Continuing on from the earlier Post on Southern Vietnam, here are some pictures and descriptions from the Central part of this surprising country.
Da Nang
Da Nang is a coastal city in central Vietnam known for its sandy beaches and history as a French colonial port. During the Vietnam War Da Nang was a major air base used by the South Vietnamese and United States Air Forces. Da Nang is the third largest city in Vietnam after Hanoi and Ho Chi Min City and is the most important city in Central Vietnam.
Towering above the ground in the Monkey Mountains of Da Nang is the magnificent 220 Foot statue of the Lady Buddha.
Impressive carved statues at the base of the Linh Ung Pagoda.
Da Nang offers good surfing conditions, particularly between September and March, with consistent swells and waves.
Da Nang Cathedral, or the Pink Church, has a stunning pale pink façade and beautiful architecture.
A fisherman casts his net in the Han River that runs through Da Nang.
The Dragon Bridge in Da Nang is an iconic structure known for its unique design and fire-breathing spectacle. The fire breathing show only happens on the weekends and unfortunately we were not able to see it. This picture shows the dragon’s tail.
Even without the fire breathing show the Dragon Bridge has a nightly spectacular light show with ever changing colors and patterns.
Along with the bridge several buildings on the Han River are lit up and tourist boats cruise back and forth for viewing the light show.
Ba Na Hills
In the hills inland from Da Nang lies the hill station called the Ba Na Hills founded in 1919 by French colonists. At nearly 5000 feet elevation it was a cool alternative to the hot, humid, summer days of Da Nang. It was later purchased by the Sun Group, a major Vietnamese developer, and expanded into a resort and amusement park similar to a Disneyworld. Weather permitting it offers a beautiful view of the East China Sea and the surrounding mountains.
To reach the Sun World Ba Na Hills we took the longest cable car I have ever ridden and certainly one of the longest in the world. Unfortunately the weather was not cooperative for us and the cable car ride was completely inside a misty cloud.
One of the first things you will see is the massive stone hands holding up the Golden Bridge.
On a clear day these photos would have been a little more memorable but even in the clouds and rain it was a pretty spectacular site.
The Ba Na Hills includes a French Village that has replicas based on the Fountains of Versailles and the Basilica of Saint-Denis in France.
The Ba Na Hills also includes medieval European-style castles, restaurants, cafés, shops, water fountains, gardens, carnival rides, a Buddhist temple and stone-paved connecting paths and cable cars connecting the various sections of the park.
Just one of the many over-sized statues that give the park a surreal vibe.
Huế
Huế was our third stop in Central Vietnam and it was a pleasant surprise. It was quite a bit less chaotic than the big cities and had a lively nightlife and a good sized river (the Perfume River) running through town with a nightly light show on the bridge and walkways of the river. Huế was the imperial capital of Vietnam during the Nguyễn dynasty from 1802 to 1945 and today is a popular tourist destination thanks to its extensive UNESCO-designated complex of imperial palaces, tombs and temples.
The Thien Mu Pagoda is a prominent pagoda located on the banks of the Perfume River, offering beautiful scenic views
Dragon boat rides are popular on the Perfume River both during the day and at night when the bridge and walkways are lit with ever changing lights.
The Thanh Toan Bridge is an ancient covered bridge with a unique architectural style, located in a peaceful rural setting.
Dien Tho Palace within the Hue Imperial City was the residence of the Nguyễn Dynasty’s royal mother and grandmothers. The architectural detail was stunning.
The Imperial City was a popular place for wedding and graduation photos and many of the subjects were dressed in traditional clothing for the occasion.
Hue had a great public market with produce, fish, fruits, meat and all kinds of clothing items. This was one of my favorite pictures from the market.
I’m glad we traveled the length of the country instead of just visiting Ho Chi Min City in the south and then flying to Hanoi in the North. I didn’t include Hoi An in this post because I covered it in detail in an earlier Blog Post (https://earthwalkabout.com/hoi-an-vietnam/), but the combo of Da Nang, Hoi An, the Ba Na Hills and Hue was a strong argument for visiting Central Vietnam on any trip to this amazing country.
Excellent work again! I may have to plan a visit somehow, thanks for sharing