Dong Ha & the DMZ – Vietnam's Wartime Frontier

Dong Ha is the capital of Quang Tri Province and the gateway to one of Vietnam's most historically significant regions: the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) – the 17th Parallel that divided North and South Vietnam from 1954 to 1975. A DMZ day tour typically covers: Vinh Moc Tunnels (entire villages lived underground for 6 years to escape US bombing), the Ben Hai River and Hien Luong Bridge (the dividing line), Khe Sanh Combat Base (scene of a 77-day US Marine siege in 1968), the Rockpile (a US artillery observation post), and various bomb craters and cemeteries. Day tours operate from Hue (90 km south) or Dong Ha itself. The province also contains the hauntingly beautiful war memorial at Truong Son National Cemetery.