DaNang - Hue - Hoi An

After the south we went to the central plains of VietNam. Da Nang was our go to place. But, we were excited to visit places around Da Nang; ie Hoi An and Hue. 

When we went to Hoi An, we found it to be very popular with the Europeans who want to get dresses or suits made. 

 Just like Nha Trang, the Chinese influenced temples were very popular here. 

Flower pots...

and very well maintained Pagodas.

In one of the temples we learnt that, a monk who burnt himself in SaiGon during the Viet Nam war, was a resident of that temple. A picture of his heart was kept there as a memorial and a shrine for everyone to pay respects. 

The worldwide publication of the photograph of the June 11, 1963, self-immolation of Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Quang Duc (1897–1963) brought international attention to the persecution of Buddhists by the South Vietnamese government of Ngo Dinh Diem.

The monk drove from Da Nang to SaiGon, took petrol in a can and did self immolation to protest against the violence against the Vitnamese people & the Buddhists by the South Vietnamese and American forces. His car is still kept in the temple. It was heart wrenching what the innocent went through, and the also so inspiring what others did for their freedom! 

We also visited the Hue & the Imperial Palace. Hue was also the capital of Vietnam during the Nguyen Dynasty. 

The entrance looks very similar to the pictures of Chinese Palaces.

Honestly, the palace was very peaceful and lovely to see, however I always compare; and I think the Mughal Palaces in India were grander! 

There were loads of places to click photos. This was the Meridian Gate. 

This was The Harmony Palace. 

The Throne Hall. 

The corridors were beautiful too. 

You do need some ice cream or fresh fruit every couple of hours in that heat!

We also visited Hoi An, and I think this was the cutest little town in our whole trip. We fell in love with its shops, the dress makers, the gullies and the cleanliness around. Even the Hoi An Starbucks looked immaculately kept. 

We had coffee on a roof top restaurant...

...clicked some photos, 

and had a lovely drink! 

The Hoi A Japanese Bridge. This is also on the ₫ 20,000 Vietnamese note. 

Location: Japanese Bridge 

The customary photo, along Bridge 1...

...and bridge 2. 

As afternoon and then evening settled in, we found The City of Lanterns making the whole experience wonderful. 

We also visited the Japanese-Vietnamese Cultural centre near the bridge.

The Rice Paper Vietnamese Pizza snack.

We then sat along the river bank and waited for the boats to showoff their lanterns. 

The whole river becomes very beautiful & picturesque around 6:30 PM.

The Japanese Bridge looked lovely. 

We clicked few more photos around the temples...

...and the market squares, before heading back to Da Nang.

Da Nang has the beach and also has a Dragon Bridge. 

In reality, it's just a bridge, but at 7:00 PM, the bridge puts up a show. The dragon blows fire and almost everyone (I mean the tourists) head to the bridge to see the show. We did the same...

We also visited The Marble Mountains of Da Nang. It's a 10 minute drive from the City Centre. 

Location: The Marble Mountains

There are lots of caves to see here. 

We did manage to scale the top of the mountain.

Now, if you are scared of heights, please be aware that it is an extremely steep mountain and always hold the harness provided. European Health and Safety isn't the standard here.

The entrance was a small one. However the cave does become big inside.

One could see the sea from top of the mountains and along the beach one could see the huge resort blocking the view. Oh well, the challenges of tourism in every part of the planet.

There is a temple on top of the mountains.

We completed our journey in Da Nang and were back in the tourist district. 

One thing: why do the Vietnamese town wake up so early? Everyone is doing business at 7:00 AM and then they go on till 12:00 mid-night! Is it the strong coffee that keeps them going?😉