HANÔI: A once-secret Vietnamese military cipher bunker that safeguarded confidential documents of the General Staff during the resistance war against the US has been opened to the public to mark the August Revolution (Aug 19, 1945) and National Day (Sept 2, 1945).

The event is part of the Thng Long — Hà Ni Heritage Conservation Centre’s special exhibition series at key relics within the Thng Long Imperial Citadel Heritage Site. At the opening ceremony on Aug 19, centre director Nguyn Thanh Quang highlighted that Hà Ni’s world cultural heritage site preserves not only thousands of years of history but also revolutionary relics with deep educational value.

These relics are especially significant as historical milestones of the H Chí Minh era, recording golden pages of the nation’s history. He added that in recent years, the centre’s staff have worked hard to research, restore and promote these relics, organising meetings with historical witnesses, collecting artefacts and using modern technology such as QR codes, 360-degree virtual tours, and the 3D mapping art lighting system at Hà Ni Flag Tower to showcase the nation’s aspirations for development.

The bunker project began on Feb 10, 1966 and was completed on June 30 of the same year, covering an area of over 37.2sq m. It played a particularly important role, helping the General Headquarters of the Vit Nam People’s Army maintain direction, management, coordination and command of the military branches and battlefronts. The bunker was used most in Dec 1972 — the time when the US Air Force bombed the capital city and Hai Phong most fiercely.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2025