Once, the name “Vietnam” signified not so much a country as a brutal jungle war or a spectacular failure of American power. In recent years, however, the lifting of Vietnamese government restrictions and the boom in budget traveling, have enabled more contemporary and relevant portraits of the country to gain currency in the West. An understanding of history still goes a long way in Vietnam, since the country has a unique civilization and a highly cultured people, but nobody needs to sweat to be entranced by the sublime scenery, the delicious cuisine and the opportunity to witness the invigorating, early days of Vietnam’s renewed contact with the West.
We traveled along the coast of Vietnam from Hanoi, Hue, Hoi An, Danang and finally to Saigon by plane, train and automobile! It was truly a memorable adventure and a country you cannot miss if you visit Southeast Asia!
HANOI
Smaller, quieter, greener and more dignified than Ho Chi Minh City, the nation’s capital can sometimes look like a provincial French city. This, like most things in Vietnam, is changing fast as economic restrictions are lifted and old regulations are forgotten. Life (and traffic, unfortunately) is abundant in the streets and shopping no longer means a trip to a dreary government department store.
Places to visit include some enchanting lakes and temples, and the Mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh. Enchanted lakes like Hoan Kiem Lake are few and far between:
Ho Chi Minh Memorial
Poor Ho Chi Minh could not escape his present, well preserved fate, despite his wishes to be cremated. Completed in 1975, the granite structure serves as a receiving stand for officials and party leaders. When visiting Uncle Ho, be certain to wear respectable attire: no shorts, short skirts or tank tops. No bags or bombs were allowed either and be sure to watch some of the native women’s reaction to seeing Uncle Ho. He really looks alive and some of the women in front of us burst into tears upon leaving his presence. I guess you should never under estimate the power of good propaganda!
The French Palace
The National Assembly Across From the Mausoleum
Hanoi Hilton
The Hoa Lo Prison, nicknamed the Hanoi Hilton, held American POWs during the Vietnam War and Vietnamese revolutionaries during the French rule. Most of the prison was replaced by the Hanoi Towers skyscraper, containing a five-star hotel and shopping center, but a portion preserved on Pho Hoa Lo off Hai Ba Trung just before the Towers is now a small, self-explanatory museum. Its definitely worth a visit and don’t worry if you get there on a day its supposed to be closed. The guy there will open the place if you pay him the admission. Maison Centrale (aka Hanoi Hilton):
Air Force Museum
This museum is a little bit of distance from the main attractions in the city but is well worth the trip. You’ll get a full dose of Vietnamese propaganda and you can have your photo taken in a MIG! Notice that the pictures of the Vietnamese fighter pilot heroes all look like the same few guys! Doesn’t this analog instrumentation look ancient?
Scenes of Hanoi
We roamed the dense Old Quarter and walked to Hoan Kiem Lake for a water puppet show. Although we were unable to make an excursion to Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba Island, I was told that if we had more time we should go there. I’ve included some photos of that region for your viewing pleasure. As we walked the streets of Hanoi, it was great to observe the wonderful French architecture of the diplomatic neighborhoods and watch the merchant women wearing rattan hats and aiming to sell their day’s produce before heading back to their villages. At the end of our Hanoi visit, we transferred to the railway station and caught the Reunification Express south to Hué.
Local merchant selling her daily vegetables:
Water Puppets – an amusing entertainment option:
Preparing sugarcane for some thirsty travelers:
Vietnamese water puppeteers immersed in water:
Local merchants selling their wares – a common Hanoi sight:
Lenin – the father of the Revolution!
Monument to the People!
Uncle Ho propaganda is everywhere!
Tossing bricks into the sky:
Catholic church in Hanoi:
Arrival of boats to Ha Long bay:
Ha Tien Father and Son’s Mountain in Kien Giang province:
HUE
Reputed to be the most beautiful city in Vietnam, Hué was the country’s capital from 1802 to 1945, and has long been a major cultural, religious and educational center. The remains of the huge, moated Citadel, constructed by the Emperor Gia Long from 1804, contain many interesting sights, such as the Nine Holy Cannons, the Imperial Enclosure, the Palace of Supreme Harmony and the Halls of the Mandarins. Sadly, the intriguing Purple Forbidden City was largely destroyed during the Vietnam War. About 15km (9mi) south of Hué are the Royal Tombs. Hué has many other places of religious and dynastic importance, and some good museums. Hué is about 700km (434mi) from Hanoi and 1100km (682mi) from Ho Chi Minh City. The Reunification Express train running between those cities stops here, and there are frequent flights and buses to both cities.
