SOJOURNING IN CENTRAL VIETNAM - HUE, HOI AN AND DANANG (NOV 02 - 10, 2022)

After the Covid-19 hiatus, like many Singaporeans who travelled, I decided to take a holiday in Central Vietnam - Danang, Hoi An and Hue. I organised a group of 10 pax, bought the air tickets and thru an agent in Hanoi, headed to Danang, from where our guide transferred us to Hue, the capital during the last imperial dynasty from 1802 to 1945. We had dinner at the Ancient Hue Houses which is a high-end resort. I have been to the north, south and central regions of Vietnam and I find the central the most interesting and enjoyable. Life here is not fast paced, the people are more friendly, and crime is low. There is abundant seafood which is very fresh and relatively inexpensive in Danang. Besides that, there is in Quang Binh Province the biggest cave in the World called Son Doong Cave. 

Dinner in the restaurant with a nice ambience.

Called noodles, this dish looks like fried rice-sticks (kway teow) with a generous sprinkling of prawns. This is quite a common dish thru out Central Vietnam. It tasted better than others we had later.

Chicken fried with Basel leaves. It tasted better than a pork dish we had the same evening where the meat was rather hard.

On the way to the Hue Royal Complex, home for the last royal dynasty (Nguyen Dynasty) of Imperial Vietnam, we visited a workshop where incense sticks, conical hats and lanterns are made. What you see are not broomsticks but incense sticks.

Helen is trying her hand at making an incense stick. She made the best one.

An island in the Hue Royal Complex where animals were released for the king and other royalty to shoot.

The pavilion from where the king would shoot the animals.

A temple within the complex

An altar in the temple

The king would rest here in the temple. You will observe a galaxy of stars on the roof. Astrology was widely practised then.

Epitaph to King Tu Duc carved in stone

This is a brief summary of the life of King Tu Duc who lived from 1848-1883.

King Tu Duc's final resting place, built very much in accordance with Feng Shui principles - abode on high ground looking down at the pond (water) with a reflection of the serene surroundings. 

The Old Thien Mu Pagoda built in 1601 aka the Heavenly Lady or Linh Mu Pagoda.

This car was used to send Buddhist monk Thic Quang Duc to Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) in 1963 where he died by self-immolation. This was in protest of the persecution of Buddhists by the South Vietnamese Government under Ngo Din Diem who was a staunch Catholic. 

Cruising on the Perfume River to the pagoda. Bang is recording the ladies singing one of the "Singapore" songs.

A part of the Citadel walls of the Hue Royal Complex, housing the Imperial Palace and the Purple Forbidden City, which was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Vietnam in 1993. Photo credit: Choi Ee

Hue Imperial Palace. Photo credit: Choi Ee

Another shot of the Palace - an entrance. Photo credit: Choi Ee

This symbol found within the palace is a common one found all over the place. It's the Chinese word meaning long life. The Chinese have a profound influence on Vietnamese culture and way of life as Vietnam was under Chinese suzerainty for more than a thousand years. Photo credit: Choi Ee

Along one of the corridors of the Purple Forbidden Palace, which at that time, was undergoing extensive renovation. Photo credit: Choi Ee

This could be one of the manor houses. Photo credit: Choi Ee

A theatre for conducting briefing or showing the history of the Hue Royal Complex. Photo credit: Choi Ee

Boats along the Perfume River, with another pic below of the river. We took one of the boats to the Old Thien Mu Pagoda. Photo credits: Choi Ee

The silted-up Thu Bon River in Hoi An. It was one of the major trading ports in S E Asia and a centre for East-West exchange and commerce. It was also a principal Cham city from the 2nd to 10th Centuries. Over the years, peoples and ships of many races and nationalities came to Hoi An and it has thus retained a cosmopolitan outlook. The architecture of the buildings also shows an international flavour. In the 19th Century, as a result of warfare and environmental changes, Hoi An was replaced by Danang as a major port. The ancient quarters and historical monuments of the town were preserved in the 1980's under the auspices of UNESCO and with funds contributed by the Polish government. 

The iconic Hoi An Japanese Bridge. A good example of international influences on Hoi An architecture.

Time to chat up on the news and rumours? Delivery of coffee powder on two wheels below

Photo credits for both pix: Choi Ee

Eager beavers queuing to go into the restaurant for lunch which turned out to be a disappointment. 

TamTam Art Photography Cafe but the food was not up to par.

Dishes at TamTam which look unpalatable.

Fried rice-sticks offered by TamTam look dry and the prawns are missing too.

Collection of pottery in Phung Hong Old House which was owned by a Chinese business man.

Cars are not allowed in Hoi An. Many houses and shops there are painted the yellow-ochre colour.  

A Chinese clan temple in Hoi An.

A watering hole for visitors and tourists. There are many restaurants, pubs and the like in Hoi An catering mainly for expat visitors and tourists. Beer is relatively inexpensive like in other former Indo-China countries.

Cruising down the river and enjoying the sights.

The Japanese Bridge at night.

Husband and wife working together in fishing in the river. We were on our way to fishing village on the bank of Thu Bon River. 

He has to work harder as he does not have his wife to help him.

This boat is used to fish squids. The lamps will attract the squids to it at night.

An itinerant fishmonger at the fishing village. Nothing is packed in ice as everything is fresh.

She's all smiles as we bought all of her crabs which we later arranged for the hotel chef to prepare for us.

Hoi An Memories Land. We watched a one-hour show here - Hoi An Memories - which showcased a brief history of Hoi An. Some 500 performers were involved and it's highly acclaimed and the Thu Bon River was a major prop like the Li Jiang (River) in Yangshou, China for the Impressions of Liu San Jie show.  

 

This is one of the temple sites badly bombed by US military forces during the Vietnam War. What I observed also is that the temples are built singly unlike in Angkor Wat where there are stand-alone temples as well as temple complexes. In Vietnam, this place is called My Son Holy Land, holy to the Chams who had a powerful kingdom in Vietnam from the 2nd Century until 1832 when they were annexed by Vietnamese emperor Minh Han. The capital of the Cham Kingdom then 

 was located here with the many temples which the Americans bombed into ruins.

The sites are designated by groups. This one comes under Group F and appears fairly large. It is quite badly bombed. As the guide briefed us, in the year 2,000, an Italian architect attempted to re-build it but failed. It remains in its decrepit form till now. My Son Holy Land is an acclaimed UNESCO World Heritage Site.   

The temples are aligned to the mountain, which is considered holy, in the distant background.

Bang giving us a run down on the significance and history of My Son Holy Land.