In need of a little adventure before Carley returned home to the US, we decided to venture to Hue. With the stories promised by the many ancient wonders and excitement of an Asian train ride over the Hai Van Pass, Hue seemed like a “Must Do”. Da Nang has the hustle and bustle vibe of city life, even with the beachfront property, but Hue is something else entirely. It is the former imperial capital of both the Dang Trong Kingdom and the Nguyen Dynasty. It juxtaposes the industry of Da Nang well with its numerous cultural sites.
Getting to Hue is a big part of the adventure. The Hai Van Pass, also known as Ocean Cloud Pass, is a mountain pass on National Route 1A between Da Nang and Hue. It is touted as one of the most impressive scenic roads in Vietnam and is very popular with motorbike tourists. Not being so confident on the bike, we opted for the train. Train travel in a new location is always an adventure in itself. Without any real agenda, we opted for the mid-afternoon train that arrived in Hue during the early evening. We arrived at the train station around noon in order to make sure we had plenty of time before our 1pm departure and purchased our tickets for soft seats in an air-conditioned carriage.
After purchasing our tickets, we made our way to the snack bar at the station to eat the tacos we had picked up along the way. Carley and I like to partner tacos with our travel! While we sat eating at an outside table, we made friends with the taxi coordinator who spent his time outside the snack bar directing the taxis with his walkie-talkie. Our train was delayed by two hours, so we had more than enough time to play some cards and visit with our new friend. We shared his sesame candies and some laughs. We apparently made an impression because he was also there when we needed a taxi home after our return, and he remembered us. He immediately ushered us into a taxi ahead of others waiting and sent us on our way. Only here 4 weeks and already VIP status!
Eventually, it was time to board our train — better late than never! Everyone passed through the station doors and onto the platform. We waited anxiously for the disembarking passengers to clear the way for us to board. Making our way onto our train car we were met with an unbelievable stench coming from the bathroom on our carriage. Lucky for us we were in the seats immediately next to the toilet. Perfect! Not having been in someplace for very long it is hard to determine if certain things are normal or not. Is this smell a normal part of Asian train travel, I wondered to myself while hoping and praying that was not the case. I learned that it is, in fact, not normal for someone to share the wealth of their street food experience gone horribly wrong with an entire train car. A local man obviously disgusted by the smell took a moment to speak frankly with the carriage steward. Not speaking the language, I am not sure what the man said, but with the look on his face and the tone of his voice, it was quite clear he was not happy. Before the train departed the station, the bathroom was washed out and once we were moving the smell dissipated as the train rolled down the tracks.
The train ride was rather dull, save for the amazing view over the Hai Van Pass, otherwise, trees surrounded the train car and blocked out the windows. Carley and I read, played cards and snacked for the 2 and a half hour ride. When arrived at the station, we used our trusty Google maps to pinpoint our hotel. We decided that even with our backpacks, it was close enough to walk and we thought we would appreciate the opportunity to see a little of the city without the window of a taxi blocking our view. The choice to walk did not disappoint. The walk to our hotel took us along the Perfume River which was dotted with small cafes and coffee shops and decorated all along the route with beautiful sculpture. Hue was indeed the jewel in the crown of what little of Vietnam I had so far discovered.
Carley and I made it to our hotel and quickly checked-in. We then set about exploring the city center. Due to the delayed train, we had arrived a few hours later than we had originally planned, so our sightseeing would have to wait until the morning. We wandered through more of the city center and made our way to the Secret Lounge, which according to Trip Advisor, was a must-see spot for dinner. There was, in reality, no dinner there, but still, a must-see spot. We had a couple of drinks, smoked some shisha and played more hands of cards. After deciding the drinking and complimentary fruit plate provided were not going to satisfy our hunger, we set out to find some dinner. It turns out that we had missed dinnertime and sailed right into nighttime without noticing. We barely made it back to the hotel before the 11pm room service cut-off time and ordered some simple dishes to satisfy us until the morning.
When morning came, we were ready for a big day. We only had three nights in Hue, so we were ready to get started on seeing all we could see. We hired a private car through the hotel, which was quite helpful because the most popular cultural attractions are outside of the city center. We started at the Tomb of Tu Duc. Vietnam Travel hails it as the best stop in Hue for dreamers and romantics, and it certainly measured up to the expectation. The tomb is surrounded by a solid 1,500 meter octagonal wall that houses an incredibly scenic park filled with lakes, hills and pavilions set in a lush forest of frangipani trees and pine groves.