The Purple Forbidden City
Overlooking the interior courtyard:
The Queen Mother’s Palace:
The Nine Holy Cannons or Urns:
Lilly pad garden in the Nguyen Tombs:
Entrance to a Royal Tomb:
Guards and diplomats line the Tomb entrance:
Tomb obelisk with Chinese script:
Nguyen Emperor Tomb:
Entrance to Tomb:
HAI VAN PASS, DANANG, HOI AN
We traveled south from Hue to Hoi An by car passing by picturesque Lang Co fishing village to Hai Van Pass, with its fine views of the mountains and sea. We continued on to Danang stopping at the Cham Museum and China Beach. In the afternoon we arrived at Hoi An and had a great opportunity to explore this quaint, historic town. We visited the town’s riverside market, neighborhood pagodas, and the Japanese covered-bridge.
An important river port 30km (19mi) south of Danang, Hoi An is rich in history and has a unique character. It was a contemporary of Macau, attracting Dutch, Portuguese and Japanese trading vessels, and it retains the feel of centuries past. Its magnificent collection of almost 850 older structures and intact streetscapes just beg to be explored. They include merchants’ homes, pagodas, public buildings and a whole city block of colonnaded French buildings. This was one of our favorite cities in Vietnam and not to be missed! Irrigating rice paddies outside of Hue:
Scene of Hai Van Col Fishing Village near Hue:
Water buffalo cooling off outside of Hue:
The picturesque Hai Van Pass:
Picturesque Ca Na beach:
On the Nam Can River in Minh Hai province:
Rice paddies near Tuyet Son (Huong Pagoda):
View from sight seeing hill near Hue:
The incredibly overrated China Beach:
Fishing nets in Hoi An:
Japanese covered bridge in Hoi An:
The quaint streets of Hoi An:
Fishing along central Vietnam Sea:
Fishing season in Ninh Binh province:
Lauren with a lingham in the Cham Museum:
Marble Mountains
Named after the five fundamental elements, the Marble Mountains are located 17 km north of Hoi An and 12 km south of Da Nang. Limestone and marble quarries cluster around the foot of Water Mountain. This mount is the main tourist attraction, with grand temples, outlandish plants, eerie grottos, and idols hewn from the rock. Masons carving objects from solid marble:
Buddha statue on the side of Marble Mountain:
HO CHI MINH CITY (formerly SAIGON)
Ho Chi Minh City is the heart and soul of Vietnam. It’s a bustling, dynamic and industrious centre, the largest city, the economic capital and the cultural trendsetter. The streets, where much of the city’s life takes place, is a myriad of shops, stalls, stands-on-wheels and vendors selling wares spread out on sidewalks. The city churns, ferments, bubbles and fumes. Yet within the teeming metropolis are the timeless traditions and beauty of an ancient culture. Sights include the Giac Lam Pagoda, the neo-Romanesque Notre Dame Cathedral, Reunification Hall, Cholon market and the former US embassy, scene of such havoc during the 1975 evacuations.
Reunification Palace
If buildings had psyches, this one would be lying on a very large couch be moaning its identity crisis. The original structure was erected by the French in 1868. After 1954, when Frenchmen became rather scarce rather quickly, Ngo Dinh Diem filled the void, renaming it Independence Palace. In 1962, an air raid failed to assassinate Diem but destroyed the Palace. A new mansion was completed by 1966, only to be bombed again by a disloyal South Vietnamese pilot in the early 1970s. The mansion’s latest incarnation occurred on April 30, 1975, when a DRV tank smashed through the gates. Once rebuilt, twice bombed, and thrice christened, today’s Reunification Palace remains frozen in its 1975 state.
Cu Chi Tunnels
We took the obligatory tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels – the infamous network of tunnels used by the Viet Cong during the war. Although its been rebuilt for tourists like a Vietnamese Disneyland, it was definitely worth visiting and a must see in Ho Chi Minh city. Just don’t eat too much before you go otherwise you may not be able to make it through the tunnels!
In the Cu Chi Tunnels with our guide:
Trap designed to stop pesky American troops:
