When I think “historical” outside of the US – especially in Asia – I think ancient, I think in terms of uninterrupted civilization stretching back millennia … frankly, I think of the Temple of Literature in Hanoi. The imperial Nguyen dynasty, on the other hand, wasn’t begun until 1802, and the city of Hue wasn’t founded until 1804 (San Francisco is actually older!). To be sure, there are some beautiful, interesting, and exotic sights here … but they are merely elderly, not antediluvian.
The Imperial Citadel is, obviously, one of the main draws. I really enjoyed visiting here, in part because it is (currently) an almost equal mixture of three very different environments: structures which survived the French and American wars, re-built structures, and ruins. I think one day all of the ruins will be replaced with reconstructions, and while it will then be a grander place, it will probably be a little bit less interesting, too.
Another highlight hereabouts is the Thanh Toan covered footbridge. This lies about 6 km. east of Hue, where it can only be found unexpectedly after one has gotten lost a half dozen times and is on the verge of abandoning all hope. (This may be what Thanh Toan means in Vietnamese.) I was so uncertain of ever finding it that I had ridden my scooter into it before realizing what it was. (Note: I don’t think you are supposed to ride scooters through the bridge … but there was no sign at all in the direction from which I approached, and the sign on the other end was only in Vietnamese … but I do recognize that “Cam” with both a circumflex and an accident aigu over the a denotes “Forbidden”—and there was a long list of things forbidden to be done on the bridge.)
2 comments:
More cool photos. Like the footbridge with the sun in the branches just above, Gotta say, the bridge looks small, more like a hallway than a road, so yeah, I reckon you're right that scooters are discouraged. On the plus side, had things gone quite wrong, you'd have been one of the few travelers able to write about a Vietnamese jail stay.
Another photo that's fun and interesting is you with the statue. The big version suggests you set the camera on the ground, perhaps with a tourist map under the front for the elevation you wanted and then set the timer. Neat shot. The stretch of paving in the foreground turns what is normally photo filler into part of the shot's craft.
Not that your readers care much about Minneapolis in an Asian travel blog, but while writing a post for my own blog yesterday afternoon, a certain large bird of prey showed up in the tree outside. Big as a dog. (Last shot on this post:
http://ww3.startribune.com/blogs/classiccars/2008/04/19/vscr-kickoff-and-tire-kick/ )
Kris
Fantastic views Kirk... certainly something I'll never see in person. Appreciate you taking the time to share. I suppose I could wait for you to put the pictures in albums and leave on your coffee table... but then there is the 3,000 mile distance between your coffee table and my pod....
Safe travels!
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