A tour of South East Asia’s former battle sites reveals a rich and poignant history to Nithia Devan…
Much of modern tourism is about recreation. Tour agencies create holidays as a series of pre-scripted experiences – usually in the form of group tours and packaged deals. But there are growing numbers of travellers wishing to venture beyond such well-travelled tourist tracks. If you’re such an adventurer and also have a keen interest in culture and history, consider visiting a former battle site for your next cultural travel experience. As macabre as this form of travel – sometimes referred to as “Dark Tourism” or “War Memory Tourism” – might initially seem, it can be an uplifting and poignant experience.
There’s always the question of political correctness. Turning sites of death and misery into tourist attractions is indeed a delicate business. Travellers will most certainly come face-to-face with some of the most painful and frightening aspects of human existence – genocide, natural disasters, terrorism and slavery. Sure to provoke, confront and affect you in a profound way, such a journey can be a multi-dimensional experience, which can have a deep and lasting impact on your life and view of humanity. Unfortunately, as much as society may tout its “progress”, it hasn’t seen the end of these evils. But by raising awareness of past horrific events, dark tourism can deepen our understanding of the world we live in and remind us of the constant opportunity to learn from our past mistakes.
VIETNAM
Also, in Ho Chi Minh City, Reunification Palace, until April 30, 1975 the residence of the President of South Vietnam, stands as a reminder of when North Vietnamese tanks came crashing through the front gates, bringing the “American War” to a dramatic end. Close to the Palace, some of the best examples of French colonial architecture are represented in the forms of Notre Dame Cathedral, the Central Post Office and the Opera House – as seen in the film The Quiet American, starring Michael Caine.
The infamous Cu Chi tunnels stretch over 200 kilometres and are a must-experience. This network of underground boroughs, just 30 to 40 kilometres from Ho Chi Minh City, played a vital part in the war in that they allowed the Viet Cong to control a large rural area. At its height, the tunnel system stretched from Saigon to the Cambodian border. The network – parts of which were several levels deep – included innumerable trap doors, specially constructed living areas, storage facilities, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centres and kitchens. Today, the remaining tunnels are a major tourist attraction and give a unique feel for what underground life must have been like. Although, the tunnels have now been widened – otherwise no one would be able to enter them!
Dien Bien Phu
The museum and battle sites of Dien Bien Phu is where the Viet Minh routed the French, driving them out of Indochina. Today Dien Bien Phu bears few scars from 1954 – except for a few damaged tanks. But there is much to see. The valley is over 20 kilometres in length and most of the battle sites east of the Muong Thanh airfield have been preserved. These include artillery emplacements, General de Castries’ command post, aircraft wrecks and the Muong Thanh bridge. The Museum of Dien Bien Phu Victory – built in 1984 – was upgraded in 2003 with five exhibition sections and covers the full eight-year struggle against the French, with both indoor and outdoor exhibits.
Contact: Viet Value Travel (www.vietvaluetravel.com).
Hue & Khe Sanh
Travel to Khe Sanh and Hue to visit the Hien Luong Bridge – which demarcated North and South Vietnam, the Doc Mieu Base in the DMZ (Demilitarised Zone) and the Vinh Moc Tunnels. Starting from Hue, a day trip to the nearby DMZ and Vinh Moc Tunnels crossing the invisible line of demarcation between north and south is a sobering reminder of wartime. The 1968 Battle of Hue, which heralded the Tet Offensive in the far south, was one of the most gruesome and well-documented battles of the Vietnam War, later depicted in the film Full Metal Jacket.
In fact the whole of Quang Tri Province is a vestige of the war years as this was the site of some of the heaviest shelling and artillery exchanges of the war. Vietnam was divided into north and south along the 17th Parallel. And what was meant to be a short-term political fix, became a battle line known as the DMZ (demilitarised zone) – a wasteland of tangled barbed wire and land mines. The once scorched earth of the DMZ is now green again and completely unremarkable – except for its history. Nearby are strategic sites with recognisable names: the Rockpile, Hamburger Hill, Camp Carroll and Khe Sanh – a former US marine base where some of the war's most vicious and deadly fighting took place. If you take a tour of the area, you'll also visit Dakrong Bridge, an official entryway to the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
Ho Chi Minh Trail
The legendary Ho Chi Minh Trail was the supply line used by North Vietnam to link North and South Vietnam during the war. Soldiers, ammunition, weapons and supplies were carried by hand, bicycle and truck for hundreds of kilometres through the otherwise impenetrable jungle that covered Vietnam’s mountainous border with Laos. This ride takes in the charming ancient trading town of Hoi An, the Khe Sanh battle site and DMZ. Stay overnight with a traditional Thai hill tribe and visit tribal villages along the way.
