Built solidly with concrete, 5mm thick steel walls, and able to withstand bombs up to 2 tons, the tunnel system below the Independence Palace was a hiding place for important parts of the government of the Republic of Vietnam.
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| The fortified tunnel system located in the Independence Palace is where the president of the Republic of Vietnam regime, Nguyen Van Thieu, once worked, designed by Lieutenant Colonel and engineer Phan Van Dien. |
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| The tunnel is 72.5m long; 0.8 – 22.5m wide and 0.6 – 2.5m deep. The tunnel is divided into two areas: area 1 is 0.66m deep, with 0.6m thick concrete walls, able to withstand 500kg bombs. Area 2 is a 2.5m deep shelter; the concrete walls are 1.6m thick and can withstand 2,000kg bombs. |
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| The first room in the tunnel is the operational staff area. This is the room that receives military information from the four tactical zones. Through the operational map system, this staff will update, monitor and propose military operation plans. |
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| The rooms in the bunker are connected by small passageways made of concrete, 5mm steel walls and equipped with ventilation systems. The tunnels mainly lead to functional rooms, serving the organization's activities at that time. Pictured is the code room. |
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| In addition, area 1 also has a power control room, backup radio station, communication rooms, and telephone switchboard. |
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| These are the equipment in a part of the communications area. There are many other small rooms here, which are where telegrams are received, transferred, and encoded, replacing the radio station on the ground when war breaks out. Previously, this place had 41 staff on duty, including 21 telegraph operators and 6 employees. This department was responsible for ensuring continuous communication with the battlefields, forces, and the Embassy of the Republic of Vietnam in Southeast Asian countries. |
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| The president's bedroom and working area are located in area 2. In case of emergency, he will go down here by the stairs connecting from the office on the 2nd floor. On April 8, 1975, when the Independence Palace was bombed, Nguyen Van Thieu's family took shelter in this tunnel. |
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| Today, some areas are still off-limits. Many passages are blocked and marked with signs prohibiting entry. The passages are not designed to be too large, but are still wide enough for two people to move around. Today, the tunnel is equipped with lights and fans to serve visitors. |
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| Most of the underground passages are paved with old square tiles. Therefore, when entering here, visitors will still feel the atmosphere of Saigon decades ago. |
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| Inside the tunnel, many artifacts that were used or produced during that period are still preserved. At the end of the tunnel is the kitchen, where solemn banquets were served in the Independence Palace such as National Day, Inauguration Ceremony, or to entertain heads of state. The kitchen was equipped to the standards of 5-star hotel kitchens at that time. All equipment was made of stainless steel made in Japan. |
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| In addition, visitors also have the opportunity to admire the Mercedes 200 W110 car manufactured in Germany in the 60s. This was one of the cars used by Mr. Nguyen Van Thieu at that time. |
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| After visiting the tunnel, if you want to learn more about the Palace or the country's history, you can go to the documentary screening room to watch videos in many different languages. |
According to VNE
