DMZ Tour and the Ancient Capital of Hue

Halfway between Phong Nha National Park and our next city, Hue, is Vietnam’s former Demilitarized Zone, known as the “DMZ”. This five kilometer strip of land on either side of the Ben Hai River served an important role in Vietnam’s military history. Established as part of the 1954 peace agreement at the end the French Indochina War, it was a buffer between the divided North and South and later was the site of many bloody battles during the American-Vietnam War in the 60’s and 70’s. Few of the area’s original bases and bunkers are still around, but visitors are able to tour the Vinh Moc Tunnels where a community of Vietnamese hid underground during the war, as well as a cemetery and museum. Matt and I booked a special tourist bus that passed through the DMZ and stopped at these sites before continuing onto Hue.

We pulled up to the Vinh Moc Tunnels, and a local guide told our group of 12 tourists about the development of the elaborate shelter system, and how over 60 families lived their lives for almost six years underground while bombs rained down above. I was most impressed to hear that the three-story underground structure was built without the insight of any engineers or architects; the local people built the tunnels in the dark of night to avoid detection. The tunnel system was complete with kitchens, bedrooms, and even a maternity room where 17 children were born over the course of the war years. Our group began to descend into the tunnels and all of the sudden I was overcome with the feeling of extreme claustrophobia. The underground pathway was dark and small, and I knew it was nonsensical to have any concerns but knowing that a dark labyrinth of small passageways lay ahead was just too much to handle. I had to exit the tunnels almost immediately and Matt joined me above ground as we waited for the rest of the group to emerge. I was disappointed in myself for having such a reaction. It was a bummer not to be able to see the tunnels after hearing so much about them.

Descending into the Vinh Moc Tunnels before turning right back around.

Next our group stopped at a DMZ museum complete with many photographs of the war years, a statue of Ho Chi Minh, and life-size dioramas of Vietnamese and American soldiers depicting scenes during the war. Interestingly the museum housed tools that the Vietnamese used during the war and were made from American downed planes. For example, a metal operating table was crafted from the wreckage of B-52 plane that crashed in the area. There were also many unexploded ordinances and pictures of people whose bodies had been ravaged by land mines after the war—a big post-war challenge to this day. The museum provided information primarily in Vietnamese but the artifacts were still very impactful to see. We ended our DMZ tour with a walk across the Ben Hai River from North Vietnam to South Vietnam before piling onto the bus and continuing to Hue. While the tunnels did not work out too well for me, the experience of simply seeing the DMZ area and reimagining what had gone on decades ago was very powerful.

War memorial outside of the museum in the DMZ.

Ho Chi Minh statue and quote at the DMZ museum.

Hue (pronounced more like “way”) is an ancient, central Vietnamese city of about 455,000 people. It served as the capital of Dang Trong Kingdom in the 1700s and the Nguyen Dynasty from 1802 until as recently as 1945. The main attraction in Hue is the Nguyen Dynasty’s citadel complete with a moat and thick stone walls—similar to the structure of Chiang Mai. Inside the citadel are classic Vietnamese style buildings that served as homes, libraries, gardens, assembly halls, and more during the 19^th and 20^th centuries. This area is called the “Imperial City” with its many palaces and shrines and has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Unfortunately due to Hue’s strategic location in Vietnam, the historic city—including the citadel and all its important cultural landmarks—was the site of one of the longest and deadliest battles in the entire American-Vietnam War. Hue was mentioned frequently in the Ken Burns documentary that Matt and I watched before coming to this country, so we were very interested to see how it looked.

I must admit—the situation was grim. Over 75% of the ancient buildings in the citadel had been destroyed and there is an active restoration project ongoing to salvage what is left and re-create the Imperial City to its former state. Bullet holes pepper many of the brick walls and what is left of many of historic structures are piles of rubble. The internationally-funded restoration effort has led to the re-opening of a few key sites including the Ngo Mon Gate through which you enter the facility, the Palace of Supreme Harmony, the Royal Reading Room, beautifully-manicured gardens with dozens of bonsai trees, and two residences of former royal families. Small exhibits are scatted across the complex with photographs of the area before and after the war as well as details related to the ongoing conservation efforts. We enjoyed walking around the Imperial City for a couple of hours and hope to return when the restoration project is complete.

