Today: 19/03/2024 13:16:05 (GMT+7)
THE SPECIALIZED PAGE OF BAC GIANG NEWSPAPER ONLINE

A weapons vault vaults into a café in Saigon

A café takes visitors down a unique memory lane as a living museum to the Vietnam War.

In Saigon's District 3, the café at 287/72 Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street, opened over a year ago, used to be a weapons vault supervised by Tran Van Lai.

weapons vault, café, Saigon, unique memory lane,  living museum, Vietnam War, Tran Van Lai, historical café, underground tunnel

The Citroen Car from the French colonial period belongs to Lai. It was used to transport weapons to the tunnel.

Lai’s son Tran Vu Binh, who runs the café now, said it is decorated with memorabilia of soldiers in the Vietnam War, the country's war against American invaders which ended in 1975.

"I was researching materials to rebuild this house in its original form and collecting artifacts to make this a historical café for people to visit. This idea was born out of my affection and respect for the soldiers," he said.

The three levels building still has its original brick floor and tiled roof. The house’s specialty is a tunnel system that opened to visitors in 2018.

weapons vault, café, Saigon, unique memory lane,  living museum, Vietnam War, Tran Van Lai, historical café, underground tunnel

The house’s specialty is a tunnel system that opened to visitors in 2018.

In the 1960s, under the guise of repairing the house's bathroom drain, Lai asked his trusted workers to build this vault to store weapons transported from the suburbs.

In order to avoid detection, the dug-up soil was put into cartons and taken out in a car. It took almost a year for the basement to be completed.

About over 10 meters long and 2.5 meters high, the tunnel is plastered with thick waterproof cement. The tunnel has four round frames connected to the drainage pipe, which was of the perfect size that a person could use to escape.

From 1966 to 1968, nearly two tons of weapons and ammunition including guns, explosives, detonators, shotguns, grenades and bullets were transferred here.

Iron boxes and wooden barrels for weapons are also put on display. The underground tunnel also has a secret passage leading to the second floor of the house.

From the narrow walkway in the underground tunnel, residents could climb the ladder to reach upper floor.

weapons vault, café, Saigon, unique memory lane,  living museum, Vietnam War, Tran Van Lai, historical café, underground tunnel

The tunnel has four round frames connected to the drainage pipe, which was of the perfect size that a person could use to escape.

The tunnel’s entrance is placed under a bathroom sink. From here, people in the house could escape through the balcony and roof.

During the Lunar New Year of 1968, in the famous Tet Offensive, soldiers used the same vehicle to carry weapons and explosives from this place for an attack on the headquarters of the US puppet regime, today the Independence Palace.

The coffee shop also showcases items used by Saigon residents many decades ago, evoking nostalgia for a bygone era.

Da Lat and Sa Pa named among best spring destination in Asia
Two Vietnamese towns, Da Lat in Lam Dong province and Sa Pa in Lao Cai province, have entered the new list of the 23 places in Asia to view the stunning spring season by MSN.
 
Da Nang ranked among top destinations in 2019
The central city of Da Nang has been included in a list of 52 places to go in 2019 by The New York Times, which has an international readership.
 
New destinations in Mu Cang Chai for paragliding lovers
Visitors to the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai will have opportunities to take an exhilarating ride on paragliders to enjoy spectacular views as the Northern Aviation Club and the Air Defence-Air Force Service are planning to open two new paragliding destinations in Mu Cang Chai district.
 
Hanoi listed among top 25 global destinations
Vietnam’s capital city of Hanoi has been ranked 15th among the top 25 global destinations by the world’s most popular travel guide, TripAdvisor.
 

Source: VnExpress

weapons vault, café, Saigon, unique memory lane, living museum, Vietnam War, Tran Van Lai, historical café, underground tunnel
 
New comment has just been added. Click here
Sort:NewBest News