Contact: Active Travel Vietnam (www.activetravelvietnam.com).
Vinh Moc Tunnels
The tunnels of Vinh Moc – where border troops and whole families burrowed underground, effectively creating an underground city – is testament to the determination and motivation of Viet Cong forces at the north end of the DMZ. A visit here is the highlight of any DMZ tour.
Like the tunnels in the south at Cu Chi, soldiers and civilians took to the underground – literally. From 1965 to 1966 they dug tunnels within a one-mile radius to support Viet Cong troops and confound US battalions. An estimated seven tons of bombs were dropped per person living in the Vinh Moc Tunnels. It took 18 months to excavate some 6,000 square metres of red soil that had to be carefully dispersed – usually at night to avoid surveillance and buried in sands of the beach nearby. 20 metres below the surface, the multi-level tunnels formed a community haven. There were living rooms for families, a conference and performance room, a small cinema, a field hospital, clean facilities and kitchens complete with elaborate systems to dissipate the smoke of cooking fires. The tunnels also had ingenious exit points inland and along the coast, providing cross-ventilation.
Visitors can walk through 300 metres of tunnels in a main artery that is 1.6 metres high by 1.2 metres wide, going down three stages. Expect to get dirty and feel clammy and slightly claustrophobic. A museum at the entrance holds survivors' photos, testimonies and houses photos of life among the tunnel families, as well as maps of their labyrinth and excavation tools. For those interested, there's also an opportunity to fire off a few rounds using an AK47 or MK16 at the nearby rifle range.
Contact: Green Trail Tours (www.greentrail-indochina.com).
Hanoi
Visitors to Hanoi can pay a visit to Hoa Loa Prison Museum. Built by the French in 1904 – when Vietnam was still part of French Indochina – it was used to hold Vietnamese prisoners, particularly political prisoners. It was later used by North Vietnam for prisoners of war during the Vietnam War.
Important If you're interested in tours to the DMZ, your best bet is to pay a little extra and find a knowledgeable guide who can paint a vivid portrait. Except for a few memorial sites and preserved relics, the physical battle scars on the landscape have healed. To make this trip worthwhile, go with someone who knows the history of the area and can take you to the out-of-the-way bunkers and battle sites. It's important to note the heavy plant growth is only recent – this area was the hardest hit of anywhere in Vietnam by the US defoliation campaign Operation Ranch Hand.
Contact: Huong Giang Tourist Company (www.huonggiangtourist.com).
CAMBODIA
Phnom Penh
The capital of the Kingdom of Cambodia is located at the confluence of three rivers: the Mekong, the Bassac and the Tonle Sap. Once considered the prettiest city of Indochina, Phnom Penh maintains considerable charm. It’s also a short distance from the notorious Killing Fields – the site of genocide perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge. Another place to visit is the infamous Tuol Sleng Museum – or S21 as it was formerly known – which chronicles Cambodia’s tragic past under the brutal rule of the Khmer Rouge.
Contact: Country Holidays (www.countryholidays.com.sg) and Inter-Continent Tour & Travel (www.intercontour.com).
Xieng Khouang Province
The First Indochina War from 1946 to 1954 began in Laos and you can still see the after-effects of the war – especially the “carpet” bombing of ancient sites. In fact, Laos holds the tragic honour of being the most heavily bombed country in the world. During the Indochina War, the US flew more than 520,000 bomb runs over Laos – 30 percent of which did not explode. Despite this, Xieng Khouang Province – an area north of Laos – is famous for the mysterious Plain of Jars. Here, stone jars of various sizes – some quite enormous – carved out of solid rock, can be found scattered throughout a plateau. Historical archaeology places these jars at more than 2,500 years old and their purpose is still unknown to scientists.
Contact: http://plainofjars.net
THAILAND
The rivers of Kwai Yai and Kwai Noi merge at Kanchanaburi and form the Mae Klong River. Although the account in the book and film The Bridge Over The River Kwai was fictional, it was based on events that occurred during the construction of the Burma Railway. Known as the Death Railway, this 415-kilometre track carves its way from Bangkok, Thailand to Rangoon, Myanmar and was constructed by World War II prisoners and Asian labourers – of which more than 116,000 died. Interesting sites include Three Pagodas Pass, the JEATH War Museum and the Kanchanaburi (Don Rak) War Cemetery. A unique ways to explore this region is on a three-day/two-night cycling tour which starts and ends in Bangkok. Suitable for most levels of fitness, it’s an excellent option for families. If luxury travel is more your speed, opt for a journey from Singapore to Bangkok aboard the opulent Eastern & Oriental Express. Upon reaching Thailand it crosses the River Kwai where you can disembark for a boat tour and also visit the museum and Don Rak War Cemetery.
