Vietnam's Cu Chi Tunnels among world’s most amazing: CNN

The Cu Chi Tunnels in Ho Chi Minh City are among the world’s most amazing such structures, says cable news channel CNN.

"Now a tourist attraction, this huge network of tunnels on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City was used as a base for Viet Cong attacks on US and South Vietnamese positions during the Vietnam War," it informs viewers in a new report.

A famous historic vestige of the Vietnamese Revolution, the tunnel is a defence system in Phu My Hung town, Cu Chi district, 70km northwest from downtown HCMC.

Construction work on the tunnels began in 1940 during the armed struggle against the French colonizers, and it became the haven for the Viet Minh during the Vietnam War.

With a total length of 250 km the tunnel system hosted a full range of facilities including trenches, food storage, kitchens, wells, rest rooms, offices and infirmaries.

The stupendous feat has put Cu Chi Tunnels on the global map as one of top six most special man-made works in the world. It is also one of the top seven most exotic destinations in Southeast Asia and listed as one of the world’s coolest places by The New York Times.

The other tunnels featured in CNN’s latest listing are: SMART (Malaysia), Lærdal Tunnel (Norway), Guoliang Tunnel (China), Large Hadron Collider (France/Switzerland), Burro Schmidt Tunnel (California), Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line (Japan), Paris Catacombs (France), Seikan Tunnel (Japan), Glow worm tunnel (Australia), Road of 52 Tunnels (Italy), Greenwich Foot Tunnel (UK), Eisenhower Tunnel (Colorado), Bund Sightseeing Tunnel (China), Leake Street Tunnel (UK), Drammen Spiral Tunnel (Norway), Channel Tunnel (France/UK), Gotthard Base Tunnel (Switzerland), Natural Tunnel (Virginia) and Langjokull Glacier Tunnel (Iceland).

Vietnam has been gathering accolades as a tourist destination for many years now.

In early June, Vietnam was named among the seven best countries to visit in Southeast Asia by British newspaper The Independent. "A similarly popular choice for Brits travelling around Asia, Vietnam’s various areas of natural beauty are among the most coveted in the region.

"Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Danang are the best destinations for those who want to experience Vietnamese cities (Danang also has beach areas), while Hoi An is sometimes referred to as the ‘Venice of Vietname’ due to its canals, alongside its well-preserved Ancient Town comprised of wooden Chinese shophouses and French colonial buildings," it wrote.

In early May, the country was selected among the world's eight budget-busting destinations perfect for family holidays by leading Australian travel site Traveller.

The same month, the country was featured in 21 "life-changing trips everyone should experience at least once" by New York-based travel magazine Travel + Leisure.

In mid-February, the Traveller ranked Vietnam among 20 of the world's best-value destinations.