FIVE DAYS IN HUE, DA NANG….

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NGUYEN KINH DOANH

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     Our 5-day tour to Hue, Phong Nha, DMZ, Da Nang, Hoi An…began on Wednesday May 23, 2007 in Saigon.  Boarding  Airbus A320, Flight no. VN250 of Vietnam Airlines at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, we arrived in Hue City at 8:20AM.

 

     At Hue Airport, our Tour Guide greeted us warmly.  His name is Ton Phuoc Minh.  The driver for our trips is Doan Quoc Thai and his assistant is Mai Xuan Binh.  Our group has 20 persons:  Kich, Mi, Minh (the same name as the Tour Guide, but no relationship), Nu, My, Lien, Duong, Linh, Loan, Ba, No, Ngoc, Hong, Phuong, Ngoc (the same name as another one in the group but no relationship), Nguyen, Quynh Tien, John McCurley, Helen and myself Nguyen Kinh Doanh.

 

     We were taken to a local restaurant for breakfast.  It was Hue spicy beef noodle.  The food was delicious even though we just had a mini-breakfast on the airplane.  Our first visit for the day was Tomb of Emperor Khai Dinh.

 

     Emperor Khai Dinh was the 12th Emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty in Vietnam.  His name at birth was Prince Nguyen Buu Dao.  He became “Emperor of Annam” on May 18, 1916 and took the name Khai Dinh for his reign, meaning “auger of peace and stability.”  The Emperor said he wanted to restore the prestige of the empire, but it was impossible due to his close collaboration with the French occupiers.  Most Vietnamese people were unconcerned when he died in 1925.

 

     Under Khai Dinh, Western culture and influence began to seep into Vietnam.  The King himself visited France in 1922.  His tomb has many elements of eastern art mixed with western designs.

 

     Leaving his tomb, we went in Emperor Tu Duc’s Tomb area.  It is located in Thuong Ba Village, Hue City.  It is one of the most beautiful works of royal architecture of the Nguyen dynasty.  The tomb lies in a boundless pine forest, 8 km from Hue.  Its construction was in December 1864 - 1867.

 

     Tu Duc’s reign began in 1848 and ended in 1883.  Nearly 50 constructions were built on terraces of various levels.  The word Khiem (Modesty) is included in all constructions.  The many buildings it comprises blend into the vegetation and the numerous pools as well as basins.  They are in perfect harmony with their environment.  Certainly, the excellent activities of Feng Shui Grand Masters were involved.

 

     The tomb is divided into two main parts:  The temple area and the tomb area.  They are romantic sceneries of mounts and lakes with the King’s narration about his life inscribing on stones.

 

     Hue and the Perfume River have been the topic for many songs and literature works.  To the Vietnamese people, Hue is always synonymous with romance and beauty.  Hue is also famous for the school girls in their white Ao Dai - Vietnamese national dress, with their Toc The – long flowing hair, and their Non Bai Tho – a conical straw hat with a poem written inside that can only be read when held up to the light.

 

     Lunch time.  Yes.  All of us looked tired walking up and down on the steps of the two tombs, now hungry and exhausted.  We had lunch together at Temple Restaurant, 5 Chu Van An Street in Hue.  Their 18 items included fish, shrimp, vegetable, spring rolls, prawn, sweet and sour soup…were all fantastic.

 

     We checked in at Hue Heritage Hotel on Ly Thuong Kiet Street, on the South side of Perfume River.  Their website is www.hueheritagehotel.com

 

     Minh told us to get ready two hours later for the Citadel visit.  At 3:00PM, we were so anxious to go to the Citadel that we heard so much about.  It is located on the Northern bank of the Perfume River.  There are three circles of ramparts, namely from outside to inside:  Kinh Thanh (Capital Citadel), Hoang Thanh (Royal Citadel) and Tu Cam Thanh (Forbidden Citadel).

 

     The Ngu Binh Mountain in the South is used as a front screening elevation.  The Con Hen and Con Da Vien (both are sand dunes) on the Perfume River are chosen as geomancy condition “dragon on the left, tiger on the right” to protect the capital city.

