Attractive historic tourism sites in Southeast region

The Southeast region of Vietnam has been famous for their patriotism and bravery during the Resistance War. Leaving its heart-breaking stories behind, the land now constructs several historical sites not only to welcome tourists but also to educate the next generations.
An aerial landscape photo of Ba Den Pagoda in Tay Ninh (Photo: SGGP)
An aerial landscape photo of Ba Den Pagoda in Tay Ninh (Photo: SGGP)
As the Lunar New Year is approaching, residents of Loc Ninh District in the southern province of Binh Phuoc seem happier with opening of Ta Thiet Base National Monument Area, having an investment of VND336 billion (approx. US$14.47 million).
This relic area consists of a monument house, tradition house, reception house, victory statue, entrance gate, decoration lake, Dong Tam T-junction entrance gate, and a fence. The construction project is to exercise the Vietnamese practice ‘When you eat a fruit, think of the man who planted the tree’.
Back to the war time, on April 7, 1972, Loc Ninh District was liberated from the enemy troops, leading to the relocation of the Command of the Liberation Army in the South from Duong Minh Chau War Zone in Tay Ninh Province.
Ta Thiet area was then nicknamed ‘the State forest’ since many state offices were built under huge trees here. They were the working place of several high-ranking leaders such as Commander Tran Van Tra, Deputy Commander Nguyen Thi Dinh, Commissar Pham Hung, Deputy Commander cum Chief of Staff Le Duc Anh.
The area, covering around 16 kilometers square, had a tunnel system with a workshop, a conference room, houses, and a school to ensure training processes for soldiers. The base, being the last establishment in the Southern battleground, was the largest army gathering point to prepare for the important Ho Chi Minh Campaign in 1975.
Nowadays, Ta Thiet Base National Monument Area has become the place to show appreciation to dead soldiers, to educate the young of patriotism, and to welcome both local as well as international tourists.
On average, this area greets 14,000 visitors each year coming to learn about the past and organize history-related activities.
Another historically famous location in the Southeast region is the base of the Central Office for South Vietnam, 60km away from Tay Ninh City  in Tay Ninh Province. It has been restored recently, consisting of simple houses with coconut-leafed roof hidden under green trees.
The base was the headquarter to be responsible for organizing and directing the revolution and political efforts in the South from the beginning of the Resistance War to the final victory in 1975.
Directly receiving commands from the Central Party, the Central Office for South Vietnam then devised suitable strategies based on theory to win against the US at that time.
One other historical monument near the above site is the base of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam, 42km away from Tay Ninh City.
This government was elected in the conference for communists in the South. Coming to this site, visitors have a chance to better understand the harsh life of communist soldiers in the Resistance War, who successfully demonstrated their patriotism and achieved great victories despite all hardship thrown to them by the enemy.
Not far from that is another historical monument – the base of the Security Department of the Central Office for South Vietnam. It is sited in Tan Lap Commune of Tan Bien District in Tay Ninh Province.
In the 15 years of the Resistance War, the Security Department excellently fulfilled the mission of protecting confidential information and secret bases of the headquarters of the Southern Revolution.
The base was qualified as a national relic by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism (formerly known as the Ministry of Culture and Information) in December 1995 in its Decision No.3777/QD-BT.
In the first 9 months of 2019, all relics of the Central Office in Tay Ninh Province welcomed 43,000 visitors, an increase of 5-6 percent compared to the previous year.
Tay Ninh Province has already asked for a financial support of VND180 billion ($7.77 million), VND30 billion ($1.29 million), and VND150 billion ($6,47 million) for the maintenance task of the Central Office for South Vietnam relic, Tua Hai Victory relic, and the provincial museum, respectively.

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