At the Ngo Mon Entry Gate.

Bullet holes like these dotted the walls throughout the complex.

One of the restored buildings in the Imperial City.

Exiting the citadel through an ornate-looking gate.

Hue is also known for its wide and shimmering Perfume River that cuts through the city. One evening Matt and I enjoyed drinks at a café next to the river and the water shone with beautiful reflections of colorful Vietnamese lanterns and the buildings along its shore. Many tourists hire boats to travel down the Perfume River and visit a smattering of tourist attractions, but Matt and I didn’t feel it was worth the money to take a boat so we used “Grab” (Vietnam’s Uber equivalent) to summon cabs that took us around town by road. In addition to the Imperial City, we visited the Thien Mu Pagoda, or Pagoda of the Celestial Lady, a seven-tiered Buddhist temple that is often used as a symbol to represent the city of Hue. Built in 1601, the pagoda sits on the shore of the Perfume River and also has many shrines, statues, and gardens surrounding the main building itself. One unexpected relic at the pagoda was the old blue car that the Buddhist monk Thich Quang Duc used to drive himself to Saigon in 1963 where he proceeded to burn himself to death to protest the government’s discrimination against Buddhists. This dark moment in history was also covered in the Ken Burns Vietnam War documentary, so it was fresh in our minds and somewhat haunting to see the car in person. You can actually see the car in the background of this gruesome photo from the incident.

The Perfume River and its many boats to transport tourists.

Buddhist monk Thich Quang Duc drove this car to his self-immolation.

Pagoda of the Celestial Lady, an iconic symbol of Hue.

Matt and I concluded our historical tour of Hue at the Tomb of Tu Duc, constructed in the mid-1800s. More of a temple complex than a stand-alone tomb, the area contains a pavilion, lotus pond, and multiple tombs for Emperor Tu Duc and his wife. The leader oversaw the building of the complex and actually seemed to use it as a retreat and hang-out spot for himself and his over 100 wives and concubines during its construction. He wrote his own epitaph inscribed in stone, which is erected close to his tomb on the compound. A great irony, however, is that after he died the man was buried in a secret location somewhere in Hue but not at the Tomb of Tu Duc itself! To this day no one knows where he is buried, primarily because the 200 workers who carried out the Emperor’s burial were beheaded immediately after the act in order to keep the location a permanent mystery. It is truly a wild and gory tale that we did not know about until visiting the tomb! We enjoyed walking around the complex and taking in its beautiful landscaping and architecture. It was an extremely hot day, however, so we made it a speedy visit and returned to our hotel to cool down for the rest of the afternoon.

Inside this pavilion was a large stone inscribed with Emperor Tu Duc's epitaph.

Pond and pavilion inside the Tu Duc Tomb complex.

Jackfruit trees were planted throughout the complex and we've been seeing them all over Vietnam! I captured a photo of this very productive tree. It reminded me of the cocoa trees I saw in Côte d'Ivoire!

Aside from Hue’s historic value as a tourist destination, the city itself is filled with cute restaurants, coffee shops, clothing stores, and a surprisingly-active nightlife. Many young people were walking around town day and night; there seems to be a market for recreational drugs considering that friendly men on motorbikes consistently approached us asking if we wanted to purchase any marijuana. While we repeatedly declined those offers, Matt and I feasted on several memorable meals and coconut coffees in Hue, and spent both evenings hanging out at a fancy, recently-built shopping mall. We saw two movies while we were there—Dumbo (fairly depressing and not so enjoyable) and Shazam (light-hearted and entertaining). The theater was brand-new and very impressive with its plush, red-carpeted lounge area and assigned seating methodology. Tickets cost just $2 each per movie, and at that rate it makes for a great, air-conditioned and mosquito-free indoor activity to do after a long day of walking in the sun!