Located 7 kilometers northeast of Tam Ky City, in Tam Thang commune, the Thach Tan village temple was built over 300 years ago to honor the founders of this land. Despite undergoing several restorations, the temple has retained its original structure, characterized by a three-room, two-winged wooden design and intricate 'ruong gia thu' architecture.

Veteran Huynh Kim Ta, head of Thach Tan village and manager of the site, emphasized that the temple’s significance extends beyond its historical architecture; it is deeply connected to the village’s heroic struggle during the war.

In 1964, recognizing the strategic location of the temple and its potential to deter enemy attention, the villagers dug two underground chambers beneath the temple floor. These chambers served as makeshift infirmaries and storage spaces for supplies used by the resistance in the northwestern Tam Ky region.

Starting from these two chambers, in May 1965, soldiers, guerrillas, and villagers continued to extend the tunnel system to hide and protect revolutionary cadres. By 1967, the Ky Anh Tunnel, measuring 0.5 to 0.8 meters in width and 0.8 to 1 meter in height, stretched 32 kilometers, becoming an "underground fortress" that allowed the people of Tam Thang commune to launch surprise counterattacks against the enemy.

"At that time, we had only basic tools - hoes, shovels, crowbars, and baskets - to dig and carry the earth away. Since the site was close to enemy surveillance, we had to work at night, in secrecy and with great urgency," Mr. Ta recalled.

In July 1968, U.S. forces, suspecting that the temple was being used for revolutionary activities, attempted to destroy it. After deploying six infantry companies to surround the temple, the enemy sent in four tanks to demolish the perimeter walls.

The soldiers tied large chains around two central columns of the temple, intending to pull it down with the tanks. But despite their efforts, the temple remained standing, without shifting an inch.

After multiple failed attempts to demolish the temple, and faced with "spiritual pressure" and the determined resistance of the people, the enemy eventually withdrew.

"To this day, many people still cannot explain how the ancient temple remained intact despite the enemy’s calculated efforts to destroy it," Mr. Ta shared.

In 1997, Ky Anh Tunnel was recognized as a national historical site. It is one of the three longest tunnel systems in Vietnam, alongside Cu Chi Tunnel in Ho Chi Minh City and Vinh Moc Tunnel in Quang Tri Province.