DMZ Tour – A unique product of Quang Tri

DMZ Tour or also known as old battlefield tourism. Some programs called old battlefield tourism and comrades are attracting many tourists. Coming to this Tour program is an opportunity to pay tribute to the heroes and martyrs who sacrificed for the country.

Quang Tri is a land with a rich history and culture.

Having gone through two resistance wars against France and the US, Quang Tri is a heroic land, a place of historical confrontation between two forces – revolution and counter-revolution, a place that witnessed the pain of the country being divided for more than 20 years. The land and people of Quang Tri have many legends, humanity is grateful and admires. The people here are heroic, indomitable and the names of the lands, villages, mountains, and rivers are very familiar but rich in epic qualities, very simple but have the power to move people’s hearts.

Quang Tri has many unique tourism products, many famous beautiful landscapes and places bearing the mark of the war past such as: Thach Han River, Ben Hai River, Hien Luong Bridge, McNamara electronic fence, Vinh Moc tunnel, Ta Con Airport, Lang Vay Base, Truong Son cemetery, Con Tien base, Doc Mieu, Ho Chi Minh trail, Con Co Island… These historical relics have become the tourism “brand” of Quang Tri.

Located in the middle of the “central region” – where there is a dense density of world heritages, Quang Tri people can still be proud of a quite famous tourist “sidewalk”, which is very special because it cannot be found in any other tour in the country: DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) tourism.

The DMZ tour starts from Dong Ha city, the car takes you to the West of Quang Tri along Highway 9 – the historic road that the Americans chose as an important location during the war. Continuing to cross the Dakrong intersection, you will meet an entity of the legendary Truong Son road at km 48, you will reach Khe Sanh base. Here you will hear about the 170 days and nights of fierce fighting between us and the US, marking the victory of the Liberation Army in this fierce war.

On the way, visitors can visit the Ta Con – Khe Sanh airport relic. This is a highlight of the DMZ tour, and is also an address that American veterans really want to visit. Ta Con airport is the name used to refer to a cluster of strategic military bases of the US army in the years 1966-1968. Along with the Ta Con airport relic, Lao Bao Prison – this is also a relic that attracts more and more tourists to visit on the DMZ tourist route. Coming to Lao Bao Prison relic, through the evidence that is still preserved and restored, we can clearly see the crimes that the French colonial government once spread on our country. And here is the Lao Bao Trade Zone, famous for duty-free goods imported from Laos and Thailand. Then you have lunch at Lao Bao.

DMZ Quang Tri Tour from Quang Binh 1 day

In the afternoon, returning along the Ho Chi Minh trail, visitors will arrive at Con Tien and continue along National Highway 1A to the North to meet Doc Mieu, an important outpost of the US and puppets, considered the “magic eye” of the McNamara electronic fence.

From Con Tien, continue along Vo Xa – Ben Tat road for 8km, visitors can visit Truong Son Martyrs’ Cemetery – the largest martyrs’ cemetery in the country with more than 10,333 graves of soldiers who died in the war against America to save the country. From here, following National Highway 1A to the North is the location of the 17th parallel, visitors will stop by Hien Luong Bridge, Ben Hai River – the dividing line of pain, anger and hope of the people of the two regions during the war. After the Geneva Agreement in 1954, Vietnam was temporarily divided into two regions, the boundary was Ben Hai River. From the river bank, 5km on both sides of the North – South banks were designated as the demilitarized zone – DMZ.

After the two banks of Ben Hai were reconnected, Hien Luong Bridge became the first stop on the DMZ journey. The historic iron bridge, bearing the long story of the pain of division and the desire for national reunification, was restored to its original form in 1952-1967 and is the center of the DMZ – two banks of Ben Hai tourist area. Hien Luong Bridge was built by the French in 1950. The bridge has 7 spans, 178m long, divided into two parts, each side is 89m long. The North bank consists of 450 bridge deck planks, the South bank has 444 planks.

Leaving Hien Luong, continuing along National Highway 1A to Vinh Linh, arriving at Vinh Thach commune, one will be able to admire a historical miracle: Vinh Moc Tunnels – the strongest and most impressive attraction for foreigners on the current DMZ tour. The tunnel system has a total length of nearly 2034m, height from 0.6 – 0.8m, width of 0.9m, divided into three floors with the deepest floor over 23m, like a unique construction bearing the legendary color of the people’s war in Vietnam.

The war has long since ended, leaving behind a structure that, as a foreign tourist said, “when we step down, we must bow before your miracles.” Currently, Vinh Moc tunnel is the most popular tourist attraction on this famous and unique tourist route. In the evening, visit Tung Luat village, known as the village of artists, to enjoy a cultural program including famous folk songs and especially watch the “Ho dua linh” (traditional boat dance) performed by the village’s artists.

From here, we can rest at Cua Tung, a beautiful beach once dubbed by the French as the “Queen of the Beaches”. Otherwise, return to Dong Ha City to rest and tomorrow morning continue the journey to the South along Highway 1A to another famous place: Quang Tri Citadel. Although Quang Tri Citadel is not included in the DMZ Tour, you should not miss this place. Quang Tri Town is a land that has suffered the fierceness of war. The remaining relics are the ruined city gates and the nearby Bo De school, riddled with bullet holes. Today, a large campus with a monument shaped like an upside-down rice bowl with 81 steps up and down symbolizing the 81 days and nights of protecting the Citadel was built in this area. The Thach Han River and Quang Tri Citadel are cemeteries without graves. And now, every 14th night of the lunar month every year, on the Thach Han River, the “Dang Night” Festival takes place to commemorate and pay tribute to the people and heroic martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the 81-day and night war of the fiery summer of 1972 at Quang Tri Ancient Citadel. This is a meaningful activity to honor and remember the contributions of those who have fallen for independence and freedom today, demonstrating the morality of drinking water, remembering its source, repaying gratitude, and the responsibility of today’s generations towards previous generations. The Dang Night Festival meets the wishes of the people, families of martyrs, comrades and tourists to have the opportunity to express their respect to the souls of the heroes who have fallen for the sacred and heroic cause of national defense. This is also a festival with its own unique characteristics of Quang Tri town.

In general, Quang Tri’s tourism products are almost created by the blood and bones of war – which makes a clear difference compared to tourism products in other localities and regions. Therefore, in Quang Tri there is a famous tour that no other place has, which is the DMZ tour – an abbreviation of the English word Demilitarized Zone – today is the top priority tourist area for foreign visitors when coming to the Central region.

During the nostalgic tours to Quang Tri to visit the old battlefield, American veterans were really impressed by the places here. Some people expressed their feelings about the land and this tour. Some war officials when participating in this tour also highly appreciated and considered this a new and attractive type of tourism and a bridge between the present and the past.

The DMZ tour is truly a very interesting cultural and historical tour, with a very clear sense of origin and full of traditional education./.

Netin Travel