Cu Chi tunnel - a legendary land

 

 

 

 

 

Located about 40 kilometres from Ho Chi Minh city, the historic Cu Chi tunnels can surprise anyone who visits them. During the fierce times of war, local people and soldiers miraculously lived and fought for national liberation from the intricate network of underground tunnels. Let’s explore more.

As a soldier who fought in some of the war’s bloodiest battles, Huỳnh Văn Chịa survived with physical scars. At the age of 70, the veteran works at the Cu Chi historical site to help the young generation understand how people fought resolutely around this legendary network of tunnels.

The Cu Chi tunnels stretch a total length of over 250km. They were dug with simple tools and bare hands during the French occupation in the 1940s. This main axis system has many branches connecting to underground hideouts, shelters, and entrances to other tunnels.

The tunnels have three layers with the deepest 10 metres from the surface. The upper soil layer can support the weight of a 50-tonne tank and the damage of light cannons and bombs. The underground network provided sleeping quarters, meeting rooms, hospitals and social areas.

Life in the narrow tunnels was extremely difficult. Food, water and the most important thing – oxygen – were scarce. Experiencing the Cu Chi tunnel, visitors can understand the resilience and unyielding will of the people who lived there. The poor but heroic land had to face 21 years of war against well trained troops with full and modern weapons.

In the 1969-1972 period, Cu Chi was called the “barren land” as no animal or flora could live there due to US bombs and Agent Orange/dioxin chemical. However, with intelligent and creative fighting strategies, local soldiers scared and eventually defeated the enemy, contributing to the great victory of the nation. In order to remember the fallen soldiers of Cu Chi, a worship area was built with 44,379 stone steles.The historical site has been preserved and become a popular tourism destination, luring thousands of visitors from inside and outside the country every day

Cu Chi tunnel - a legendary land

Bamboo in Culture and Legend

Bamboo has important cultural significance in many Asian societies. It has played an instrumental role in the development of so much—in building, in cooking, in medicine, in clothing, the list goes on.

Accordingly, it has become symbolic for many cultures. In India, for example, bamboo is a symbol of friendship. And in China, bamboo is considered to be a symbol of longevity, as a result of its long lifespan. There are even creation myths involving bamboo.

Several Asian cultures believe that humanity emerged from a bamboo stem. The Japanese have a folktale called the “Tale of the Bamboo Cutter,”

which tells the story of a princess who, after living on the moon, emerges from a glowing piece of bamboo. Another bamboo-inspired tale is the Philippine creation story; in it, the first man and

woman both emerge from split bamboo stems. Malaysia has a similar tale: In theirs, there is a man who, while sleeping under a bamboo plant, dreams of a beautiful woman; when he wakes up, he breaks the bamboo stem and discovers her inside.

Outside of legend, bamboo is intertwined with worship and ritual in other ways. For instance, Shinto shrines in Japan are often surrounded by bamboo forests as part of a sacred barrier against evil. Similarly, Buddhist temples often have bamboo groves.

In Vietnam, bamboo has very important cultural significance. It acts as a symbol for the Vietnamese spirit. It represents hard work, straightforwardness,

optimism, unity, courteousness, and adaptableness. There is even a bamboo-inspired proverb in Vietnam: “When the bamboo is old, the bamboo sprouts appear,” it says. Its message is one of immortality: The Vietnamese nation will never die.

Though its people might, there will always be a younger generation to take their place, to keep Vietnam alive. In this spirit, many traditional Vietnamese villages have bamboo hedges surrounding them.

The Vietnamese also have a famous love story that involves bamboo. The tale is known as “The Hundred-knot Bamboo Tree.” It is about a poor, young farmer who falls in love with his landlord’s beautiful daughter. The landowner promises the young man marriage to his daughter if he works hard for another three years, but then goes back on his word, promising his daughter to another man.

The young farmer protests, and the landowner responds by cutting him another deal: If he can bring him a bamboo stalk with one hundred knots, he can have her hand in marriage. The farmer runs into a bit of luck. During his search, Buddha appears and gives him the magic to combine multiple bamboo stalks. This allows him to accomplish his task, and ultimately marry the landlord’s daughter.

So, as you can see, bamboo is, in many cultures, held in quite high esteem. And whether or not you believe the legends, there is one thing that remains as true in the myths as it does in reality: Bamboo is a wonderful and useful plant – whether it’s being used to build houses or as a means to marry the love of one’s life.

Bamboo in Culture and Legend