The tomb was completed before the emperor’s death and he used it as a respite from the imperial city — a place to concentrate on meditation and poetry, and in doing so he built what is widely considered one of the most beautiful and picturesque works of architecture from the Nguyen Dynasty. It is interesting to note that Tu Duc was not laid to rest here but in an alternate unknown location. All 200 servants that worked on the construction of the emperor’s real tomb were beheaded to ensure the secret that the location of his actual resting place died with them.
The tomb was our first stop on our sight-seeing tour, and we had only rented the car for 4 hours and spent 2 of the 4 at the tomb. We could have stayed exploring the beautiful landscape much longer, but the temperature was heating up and the tour buses were starting to arrive, so we moved on to our next stop, the Thien Mu Pagoda or Pagoda of the Celestial Lady. It is the oldest pagoda in Hue dating back to 1601. Last renovated in 1904 after a terrible storm, the pagoda is in immaculate condition and the grounds are alive with lush greenery, fragrant florals and ancient bonsai. The grounds are tended each day with care and attention that shows a devotion to the reverence and importance of the site.
Tucked away in the back of the grounds is a small memorial site to monk Thich Quang Duc, a Mahayana Buddhist monk, who publicly doused himself with gasoline and set himself ablaze at a busy Saigon intersection in June of 1963 in protest against then President Ngo Dinh Diem, a Roman Catholic, his repression of the Buddhist religion and his actions that had resulted in the deaths of 9 Vietnamese, 2 of them children. The photo of this act was captured by Associated Press photographer Malcolm Browne. The “Burning Monk” photograph has become a universal symbol of the fight for social justice and religious freedom. In response to the photograph, John F. Kennedy was quoted saying, “No news picture in history has generated so much emotion around the world as that one.” It felt important to take a moment of silence to acknowledge the intentional sacrifice and protest of this man, who is said to have fueled a revolution and may even have been the reason that America entered the war in Vietnam.
After taking the time to tour the grounds and a solemn moment to remember Thich Quang Duc we returned to our hired car and ventured to the Temple of Literature. It is not as popular of a tourist site, but we had read that it shouldn’t be missed. However, when we arrived, we had no choice but to miss it because the gates were locked. We ventured around to the side and even tried the side gates to see if we could stealthily find a way inside, but those, too, were locked tight. Without anything else on our immediate plan, we took some time to explore the cemetery behind the Temple of Literature. The many mausoleums at the cemetery reminded me of cemetery tours I had taken in New Orleans, but with their grandeur, there was really no comparison.
After the cemetery, we returned to our hotel for an afternoon rest. Once we rested and recharged, we ventured out on our own for a walk to the Hue Citadel. Inside the Hue Citadel, you will find the Imperial City of the last dynasty of Vietnam and at one time one of the most important political centers of the country. Further, inside the Imperial City, you will find the Forbidden Purple City where only members of the royal family were allowed. It is located on the banks of the Perfume River and spanning 520 hectares it is truly massive.
Damaged heavily with bombs by both the North Vietnamese Army and the Allied forces during the Tet Offensive of 1968, only 10 of the 160 significant buildings within the site survive. The site is currently under reconstruction and renovation, but it seems outlandish to expect it to ever be restored to its former grandeur. What I found most impressive was the hundreds of black and white photos that line the walls of the few remaining structures. They show The Imperial City, in all of its glory, as it once was. I stood looking at the photos and then gazing over the empty expanse in the middle of what was once the most significant site in all of Vietnam and found myself able to imagine what it must have looked like at one time. Photos can never do reality justice, but they helped to be able to conjure an image of the royal family welcoming foreign dignitaries and showcasing the jewel of central Vietnam up until the late 1940’s.
When I was living in Austin, I often visited Dallas for a close quick getaway when I needed a break from real life. There was always something new to see and do in the expanse of DFW. I see Hue as being my new getaway spot from my home in Da Nang. Just a 2 and a half hour train ride it is roughly the same distance as it was from Austin to Dallas by car. In the three days I spent there, I feel like I saw so much, but just barely scratched the surface of what all it has to offer. I have already started keeping a list of things I plan to explore and experience when I next return. A day trip to the Demilitarized Zone, time spent wandering the various art galleries along the river and the other imperial tombs are just a few of the items that have made the list.
