Hue-Danang-Hoi An

After returning to Hanoi on New Year's Eve, a group of friends and I went to Central Vietnam on New Year's Day. We flew to Danang and then took a 2-hour drive in a van to Hue (pronounced Hway). Hue was the capital of Vietnam during the Nguyen Dynasty in the 19th century until the French colonized Vietnam. It is known for its palaces, pagodas, tombs and temples. It also has its unique Vietnamese cuisine, especially "cakes." They are rice cakes in different variations and stuffings. They have names like banh beo, banh loc, banh nam, etc.
The most famous tourist site is the Citadel. This is where the king lives and also has temples and pagodas.



Arriving at Danang Airport








Eating special Hue noodles for breakfast at a roadside restaurant.







The entrance to the Citadel








On a boat cruise on the Perfume River

Inside one of the temples with altars to the 14 kings in the Nguyen Dynasty







Giant urns outside the temple

Another part of the Citadel







Another outside view

Entrance to the Minh Mang Tomb. Minh Mang was one of the kings in the Nguyen Dynasty

Inside the tomb







Mother and child selling drinks and snacks outside the tomb







A nice lunch after the tour.











Another building inside the tomb

Another part of the tomb

After Hue we went back to Danang and visited some local popular spots there.

Steps leading up to the Kwan Yin statue






We got around Hue and Danang by renting motorbikes. There were 5 bikes for the 9 of us. It costs about 100,000 VND to rent a bike, about US$5 a day. You have to wear mask because it's dusty on the country roads. We often lose each other because of the windy roads and many intersections. If not for cell phones, it'd have been very difficult to stay as a group.

A temple next to the Kwan Yin Statue in Danang

A big Kwan Yin statue that was built only a few years ago. It's a prominent landmark next to the beach in Danang. At night it is lit so you can see it from far away.

In the late afternoon, we rode our motorbikes for a 30-minute ride to Hoa An. Hoa An is a seaside resort that is known for its ancient Chinese architecture.

This is where the tourist come. The shops and restaurants cater mostly to tourists.





One of the buildings with its old Chinese architecture

A brightly-lit dragon on the river.