 

     There are nine holy cannons housed in two buidings beside The Nhan and Quang Duc Miradors in the Citadel.  On January 1st, 1803, Emperor Gia Long ordered all bronze wares of the Tay Son dynasty to be collected and melted  into nine cannons.  A year later, the work was completed.  The cannons were named after the four seasons and the five elements:  Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth.  They are the “Holy Invincible Generals.”

 

     Each cannon is 5.10 m long and weighed more than 10 tons.  Their barrels are elaborately inscribed with the titles, position order, weight, instructions, writings on fights against the Tay Son dynasty, and the collection of bronze wares for casting.

 

     The cannons have never been used for military purposes.  They play a symbolic role as guardian spirits for the Citadel.

 

     Our last stop for the day was Chua Thien Mu (Heavenly Lady Pagoda).  According to legend, the people around this area used to see a vision of an old lady appearing on the hill  where the pagoda now sits.  Upon seeing people, she always said that someday a great leader would build a pagoda at this location to bring peace and prosperity to the country.  One day when Lord Nguyen Hoang passed by the area, upon hearing the story, he ordered the pagoda construction in 1601.  He named it Chua Thien Mu.

 


CHUA THIEN MU (HEAVENLY LADY PAGODA)

 


     Overlooking the southwest bank of the Perfume River, the Pagoda has two sections.  The front of the Pagoda can be accessed from the Perfume River and has the Phuoc Duyen tower which can be seen from many points in Hue.  It also houses the great bell and has the tortoise bearing a great stele carved in 1705.

 

     The rear of the pagoda is the main hall where Buddha is enshrined.  It is also the place where the monks of the temple live and practice Buddhism.  The Pagoda was the center of Buddhism in central Vietnam.

 

     On June 11, 1963, The Most Venerable Thich Quang Duc went from An Quang Pagoda to the intersection of Phan Dinh Phung Street and Le Van Duyet Street (after 1975, the street names were changed to Nguyen Dinh Chieu and Cach Mang Thang Tam).

 

     As soon as he got out of the car, The Most Venerable sat down in the lotus position and burned himself to death  protesting South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem’s policies of discriminating against Buddhists.

 

     The light blue Austin in which he traveled to his self-immolation is parked at Thien Mu Pagoda.  After his death, his body was incinerated.  During the cremation, his shrunken heart still remained intact.

 

     Madame Nhu, the first lady of South Vietnam at the time, commented that she would “clap hands at seeing another monk barbecue show.”  This earned her the alias “Dragon Lady.”

 

     A long day has passed.  Minh led us to Royal Park Restaurant at 38 Nguyen Sinh Sac Street, Vi Da, Hue.  The dinner was remarkable with 22 distinguished items.

 

     We were back at Hue Heritage Hotel for the night rest.

 

     Second day.  Thursday May 24, 2007.  At 6:00AM, we had a full size breakfast buffet at the Hotel before departing to La Vang.  It is a locale in Quang Tri Province, the site of the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of La Vang, a Roman Catholic sanctuary, commemorating a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary that was seen there in 1798.  The site has been built on several occasions and is an important site of pilgrimage for Catholics in Vietnam, as well as for the Catholic Overseas Vietnamese community.  Many Vietnamese Catholic parishes throughout the world are named for Our Lady of La Vang.

 

     At La Vang, construction of Nha Hanh Huong (Pilgrimage House) was just finished to accommodate guests from anywhere in the world.

 

     In the United States, there is also another Our Lady of La Vang Church.  The President is Fr. Joseph Son Nguyen, Pastor, 288 South Harbor Blvd., Santa Ana 92704, telephone number (714) 775-6200.  E-mail address and website:     lavangparish@yahoo.com                   www.ourladyoflavang.org

 

     Our next stop is the Ben Hai River (Song Ben Hai) and Hien Luong Bridge (Cau Hien Luong).  The Ben Hai River is a river in central Vietnam which became an important landmark in the partition of the country into a northern and a southern zone along the 17th parallel by the Geneva Accords of 1954.  The demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the two parts extended about 5 kilometers from either side of the river.

 

     The Ben Hai River has a total length of  100 kilometers.  Its source is located in the Annamite Mountains along the border between Laos and it flows into the South China Sea at Cua Tung (Tung river mouth).  In the mountains, the river is named “Rao Thanh”.  It flows from west to east just south of the 17th parallel and close to the northern border of Quang Tri Province, in which it is located.  At its wildest point, the river is about 200 meters wide.

