Historical traces in the bomb shelter
For the past 3 years, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tung - a retired doctor - has been guiding foreign tourists to visit the bomb shelter under the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi hotel. twice a day, he takes tourists back in the flow of history, explores Hanoi during the resistance years and visits the special bomb shelter tunnel.
"Remembering the childhood during the war, although still naive, but when I heard the siren, I and the children ran down to the bomb tunnel. When the plane passed, we have fun as usual. These emotions are still intact when I lead visitors to visit the tunnel to avoid bombs. Every day, I share another story about the days of Hanoi sinking in the rain of bombs and storms, about the indomitable spirit of the Capital Army."
The bomb shelter tunnel in the back garden of Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi Hotel is one of the few preserved tunnels in the capital. Discovering in 2011 when upgrading a bar near the swimming pool, foundation workers found a 30cm thick layer of concrete, the roof of a solid underground tunnel with many compartments. This tunnel has an area of 2m2 to more than 7m2 and a capacity of about 45 people.
Hanoi also has another tunnel at the Northern Power Corporation. This tunnel was used by workers at the Bo Ho Power Plant to avoid American bombs during the 1966-1972 period when the war escalated and B52 bombers fell on Hanoi.
At 62 Tran Quoc Toan, in Hang Trong (now the headquarters of the Hanoi Journalists Association) or in the Thang Long Imperial Citadel area, the secret tunnels that once struggled to suffer from the dropped American bombs are proof of the bravery and indomitable spirit of the army and people of Hanoi.
Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Manh Ha, former Director of the Party History Institute (Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics), shared with Lao Dong reporter: "Renovating and restoring bomb shelters is a very meaningful activity, because they were born in fierce battles, built to protect the people. In these basements, the Party and State have met and made many important decisions to deal with the US. Hanoi has a policy of preserving these tunnels, helping people understand more about the history and life during the war".
Unforgettable days
As of the end of 1965, Hanoi had 1,000 collective tunnels, nearly 1,000km of underpass traffic and more than 10,000 individual pits. In early 1966, the number of individual tunnels increased to 160,000. Many residential areas have built large A-shaped tunnels, with beds, blankets and full water for people to take shelter. Areas such as Nguyen Cong Tru, Bo Ho, near the Opera House... all have mass bomb shelters.
Hanoi, as the brains in the resistance war against the US, has built many secret tunnels to both avoid bombs and serve work. From 1965 to 1968, tunnels such as D59, D66, D67, T1... appeared in the Imperial Citadel area, where the Politburo and the Central Military Commission met when US aircraft exploded fiercely.
Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Manh Ha said that the D67 tunnel under the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long is 9 meters deep, protected by many layers of soil, sand and concrete. Even if the bomb is hit, the shelter is still safe thanks to its ability to fight bombs, prevent toxic smoke and shock waves. Similarly, the H67 tunnel in the Presidential Palace, next to Uncle Ho's stilt house, was built solidly, serving important meetings of Party and State leaders.
Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Manh Ha shared: "When Hanoi was submerged in bullets and bullets, people rang out to the basement to avoid the bombs. The tunnel helps people feel safe.
Although Hanoi has changed, the underground tunnels still preserve unforgettable historical memories".
