This deeply evocative capital of the Nyugen emperors still resonates with the glories of Imperial Vietnam, even though many of its finest buildings were destroyed during the American war. Hue owes its charm partly to the location on the Perfume River, picturesque on a clear day, atmospheric even in less flattering weather.
Hue, today even with new modern hotels still remains a tranquil, conservative city.
From home, we did some homework search on internet for transportation and transfers especially day trips to Hue from Danang. And we decided on this agency that operates around Central Vietnam and they even whatsapp me to arrange details at the nearer date to our arrival. They are very reliable and efficient and the driver is safe and speaks english. Highly recommendable. www.hoiantransfer.com is their company and we deal mainly with a Ms Hoa. So our transfer include to and fro airports and hotels, Marble Mountains, Hai Van Pass, Hue Imperial City, Turtle Pagoda and the famous Khai Dinh Tomb in Hue and anywhere we want to stop for foods etc and get back to Danang Hotel before sunsets.
From our hotel in Danang, our driver James took us a bit south towards the Marble Mountains, about 30 min drive. Marble Mountains is a cluster of 5 marble and limestone hills located in the Ngu Han Son district, south of Danang city. The 5 mountains are named after the 5 elements ; Kim (metal), Thuy (water), Moc (wood), Hoa (fire) and Tho (earth)
All the mountains have cave entrances and numerous entrances.
On reaching the base, we had 2 choices... either the the lift up which will costs us double the amount as to hike up. We chose the latter and paid half the entrance fee....
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| the ticket office |
OMG ... so many ,many, many more steps to go ...
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| just a morning stroll... |
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| getting ready for hiking... |
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| take a break |
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| this could be the highest climb... |
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| fantastic view from Linh Nham Cave |
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| At last.... drinks..drinks... down on ground & waiting for James. |
well, its all worth the "11km and 29 floors" at the end of the day... good workout !
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| phone apps say "walking 11km , flights climbed 29 floors" |
and next the HAI VAN PASS
The Hai Van Pass is approximately 21km long on the National route that winds up and over a fortress of mountains, connecting Danang to the town of Lang Co in Hue province. Until the Hai Van tunnel opened in 2005, Hai Van Pass was the only route vehicles could take to go between north or south of this region. this winding mountain journey reaching 496m in altitude was a treacherous one for trucks and buses. But with the tunnel 6.2 km long, the longest in SouthEast Asia, most traffic now bypasses the Pass.
Hai Van Pass offers an impressive and scenic landscape of the mountains overlooking Danang City, Tien Sa Port, Son Tra Peninsula and South China Sea. It is one of the most scenic hillside roads in Vietnam.
The Hai Van Pass is a memorable journey.
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| coffee break at the old fort along the Pass |
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| Hai Van Tunnel opened in 2005 |
The Imperial City, (Kinh Thanh Hue) is a walled fortress and palace in the city of Hue, former imperial capital of Vietnam.
The main attraction is its vast 19th Century Citadel, surrounded by a moat and thick stone walls. It encompasses the Imperial City, with palaces and shrines ; The Forbidden Purple City, once the Emperor's home and the replica of the Royal Theatre.
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| entrance fee |
walking across the bridge towards the Palace.
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| wondering what they are doing ? |
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| somebody made a new friend ... |
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| feeling a bit tired and extremely hot by now... |
after 60mins of exploring the beautiful palace and its garden and courtyards, we came out the exit and realised its a different place from the entrance where we were suppose to meet our drive, James. So called him and waited under the shades for our pick up. Took him about 10 min - our exit is almost diagonally across the palace grounds.
And so, next spot is the Turtle Pagoda ( Thien Mu Pagoda )
Thien Mu Pagoda ( also called Heaven Fairy Lady Pagoda ) is a historic temple in the city of Hue in Vietnam. It is situated on Ha Khae Hill on the north bank of the Perfume River, in Huong Long village, 5km from Hue city. The tower was erected in 1884 by King Thieu Tri. This octagonal tower has 7 stories and is the tallest religious building in Vietnam. To the right of the tower is a pavillion containing a stella dated from 1715. It is set on the back of a large marble turtle, a symbol of longevity.
and almost 4pm and dark clouds approaching from the horizon, we need to visit the last attraction of Hue before heading back to Danang for the night and it is the famous tomb of King Khai Dinh.(1916 - 1925)
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| the steps up to the tomb of King Khai Dinh |
The tomb of King Khai Dinh is located in the Chau Chu mountain, near Hue. It was built for the Nguyen emperor, Khai Dinh, the 12th King of the Nguyen Dynasty. It was built in 1920 to 1931, 11years to complete. It represents a fusion of traditional vietnamese style and modern influence.
Khai Dinh was an extremely unpopular ruler during his lifetime,mostly due to his close collaboration with the French. To finance his tomb he requested permission from the French advisors to raise taxes from the peasantry, which they allowed.
Although he died prematurely at age 40 of tuberculosis, his son and successor, Bao Dai, completed the tomb several years later. Bao Dai proved to be the final ruler of the Nyugen Dynasty and lived till 1997. Thus, the tomb of Khai Dinh became the last grand imperial tomb in Vietnam.
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