 

     At the time of the partition, the principal north-south road (Highway 1) crossed the Ben Hai River over Hien Luong Bridge, a beam bridge built from steel by the French in 1950.  After the partition, the northern portion of the bridge was painted red and the southern portion yellow.  There are 894 linked pieces, with 450 in the North and 444 in the South.   

 

     It was reconstructed in 1952.  The length is 183.8m and the width is 3.28m.  In the South side, on the right, we saw a new construction with yellow caption COT CO GIOI TUYEN (BORDER FLAG POLE) with flag flying on the top.  After the Paris Peace Accords, a modern bridge was built next to the old bridge.

 

     Going through Ho Chi Minh Trail, we went in Phong Nha Quan in Quang Binh to have lunch.  Quang Binh is the home to famous Vietnamese persons such as General Vo Nguyen Giap, family of South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem, Poet Han Mac Tu, Writer Bao Ninh…

 

     The Ho Chi Minh Trail (Duong Mon Ho Chi Minh or Duong Truong Son) was a logistical system that ran from the North to the South of Vietnam through the neighboring countries of Laos and Cambodia.  The system provided support, in the form of manpower and material, to the Vietnamese Communists during the Vietnam War (1960-1975).

 

     The Trail was not a single route, but a simplistic maze of truck routes, paths for cars and bicycle traffic, and river transportation systems.  Group 559 was a People’s Army of Vietnam unit created during 1959 in the prelude to the Vietnam War.  The purpose of this unit was to establish supply lines from North to Communist units in South Vietnam.  Group 759 and Group 959 was created later, with similar but different missions.

 

     Now Ho Chi Minh Trail is modernized with cars passing back and forth speedily.

 

     Checking in Saigon Quang Binh Hotel at 20 Quach Xuan Ky Street, we were very relaxed escaping the extreme heat outside.  It is a new 4 star international hotel with 95 luxurious guest rooms, facilities and excellent services.  The hotel is in the heart of Dong Hoi City, close to the railway station and airport and 48 km from Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park.  Their website is  www.sgquangbinhtourist.com.vn

 

     In the afternoon, we visited Phong Nha-Ke Bang.  It is now the fifth site in Vietnam that UNESCO recognizes after Ha Long Bay, the Imperial City of Hue, Hoi An and the My Son historical site.

 

     This is considered a paradise for researchers and explorers of grottoes and caves.  Vietnamese and British scientists have surveyed so far 20 with a total length of 70 km.  Of these, 17 are in the Phong Nha area and 3 in the Ke Bang area. 

 

     The Phong Nha cave itself which lends its name to the whole system is probably the most beautiful of all, containing many fascinating rock formations, enchanting visitors with such as Lion, Tiger, Fairy Caves, Royal Court, Giant Lobster and Buddha.

 

     Besides the grotto and cave systems, Phong Nha boasts the longest underground rivers, the largest caverns and passageways, the widest and prettiest sand banks, and the most amazing rock formations in the world.  In addition, dozens of mountain peaks of over 1,000 meters still unexplored by men.  They are ideal sites for climbing and exploration.

 

     We went through one of the caves by boat with the engine off.  A lady used a long wooden piece to stir the water to move the boat.  Going inside, some 50 feet and deeper, surprisingly, it got cooler.  Minh told us that in the winter, it’s warm and in the summer it’s cool.  Slowly sailing through, we saw the rock formations as described above. 

 

     At Anh Dao Restaurant in Dong Hoi for dinner, Mr. Nguyen Huu Phuc, the owner, gave us a specialized, remarkable and delicious meal in an air conditioned dining hall.  Afterwards, Doan Quoc Thai took us back to the Hotel.

 

     Third day.  Friday May 25, 2007.  Morning buffet at Saigon Quang Binh Hotel was ready at 6:00AM.  We enjoyed various items there:  porridge, noodle soup, fruits, hot and cold beverages…

 

     Checking out the Hotel, we headed for Hue and had lunch at Ngoc Anh Restaurant, 5 Pham Ngu Lao Street.  As usual, the meal was first class.  Leaving there, we traveled through  Hai Van Tunnel and stopped at Lang Co Beach to rest.

