HÀ NỘI — A Vietnamese film which has held on to its top spot in the box office for the second consecutive week is creating a strong wave of tourists flocking to the historic site of the Củ Chi Tunnels outside HCM City, officials have said.

The movie Địa Đạo: Mặt Trời Trong Bóng Tối (Tunnels: Sun in the Dark) is credited with causing the large influx of visitors.

Nguyễn Minh Tâm, deputy director of the site, said that the tunnels welcomed a remarkable increase of domestic and foreign tourists this month, ahead of the city's celebration of the 50th anniversary of the country's reunification.

The number of visitors to the Củ Chi Tunnels in April has increased by 20 and 30 per cent over the same period last year, according to the official.

"The film has had a great influence on visitors to the tunnels. When it was released, the number of visitors increased significantly. This is a good sign for local tourism, as the attraction of the film helped tourists learn more about the historical site," Tâm said on vov.vn.

In particular, the film has helped attract a large number of people of different ages to come to the site to learn about the historical significance of the Củ Chi Tunnels during the war.

A special night tour themed Trăng Chiến Khu (War Zone Moon) at the site has also recorded significant growth, with nearly 200 arrivals each night, the official revealed.

 

Visitors can watch a simulation model and a 3D film recreating the fierce Battle of Cedar Falls during the American war in Việt Nam.

The battle, which lasted from January 8 to 26, 1967, was the second large-scale operation of the US strategic counter-offensive in the dry season (1966-1967) into the 'Iron Triangle' area of ​​Bến Súc - Củ Chi - Bến Cát. 

Visitors can also explore the old Củ Chi countryside at night, as well as learn about the lives of the people and revolutionary forces stationed in the liberated Củ Chi area.

This is a unique tour that only takes place on the 15th day of the lunar calendar every month, according to Tâm.

Nguyễn Phương Linh, 25, a visitor from Hà Nội, said she had previously heard about the Củ Chi Tunnels many times, but this month she chose to visit them after watching Địa Đạo.

"Watching Địa Đạo with many scenes about the Củ Chi Tunnels, I could imagine the hardship and severe lives of local Vietnamese warriors. But I definitely still want to witness the truth so that I can better understand exactly how and why our nation won in one of the most deadly and cruel wars," Linh said.

"It is really worth it to see both the film and the real Củ Chi Tunnels," she added.

 

According to Box Office Vietnam statistics, over the last weekend, Địa Đạo earned VNĐ27 billion, firmly holding the top spot at the box office for the second consecutive week.

Since its release on April 4, the movie has earned over VNĐ130 billion. After garnering such a large audience, the film's goal of reaching VNĐ150 billion in revenue seems within reach, and it will continue riding high on the effect of the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification.

Địa Đạo: Mặt Trời Trong Bóng Tối, a production about Vietnamese history by prize-winning director Bùi Thạc Chuyên, tells the stories of the soldiers and residents who lived in the Củ Chi Tunnels, located about 60km from downtown HCM City, in the national resistance war against American forces.

Love, sacrifices and bravery are highlighted in the film. VNS