📍 287/70 Nguyễn Đình Chiểu, Phường 5, Quận 3, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Saigon Commando Secret Weapons Bunker sits off Nguyễn Đình Chiểu street. This national cultural and historical site resides in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City. It was once Trần Văn Lai’s home. He was a commando who bought the house in 1966. Lai used the property as a secret depot. He stored weapons and ammunition there. The house features a hidden cellar. It held armaments for the 1968 Tet Offensive.
The bunker stretches over eight meters long. It measures two meters wide and two and a half meters deep. Its construction lasted about seven months. Workers disguised it as a plumbing repair project. A small trapdoor on the floor offered entrance. They camouflaged it to match surrounding tiles. An escape route linked the bunker to public drainage. This location served as a key arsenal. It supported the attack on the Independence Palace during the offensive.
The cache secretly held almost two tons of weapons. The collection included AK-47 rifles. It also contained B40 rocket launchers, grenades, and explosives. TNT and C4 were among the explosives. Workers transported all materials from outlying areas. Củ Chi was one such area. They hid everything within the residential property. Opposing forces never discovered the bunker or its contents. This remained true even after the house suffered damage. It later fell into American hands following the offensive.
Vietnam’s government recognized the house in 1988. It became a National Historic and Cultural Monument. Today, the site operates as a museum. It preserves the Saigon Commandos’ story. The museum displays artifacts and photographs. It offers information about its Vietnam War role. The house stands as a testament to the city’s covert operations.
Visit the house on the right, which is a national cultural historical site with free entry and war artifacts. For a different experience, pay the 50,000 VND entrance fee to explore the privately owned house on the left. This house features a hidden passage and a bunker that served as a bathroom and kitchen.
The Saigon Commando Secret Weapons Bunker is located at 287/70 Nguyễn Đình Chiểu, Phường 5, Quận 3, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam.
The Saigon Commando Secret Weapons Bunker is open daily from 07:30-11:30 and 13:00-17:00.
The Saigon Commando Secret Weapons Bunker was a secret depot used by commando Trần Văn Lai to store nearly two tons of weapons and ammunition for the 1968 Tet Offensive, specifically for the attack on the Independence Palace.
The secret bunker at the Saigon Commando Secret Weapons Bunker is over eight meters long, two meters wide, and two and a half meters deep.
The construction of the Saigon Commando Secret Weapons Bunker lasted about seven months and was disguised as a plumbing repair project, with a camouflaged trapdoor and an escape route to public drainage.
The Saigon Commando Secret Weapons Bunker secretly held almost two tons of weapons, including AK-47 rifles, B40 rocket launchers, grenades, TNT, and C4 explosives.
The Saigon Commando Secret Weapons Bunker, which was Trần Văn Lai's home, was recognized by Vietnam's government as a National Historic and Cultural Monument in 1988.
Today, the Saigon Commando Secret Weapons Bunker operates as a museum, preserving the Saigon Commandos' story and displaying artifacts and photographs related to its Vietnam War role.
No, the Saigon Commando Secret Weapons Bunker and its contents were never discovered by opposing forces, even after the house was damaged and fell into American hands after the offensive.
The main purpose of the Saigon Commando Secret Weapons Bunker as a museum is to preserve the story of the Saigon Commandos and provide information about the site's critical role in Vietnam War covert operations.