 

     On June 5, 2005, this longest tunnel in Southeast Asia (6.28 km) was officially opened.  The Hai Van Tunnel lies on highway 1 between the two cities of Da Nang and Hue in central Vietnam.  Route planning and design works began in January 1998 by a joint venture between Vietnam, Japan, and the U.S.

 

     The main tunnel is 11.9 meters wide.  A second tunnel running alongside the main tunnel is currently used for maintenance and emergencies but it is planned to expand this at a later date as traffic increases.  It is connected to the main tunnel by 15 cross-tunnels.  The tunnels have lighting, fire alarms, communication, water supply and treatment, video camera monitor, ventilation fans, and radio broadcast systems.

 

     A small waiting area is being established at each end of the tunnel where visitors can take photographs and watch a documentary about the making of the tunnel.  The tunnel reduces the distance between Da Nang and Hue by 20km and saves between 30 minutes and an hour on traveling time over the old Hai Van Pass route.    

 

     People usually complain about climate at Hai Van Pass.  In the summer:  Torrential rains followed by typhoons autumn, drizzles, then of arid and dry winds in the spring.  Furthermore, the Pass has many sharp curves causing jammed traffic very often.  HAI VAN TUNNEL IS A BIG SAVER.

 

     At 1:35PM, we checked in at Daesco Hotel at 155 Tran Phu Street in Da Nang City, telephone (+84.511) 892807.  Their website is   www.daescohotel.com.vn

 

     The staff there was so friendly, courteous and cordial.  Le Duc Zung gave us welcome fruit drinks and asked for tea to be delivered to our room.  He was the one who took me to the swinging bridge (Cau Song Han) to snap our photos.  Nguyen Dinh Hung and Ngo Quang Long were also very helpful. 

 

     Da Nang is a major port city in the South Central Coast of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea.  It is one of the 5 independent municipalities in Vietnam.  On the North is Hue and on the South is Quang Nam.  The city is 764 km South of Ha Noi and 964 km North of Saigon.

 

     In 1847, French vessels bombarded Da Nang in response to persecution of Catholic missionaries.  Eleven years later, French troops landed under the orders of Napoleon III, beginning colonial area.

 

     Da Nang International Airport located at the center of the city is the third international airport in Vietnam.  It is an important gateway to access central Vietnam.  Before 1972, it was one of the busiest airports in the world due to intensive military activities.

 

     The most significant factor the City tries to accomplish is elimination of beggars.  In many places I went to in Vietnam and in our recent trip to Cambodia, beggars are very annoying.  In Da Nang, people are proud to tell you that if you see a beggar, report this to the police and you get a VND 200,00 reward (equivalent to $US 12.50).  In Vietnam, with the average per capita income of less than $US 400, this is a handsome offer.

 

     Another remarkable thing is Han River Bridge, commonly known as the “Swinging Bridge”.  It was completed in the year of 2000 with the idea of helping boats to pass through by swinging the bridge 90 degree.  The barrier closes at 01h15 and opens at 04h00.

 

     Having the afternoon free, we went to the market to buy two souvenir T shirts and some fruits.  Close by Daesco Hotel is Kim Do Restaurant at 180 Tran Phu Street where we had a Chinese dinner.

 

     Fourth day.  Saturday May 26, 2007.  We had breakfast at Daesco and said good bye to Zung, Hung, and Long.

 

     Minh traveled with us to Marble Mountains (Vietnamese:  Nui Ngu Hanh Son “Five elements mountains”).  It is a cluster of five marble and limestone hills located in Ngu Hanh Son ward, South of Da Nang City.  The five mountains are named under the five elements:  Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth.

 

     All of these mountains have cave entrances and numerous tunnels.  It is possible to climb to the summit of one of the peaks.  Several Buddhist sanctuaries could also be found.  The area is also famous for stone sculpture making and stone cutting crafts.

 

     The surprise was for us at lunch time.  Nha Hang Com Nieu Restaurant Tre Lang Nga on Nguyen Tri Phuong Street in Da Nang is quite attractive with the specialty of baked rice.  Each of us was served a brick pot with cooked rice.  Eighteen items included fish, beef, pork, vegetable soup, noodle…are so excellent with fruits and coconut cake for dessert.

