Home and Hue

We had a day in Hue (pronounced Hway). The ancient Imperial City for the Emperors of Vietnam. The last Emperor resigned in protest [encouraged by Ho Chi Minh] in 1945 as Vietnam attempted to take back control, following the Japanese invasion during the Second World War and a move by the French to reimpose its colonialism when the war ended. Our first stop was the walled Citadel, where the last Emperors resided. This was the scene of one of the most bloodiest battles during the Vietnam War [ The Vietnamese refer to it as the American War]. In 1967 Ho Chi Minh wanted to bring the war to a conclusion before he died. The Tet offensive was a series of coordinated attacks on the South controlled Vietnamese cities (100 cities), which started during the Luna New Year in 1968 when many of the South Vietnamese troops were celebrating. The attack on Hue was one of the most intensive and bloody. As we walked around this ancient city, it seemed difficult to comprehend what had happened. Our guide Ling was born after the war and very philosophical about what had happened. He explained later that his grandfather had fought in the war. He was only 5ft tall, most likely due to his poor diet, and struggled to lift his AK47 which had be designed for larger Russian soldiers. But in their view it was a war of liberation. This was clearly all in the past and Vietnam has a incredibly bright future. This is a country which will only grow stronger and I suspect a great a place to invest over the next 50 years.

From the Citadel we explored a number of the temples, Joss Stick and traditional hat makers, followed by a trip down the Perfume River. 

Khai Dinh Mausoleum 

Our evening re-enforced how much has changed in Vietnam. Whether change is all for the good is hard to say, but this is a country which is developing fast. In the centre of Hue they pedestrianise the roads in the evening. Heineken were launching their new beer in Vietnam, Larue Smooth. A full stage was set up to promote it and some of the biggest regional pop stars were hired to perform. We had no idea who they were, but they were great fun. All the time the rain fell, while everyone danced in shorts and tee shirts. Asian night life was in full swing.

 

We have to thank Heineken for an evening of fun, They handed out beer and merchandise while we watched the evenings entertainment. There were many europeans enjoying the party and we even bumped even into a dutch couple who were on our cruise in Bai Tu Long Bay. We really felt like backpackers 😀