorded in history books. Until today, when coming to this land, we still see a heroic and extremely vivid past appearing before our eyes. In December 1986, the relic site on both sides of Hien Luong was ranked at the national level. In 2001, Hien Luong Bridge was restored to its original design according to the design of the old bridge, 182.97m long, including 7 spans, ironwood surface with numbering of each plank.

In 2001, Hien Luong Bridge was restored to its original design according to the design of the old bridge
In 2001, Hien Luong Bridge was restored to its original design according to the design of the old bridge

On September 17, 2003, the historical site of Hien Luong Bridge was officially started to restore and embellish. In March 2014, Hien Luong Bridge was restored to its original state with 2 colors painted blue and yellow, as it existed in history.

In March 2014, Hien Luong Bridge was restored to its original state with 2 colors of blue and yellow paint
In March 2014, Hien Luong Bridge was restored to its original state with 2 colors of blue and yellow paint

The relics of the two banks of Hien Luong include: Hien Luong Bridge, Ben Hai River, the flagpole on the North bank, the Union house, the police station at the border line, the loudspeaker rig, the Aspiration for Unity monument cluster on the South bank, the house. Museum of the 17th Parallel…

Flagpole of the North Coast line today
Flagpole of the North Coast line today

The current flagpole is a model simulating the flagpoles that the Government and army of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam built before. The flagpole is 28m high, made of 6 pieces of steel pipe linked together. On the top of the flagpole is a five-pointed yellow star flag. On the body of the flagpole, there are rectangular steel bars to make ladders. The flagpole is also equipped with a system of cables, pulleys and winch parts to facilitate flagging. The base of the flagpole is round, decorated with pictures depicting the history of the revolution.

 

Monument of police soldiers protecting the border
Monument of police soldiers protecting the border

The exhibition house “The 17th parallel and the aspiration for reunification” (Vinh Thanh commune) consists of 2 compartments. The ceremony space is where the statue of President Ho Chi Minh is located. The booth displays 53 documents and artifacts directly related to the fight of our army and people on the banks of Hien Luong – Ben Hai during the resistance war against the US for national salvation.

Gallery "Seventeenth Parallel and the aspiration for unity"
Gallery “Seventeenth Parallel and the aspiration for unity”

 

Documents and artifacts are classified under 4 themes: the Geneva Agreement and the temporary military demarcation line; The unyielding spirit of Vinh Linh people and the fight to protect the front line; People in the South of the 17th parallel with the struggle for national unification; 17th parallel after the liberation of Quang Tri in 1972.

Inside the gallery
Inside the gallery

In particular, there is also a restored version of the 500W loudspeaker used by the Government and army of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam on the north bank before. Admiring this speaker, visitors will partly imagine the “speaker match” on the banks of the Ben Hai River from 1954 to 1965.

Loudspeaker restored version
Loudspeaker restored version

On the south bank of Ben Hai River, there is a monument with the name: Aspiration to unify the river. The monument has the shape of a young woman standing on the south bank of the Ben Hai River looking to the north to commemorate the painful days when they could not cross the river to meet her husband and relatives.

Monument of aspiration to unify the mountains and rivers
Monument of aspiration to unify the mountains and rivers

The relic of the two banks of Hien Luong has become a destination not to be missed in the Quang Tri travel itinerary of domestic and foreign tourists. Tourists come here to reminisce about a time when the country was divided, understand the strength of a people earnestly love peace, a will and aspiration to gain independence and freedom, to have a fresh Vietnam. as beautiful as today.

Transport To Hien Luong Bridge From Danang, Hoi An

With a departure from DanangDanangprivatecar.com will bring visitors to Quang Tri, a land with many famous landscapes and landmarks bearing the imprint of a heroic history of the Vietnam War, If you are looking for a Private Car Transfer from Danang to Hien Luong Bridge Quang Tri, we can help. We have a team of driver can speak English who will be happy to take you from danang to Hien Luong Bridge quang tri.

See More: https://danangprivatecar.com/tours/private-car-transfer-from-danang-to-dmz-quang-tri/

 

Amidst the years of fierce bombing, no one could have imagined that there was a Vinh Moc tunnel – a world of living and fighting in the ground, completely isolated from the outside world. Vinh Moc Tunnels is a cultural and historical relic with great historical and educational values, a symbol of the undying patriotism, unyielding will and creativity of his father during the resistance years. war. Visiting Vinh Moc tunnels, visitors will feel the arduous endurance, ceaseless creativity and brave fighting spirit of Quang Tri’s army and people during the war years.

 

Vinh Moc tunnels are located in Vinh Moc village, Vinh Thach commune, Vinh Linh district, Quang Tri province, 7 km north of Cua Tung beach. From Dong Ha city, it takes about 1 hour to drive a motorbike along National Highway 1A to the North and then turn to a small road down to the sea to reach Vinh Moc tunnels. On the road lined with green bamboo, perhaps few people know that right below their feet is a system of tunnels, an underground “world” of Vinh Linh army and people during the years of resistance from 1965. to 1972.

The road is lined with green bamboo
The road is lined with green bamboo

In 1965, before the destruction of the US air force and artillery, Vinh Moc countryside was completely destroyed. With the will “an inch does not go, a glass does not leave. Each village and commune is a fortress”, Vinh Linh’s army and people have quietly moved their lives from the ground to the underground. Vinh Moc Tunnels is one of 114 large and small tunnels dug throughout Vinh Linh district. These 114 tunnels have a total length of nearly 42km. Among many revolutionary bases in the “fire land” of Quang Tri, the Vinh Moc tunnel village system is the most typical work of the will to persevere, refusing to back down before the invaders of his forefathers.

