
Matta Xuân Lành
There is still one week left before Christmas but the festive atmosphere is hard to avoid with many streets colourfully decorated in the capital city of Hanoi.
Preparations have been underway at St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Nha Chung Street, Hanoi for two weeks before Christmas. Continue reading Sparkling Hanoi streets welcome Christmas |
The underground military operation bunker where the Vietnamese government worked during the American War in Thang Long Imperial Citadel has been opened to visitors for the first time.
The Thang Long Heritage Conservation Centre opened the bunker and exhibition about the general command headquarters on the occasion of 45th anniversary of victorious air defence of Hanoi during the American bombing raids of Christmas 1972.
The bunker was built in early 1965 by military engineers. They demolished the two-storey command building to disguise and cover the bunker. The bunker has three rooms, covering 64 square metres. The roof is 1.5 metres higher than the ground and has three layers to protect officers against falling bombs and rockets. It was supposed to be a shelter even against nuclear or chemical weapons.
Decisions issued during the 1972 air battle and supply routes for the south were from the site. The first sirens warning of US air force attacks were approved in the bunker.
After 1975, the bunker was largely abandoned until it was renovated in 2012.
Some photos of the bunker:
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Fansipan mountain in Sapa district in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai has been covered with snow and frost on December 19.
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The temperature dropped to minus 7 degrees Celsius on the previous night, and minus 4 degree Celsius on early morning of December 19. |