 

     Their telephone number is (84.511) 611656 and the website is   www.trelangnga.com.vn

 

     Our group went in Hoi An Indochine Hotel at 87 Cua Dai Road in Hoi An.  They allowed me to use internet there and I was so happy to check on my e-mail.  Several days have passed since I had last checked it.

 

     Their telephone number is (84.510) 923601 and the website is  www.hoianindochine.com

 

     Hoi An gave us experiences of a distant past.  This ancient town is 30km south of Da Nang.  It lies on the banks of the Thu Bon River.  In the 16th century, Hoi An was one of the major trading centers of Southeast Asia occupied by early western traders from China, Japan, Holland, and India.

 

     Low, tile-roofed houses and narrow streets are unique features in Hoi An.  The original structure of some of these streets still remains almost intact.  Many houses were made of rare wood, decorated with lacquered boards and panels engraved with Chinese characters.  Pillars were also carved with ornamental designs.

 

     Hoi An is famous for its lanterns.  To preserve their ancient characters, Hoi An residents decided to revive the practice of using colored lanterns.  Starting in the fall of 1998, one night each month is declared a “lantern festival”.  On each lunar 14th night, electricity in Hoi An is switched off.  The streets are illuminated by colorful lanterns

 


HOI AN LANTERNS

 


     The streets of Hoi An are so romantic and quiet on that night.  In the dimming atmosphere, noises are made by winds blowing lanterns in all shapes and sizes as well as low voices of people talking.  Strolling through the lantern-lit streets is like walking into a fairytale.  It should be noted that motor vehicles are banned from Hoi An’s Old Quarter. 

 

     Close to the Hotel is Cua Dai Beach.  People looked very happy, catching the cool winds from the ocean and had foods as well as drinks together.  It’s the end of the 4th day visit and we had dinner at a downtown restaurant.

 

     Fifth day.  Sunday May 27, 2007.  Our group had breakfast at the Hotel and checked out early.  Minh took us to handicrafts and sculpture factories.  There are several of them on Huyen Tran Cong Chua Street in Da Nang.

 

     Tien Hieu 2 is located at 42 Huyen Tran Cong Chua Street has very attractive merchandises.  Their telephone number is (0511) 961979 and website www.tienhieusculpture.com.vn

 

     The next stop is Da Nang Supermarket.  We went there to browse.  They have many things, from food, drinks, clothing, shoes, jewelry, camera to luggage, furniture…

 

     Com Nieu 3 Ca Bong is the place for our lunch.  The restaurant is located at 112 Nguyen Tri Phuong street in Da nang, telephone number (0511) 655599.  Their website is www.comnieu.com       

 

     Their menu is excellent with baked rice and many varieties  as Nha Hang Com Nieu Tre Lang Nga we had the previous day.

 

     The bus took us to the airport at 12:30PM, one hour before flight time.  We flew back to Saigon from Da Nang in a bigger aircraft:  The Airbus 321.  It has more seats than the A320 (220 seats in the A321 comparing to 179 seats of A320).  In addition, the A321 is 146 feet in length comparing to 123 feet of the A320.

 

     Vietnam Airlines now operates 44 aircraft including ten Boeing 777-200ERs, three Airbus A330-300, nine Airbus 321s, ten Airbus-320s, ten ATR-72s, and two Fokker-70s.

 

     Our plane landed at 2:30PM at Tan Son Nhat Airport in Saigon.  As in our last trip to Cambodia, we are grateful to dynamic and dedicated efforts of Vietravel to organize our tour efficiently.  We deeply appreciate Ton Phuoc Minh, Doan Quoc Thai and Mai Xuan Binh for their outstanding assistance during the 5 days tour.

 

 


FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:  BA, KICH, MINH,

THAI, BINH, AND DOANH

 

VIETRAVEL

190 PASTEUR, SAIGON

TEL. (84.8) 822-8898

WEBSITE:    WWW.TRAVEL.COM.VN

 

 


HIEN LUONG BRIDGE

 


(c)MAY 2007*****NGUYEN KINH DOANH

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NGUYEN KINH DOANH is a journalist and California Highway Patrol Certified Reporter.  Being a real estate agent and tax consultant, his articles on real estate, taxes and travel have appeared in numerous Vietnamese as well as English language periodicals.  Mr. Doanh can be reached at doanh1@sbcglobal.net