A Secret Weapon Cellar in District 3
You’d never know it, looking at this completely normal house on Võ Văn Tần street in District 3… but I suppose that was the point. A trap door in the floor hides a secret basement, in which the Viet Cong stored guns, ammunition, and grenades.
Happily, there’s no longer a need for such a bunker, so it’s been opened for visits. They’ve left the weapons in place, though I’m sure they’ve been deactivated. I mean, surely, right? Surely, this tiny quasi-museum has rigorously ensured the safety of its exhibitions, and this grenade I’m playing around with is dead. Why is everyone backing away from me?
The guard in charge of the place didn’t speak any English, so we didn’t get much of a tour. But he was friendly, and we were able to communicate a little. He showed us some photographs which revealed the tricks the Vietnamese would use to conceal weapons, including wrapping rifles up in old carpets, or storing explosives inside the baskets of elderly fruit vendors.
Assuming you can find it, the cellar is free to visit, and is a very cool relic from a fascinating time in Saigon’s history.
Location: Secret Weapons Cellar
