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War remnant
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Quang Tri, a coastal and small province with the total area of 4,588 sq.km, is located in the Central Vietnam where the Ben Hai River crosses. During the Vietnam War, the area covering the DMZ was the scene of some of the fiercest battles. Quang Tri, the Rockpile, Khe sanh, Lang Vay, etc. became popular names in Vietnam, the USA as well as in the world. Quang Tri is also the busiest gateway to Laos by road on NR9 which will be one branch of trans-Asian highways in the near future. Vestiges of the Vietnam war in Quang Tri are worth visiting.
Dong Ha town
Dong Ha is the capital of Quang Tri Province. During the Vietnam War the US built many military bases around the town and Dong Ha served as the logistics center of the U.S in 1968-1969. In the spring of 1968, a division of North Vietnamese troops captured Dong Ha and it was later the site of a South Vietnamese Army base. Nowadays, Dong Ha is an administrative and commercial centre of Quang Tri Province.
Ho Chi Minh Trails
Initially this was only a small trail in the mountainous range of Truong Son only for foot soldiers, but later it developed into an intricate interlaced road network along the majestic Truong Son Range - consisting of trails for foot messengers and guides and roads for big trucks. For more than a decade, the Ho Chi Minh Trails was a special supply and communication line from North Vietnam to the battlefield in South Vietnam.
Truong Son Cemetery
13km north of Dong Ha, this famous 106 ha cemetery situated on a hill in the centre of eight other hills in Vinh Truong, Gio Linh district. The cemetery has a big war memorial, a stele house and a group of statues, as high as 10 meters, depicting the soldiers who had sacrificed their lives for national liberation and independence. More than 10,000 soldiers where buried there and a group of monuments commemorating the heroism of battalion 559 and the spirit of unity between Vietnam and Laos was erected. Every year, thousands of Vietnamese pilgrims visit this cemetery. Many foreigners also come here.
Ben Hai River & the DMZ
From 1954 to 1975, the Ben Hai River served as the demarcation line between the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) and the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam). The demilitarized zone (DMZ) consisted of an area 5km to either side of the demarcation line, running more or less parallel to NR 9 and perpendicular to the Ho Chi Minh trail. During the Vietnam War, the area just south of the DMZ was the scene of some of the bloodiest battles of the conflict.
Vinh Moc Tunnels
Situated 13km east of NR1A and just a few steps from the sea, Vinh Moc is well-known as an underground village designed to avoid bombardments during the Vietnam War. The network's total length is nearly 2km, structured into three floors with the first 13m beneath the ground, the second 15 m, and the third, 23m. The village was built over two years (1965-1966) and required approximately 6,000 cubic metres of earth to be dug out. It is linked to the sea by 7 exits, which also function as ventilators, and to a nearby hill by another six. The "underground village" was home to 94 families and included wells to supply water, a meeting room, toilets, a maternity ward, an operating theatre, etc. Nowadays, to ensure security for visitors, the tunnels were restored with reinforced concrete and internal lightening. |
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