J+L in Transit

The Train to Huế

We took the SE2 express train from Đà Nẵng to Huế, capital city of the Vietnamese Nguyễn Dynasty from 1802 to 1945. Our seat was in the more expensive soft seat section of the train but still only cost $5. It wasn’t the most comfortable journey because the train was very dirty, the upholstery mysteriously moist, and the woman behind us kept sticking her bare foot in between our seats to rest on our arm rest. All through the 2.5 hour journey, roosters were cock-a-doodling from somewhere in the train. The train tracks are high up on a cliff and out the window we could see a beautiful view of the coastline.

Our Train Waiting for Us at Đà Nẵng Station

All Aboard!

Inside the Train Car

This Lady's Nasty Foot Kept Poking Into Our Seats!!

The View Outside the Train Window

Our Journey Took Us Through Many Tunnels in the Mountainside

Entrance to the Holiday Diamond Hotel

View from Our Hotel Room in Huế, a Welcome Sight After the Train

Baby Ducks Hanging Out at a Huế Restaurant

Big Bowl of Bún Bò Huế

Fried Noodles

Rambutan Fruit

Tomb of Emperor Minh Mạng

Minh Mạng ruled Vietnam from 1820 to 1841 as the second Nguyễn Dynasty emperor. He was known for being strongly opposed to French colonial influence in Vietnam. His tomb is located about 7 miles outside Huế on the banks of the Perfume River.

Entrance Gate to the Minh Mạng Tomb Complex

Minh Mạng Tomb

Panorama of Minh Mạng Tomb

The Actual Tomb is Up These Stairs and Behind the Gate

The Final Gate is Locked, Visitors are Not Allowed to See the Actual Burial Site. Are Those Bullet Holes??

Tomb of Emperor Khải Định

Khải Định was the twelfth emperor of the Vietnamese Nguyễn Dynasty. He was not popular among the Vietnamese people during his reign, being widely regarded as puppet leader controlled by the colonial French.

The Entrance Stairs to Khải Định's Tomb

Many Guardian Status Watch Over the Entrance to the Tomb

Animal Guardians

The Tomb's Main Building

A Gilded Casting of the Emperor Takes Center Stage in the Tomb, Surrounded by Intricate Mosaics on Every Wall

Panorama of the Mosaic Room

We're About to Head Down the Stairs, Back to the Car

Tomb of Emperor Tự Đức

Tự Đức, fourth emperor of the Vietnamese Nguyễn Dynasty, ruled from 1847 to 1883. Tự Đức is sometimes referred to as the last true Vietnamese Emperor because he was the last to rule the country independently before French colonial interests overtook the government. Strangely, he is actually not buried at the tomb we visited. Instead, he was buried in a secret location somewhere else in Huế. The 200 laborers who worked on his actual tomb were beheaded after the work was completed to safeguard the secret location of the real tomb.

The Tomb of Tự Đức

Canal at the Tomb

Tomb Gardens

Parts of the Tomb Are in Disrepair

Ceiling of One of the Buildings... Constellations??

Tomb Art

Citadel of Huế

The Citadel of Huế is across the Perfume River from the main part of the modern city. The Citadel is the ruins of the ancient walled city of Huế.

Huge Flagpole Outside the Citadel

Citadel Corridors

James in the Citadel

Inside the Citadel

Thiên Mụ Pagoda

The Thiên Mụ Pagoda is the tallest pagoda in all of Vietnam, and is regarded as the unofficial symbol of the city of Huế. The name Thiên Mụ means “Celestial Lady”. The car of famous Buhhist monk Thích Quảng Đức is on display at the pagoda. Thích Quảng Đức became known internationally in 1963 for self-immolating himself in Saigon to protest the Vietnamese government’s oppression of Buddhists.

Thiên Mụ Pagoda

Banks of the Perfume River

The Car Thích Quảng Đức Drove to Saigon Before Self-Immolating in Protest of the Government's Oppression of Buddhists

Sunset Over the Perfume River

Lăng Cô Beach & Drive to Hội An

We opted to hire a private car for our trip to Hội An so we could be a bit more comfortable than the train and also visit Lăng Cô beach and the mountain pass. Lăng Cô beach was a beautiful stopover.

Approaching Lăng Cô Beach

Deserted Lăng Cô Beach

Looking Back at Lăng Cô

Lăng Cô Panorama

We Stopped and Took Pictures at a Railroad Crossing While the Train Passed By

Bunkers at the Top of the Mountain Pass, Left Over from the Vietnam War