SinhCity: The Caves of Revolution

Communists in Caves - a simplified view of a revolution.

In the 1960s and 70s, the Lao revolution was coordinated by passionate, idealistic men and women living in caves in Northern Laos. They lived and worked and planned and dreamed in them for around 9 years. They were bombed, shot at, hated, demonised, vilified. They survived. They won. Their children now run the Laos Government.

I'd heard about offices, boardrooms, a school, a hospital and homes inside a series of limestone karst mountains. They hid from American bombers who were supposed to be fighting the North Vietnamese, but were secretly bombing the crap out of Lao citizens on the side.

Talkin' bout a revolution

Then

Vieng Xai is about 50 or 60 kilometres from the Vietnam border in the north east of Laos. This was the centre of dissidence; where the Pathet Lao collaborated, planned and strategised to take Laos back from foreign influences, remove the monarchy, elitism and inequality. The Vietnamese communist movement highlighted and condemned this stuff. The left-leaning Laos listened.

These Laos, trained and educated by the Vietnamese, believed that the communist ideals of Marx and Lenin would free their nation from oppression and create self-rule. They spent decades protesting, trying to influence government, objecting to the direction of Lao politics and the unjust distribution of wealth. Ramping up their efforts during the 60s and early 70s (during the height of the US-Vietnam war),the revolutionaries recruited thousands of soldiers and villagers to their cause. They armed and trained them.

Armed and dangerous

The Americans recruited the already marginalised ethnic minority, the Hmong, to their anti-communist cause. They armed and trained them, too. They also had a CIA-funded and heavily armed air force.

Lenin - communism uncorrupted

Communism -what a pity the statues last longer than the ideals

Battles raged. It wasn't pretty. They all persevered for years and years and years. Hundreds, thousands, died. The Pathet Lao won! (sort of). Communism had conquered Imperialism (sort of).

This new government took the reins with plans for a Marxist/Leninist utopia where land was shared, utilities democratically owned, poverty eliminated and Laos people in charge of their own country (not a French official in sight) and the people's voices would finally be heard.

Now

So, 40-odd years later, Clara and I went to have a look. The caves are now a museum venerating the important revolutionaries and their dedicated followers. Tourists by the busloads visit (apparently - we didn't see any). In fact we hardly saw anyone. This is one museum that every Lao adult knows and many want to visit. But it's just so far away from everywhere ...

So we did the tour and trod (and rode) in the footsteps of these most venerated revolutionaries. The Australian-made audio tour was fabulous! (that was a bit of a surprise!). Here's some of what we did and saw...

The Countryside

The landscape here is beautiful. Sharp mountains, lush jungle, mysterious caves. The audio tour told me about the bombing, the running for cover, waking up to the sounds of planes dropping bombs, shooting back with anti-aircraft guns set at the entrance of caves, hiding children and chickens from view.

The Tour

We paid our entrance fee at the tourist centre, hired bicycles and grabbed our audio tour gadgets. Our guide led the way on his scooter. We pedalled along after him, trying to keep up. I puffed a lot.

Inside the Caves

We walked through many caves deep inside many mountains. Some had been dynamited to created walk ways; some were using naturally formed caverns as homes and hospitals and cabinet war rooms. Some had roofing and electricity. Others were dark, wide gaps inside mountains.

There are a few items placed throughout the caves to give an authentic feel. There are a few maps, pictures and pitchers, some knick knacks from back in the day.