11 January, Hue
Phong Nha Hotel 230,000VND

North Vietnam announced in October 1967 that it would observe a seven-day ceasefire between January 27 and February 3, 1968, to mark the Vietnamese lunar New Year, Tet. On January 30, however, North Vietnam launched the Tet Offensive, committing 80,000 troops to battle, and attacking 100 towns and cities in the south. South Vietnam and her allies, including the US, were taken by surprise and lost several cities including Hue which was held by the communists for 26 days. Wikipedia: “In the end, although the Allies declared a military victory, the city of Huế was virtually destroyed and more than 5,000 civilians were killed ... The North Vietnamese forces lost an estimated 2,400 to 8,000 killed, while Allied forces lost 668 dead and 3,707 wounded. The tremendous losses negatively affected the American public’s perception of the war and political support for the war began to wane.” During the occupation of Hue, communist troops purged an estimated 4,000 civilians, many clubbed to death or buried alive.