 

The work was started in early 1965 and was completed on February 18, 1966, located in the heart of a red basalt hill running close to the edge of the sea. The special thing is that the commander of this project (the engineer) at that time his education had just finished primary school. (Currently, he is a former lieutenant colonel living in Dong Ha city and is blind due to the effects of war wounds.

 

The entire tunnel system has a dome-shaped structure measuring 0.9m x 1.75m, 2,034m long, including many branches connected to each other through a main axis of 870m long. The tunnel has 13 doors, of which 6 are connected to the hill, 7 are facing the sea and 3 are vent wells. Moreover, the hatches have wooden columns to prevent collapse and landslides, discreetly camouflaged, inclined to the wind, ensuring ventilation.

 

The ground of Vinh Moc tunnel tunnel is dug 5m higher than sea level, inclined from 8 to 120 degrees from South to North, from West to East so that water can easily drain, not stagnate in the tunnel, all living It still works normally even in the rainy season. Thanks to that, the clay in the tunnel became harder and harder, making the Vinh Moc tunnel structure still exist almost intact to this day.

 

Stepping into the tunnels is a cool feeling. The ventilation system is airy and cool, making visitors surprised. It is the factor that ensures absolute safety of ventilation and ventilation, ensuring that hundreds of people live and fight in the tunnels is the most important factor of the tunnels.

 

Going deep into the tunnels, under bright enough lights, visitors can clearly see the red earth color of the legendary land as well as the precise and scientific distribution for each location, place and activities in the area. religion.

 

This is not only a simple battle tunnel village like other works, but also an underground living space of soldiers and locals. They turned the ground into solid fortresses with three interconnected floors. The first floor is 8-10m deep, used for combat maneuvers and shelter. The second floor, 12 to 15 meters above the ground, is where the villagers live. The 3rd floor is more than 23m deep, used as a warehouse for food and weapons for Con Co island as well as for fighting for the Vinh Moc tunnels and soldiers.

 

It can be said that Vinh Moc tunnels is an underground village with works such as domestic water wells, rice storage, Hoang Cam kitchen, guard station, telephone station, infirmary, operating room, house. midwifery, bathroom…

 

In particular, along both sides of the tunnel, 1.8m deep and 0.8m wide are cut into small cells, which are rooms for households with 3-4 people can live. Inside the tunnel there is also a hall used as a meeting place, cultural performance, movie screening with a capacity of more than 50 people.

 

Vinh Moc Tunnels is considered a typical work of Vinh Linh tunnel village system. The tunnels are started from the wells, then spread out into the tunnels. Tunnels often run zigzag, in a Z shape to create solid bends, using the earth wall itself to block the path of bombs if dropped.

 

In nearly 2,000 days and nights of existence, in the heart of the tunnels, no one was injured and 17 babies were born, enough to show the value and meaning of Vinh Moc tunnels, and at the same time it is a miraculous story about the land of Vietnam. the land and the people here.

 

Especially during this time, Vinh Moc army and people did not only use the tunnels as shelters and avoid bombs; but also organize raids right in the homeland, save and treat wounded and sick soldiers. In particular, hundreds of suicide boats from Vinh Moc have headed to the sea to support Con Co island.

From here to support Con Co island.
From here to support Con Co island.

With those great historical values, in 1976, the Ministry of Culture and Information (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) specially recognized the Vinh Moc tunnel relic as a historical and cultural relic. national level. In 2014, Vinh Moc tunnel relic continued to be recognized as a special national relic.

 

This is one of the attractive destinations of the Quang Tri DMZ (demilitarized zone) tourist route and attracts many tourists to visit and learn.

 

On the site of the relic, there is also the Vinh Moc Tunnels Museum, which displays war remnants, especially the famous painting To Be Or Not To Be.

 

Vinh Moc Tunnels – an extremely unique work during the anti-American war and national salvation – has become a place of lively patriotic tradition education for young generations, an interesting, attractive and unique tourist destination for young people. visitor.

Bomb crater
Bomb crater

 

Although they have heard a lot about the miracle of this tunnel, only when visiting and exploring the tunnels can visitors understand the hard life and the steadfast heart of the Vinh Moc army and people over the years. month of resistance against invaders, gaining independence and freedom for the country. In the Quang Tri travel itinerary , returning to Vinh Moc today, visitors can feel the hot breath of the old war, thereby more loving their homeland.

Transport To Vinh Moc Tunnels From Hue, Danang

PRICE IN USD AND VND PRIVATE CAR TRANSFER FROM HUE TO VINH MOC TUNNELS

CAR PRICE USD PRICE USD
SEDAN(MAX 3 PAX – 2 BAGGAGES) 60 USD/CAR 1,410,000 VND/CAR
MINIVAN(MAX 4 PAX – 3 BAGGAGES) 70 USD/CAR 1,645,000 VND/CAR
VAN(MAX 8 PAX – 6 BAGGAGES) 80 USD/CAR 1,900,000VND/CAR

NCLUSION & EXCLUSION HUE TO VINH MOC TUNNELS

 Inclusion Private Car with driver can speak English, Petrol, Road tolls, Parking fee.
 Exclusion Meals, Guide, Entrance fee, Personal fee.

See More: Hue To Vinh Moc Tunnels By Private Car