Contact: Exotissimo Travel (www.exotissimo.com) and Eastern & Oriental Express (www.orient-express.com).
Unique tours
Roger Harmon uses his experience of 20 years in Asia as an anthropologist, refugee advocate, Peace Corps Director for Thailand and photographer, to design and lead tours within South East and Central Asia for Worldviews Asian Adventures (www.worldviews2000.com).
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
The Kokoda Track
The Kokoda Track holds a special place in Australia’s history and in many Australian’s hearts. Here, during World War II, Australian soldiers – not fully trained, under-equipped and grossly out-numbered – fought off the Japanese army in 1942, eventually halting a probable invasion. Many Australian soldiers and their New Guinean comrades lost their lives on Kokoda – a single-file track running for 96 kilometres through the Owen Stanley Ranges to Kokoda and the coastal lowlands beyond, by the Solomon Sea. Crossing some of the world’s most rugged and isolated terrain, the track reaches 2,250 metres at Mount Bellamy. The local climate is a combination of hot humid days with intensely cold nights and torrential rainfall and – during World War II – endemic malaria.
The track is passable only on foot, which had extreme repercussions on warfare in terms of logistics and size of forces. While the Gallipoli Campaign of World War I was Australia's first military test as a new nation, the Kokoda and subsequent New Guinea Campaign was the first time Australia's security had been directly threatened.
Known as Papua New Guinea’s ultimate wilderness adventure trek, the trail winds through some of the world’s most remote jungle and challenging terrain. Groups of trekkers and rafters regularly undertake this challenging journey – a moving testament to the courage, endurance, “mateship” and sacrifice of the Australian soldiers and their New Guinean comrades.
Contact: Kokoda Spirit (www.kokodaspirit.com) or Executive Excellence (www.executiveexcellence.com.au) for professional treks and adventure travel guide services.
“I decided to walk the Kokoda Track to pay homage and respect to all those young boys who fought and lost their lives. At the time they were fighting, I was four years old and possibly one of the reasons they were there. Navigating the mountainous, muddy, slippery, narrow 96-kilometre track – as we collapsed exhausted at the end of each day – I realised how hard it must have been for them. And we didn’t have anyone shooting at us!
Our group held memorial services at historical battle sites along the way and the bond and companionship between us all grew stronger. The mutual support we gave each other was also very encouraging and filled me with pride. On the eighth day, we reached our final destination – Owers Corner – with cheers and a deep feeling of satisfaction. Retracing the footsteps of those who walked before us, seemed to pay back – in a small way – something to those who lost their lives on the track. Lest we forget.” Ron Egelton, 69
SINGAPORE
World War II is very much a part of Singapore’s 20th century history and there’s a lot of information right on your doorstep. Singapore’s darkest days were during the Japanese occupation from 1942 to 1945 and there are many memorials that illustrate what happened during World War II.
The Battle Box Located within the hillside of Fort Canning Park is a curious thing called the Battle Box. This “box” was essentially the largest World War II underground command centre of the British army in Malaya – now Malaysia – and included Singapore. It’s amazingly large and is comprised of 22 rooms linked by a central corridor. The shelter is also bombproof and capable of recycling its own air supply.
Changi Chapel & Museum This chapel served as an important beacon of light for those who felt helpless during World War II and is a symbolic replica of chapels built during wartime throughout South East Asia.
Civilian War Memorial The experiences and struggles of various races in Singapore during World War II are embodied in the Civilian War Memorial. A short walk from City Hall MRT station, this imposing structure in the heart of the city holds memorial services on February 15 each year.
Fort Siloso Tucked away in Sentosa, Fort Siloso was built by the British in the 1880s to protect Singapore’s west entrance. It is the only British coastal fortification in Singapore still intact today.
Johore Battery Dating back to 1939, the Johore Battery was a big gun site laced with a labyrinth of tunnels – which stored ammunition to support three huge guns firing 15-inch shells. It can be found opposite Selarang Camp, close to Tamah Merah MRT.
Contact: Singapore History Consultants www.singaporehistoryconsultants.com) and Uniquely Singapore (www.visitsingapore.com).
Posted Jan 08
