Hue

We reached Hue at about 8am and we checked in to Sports Hotel (Rating: Good). The weather was surprising hot as compared to Hanoi. It was even warmer than Singapore.

After check-in, we left for a day trip to visit the Imperial City, tombs, local art-works and etc.

Hue was the capital of Vietnam during the Nguyen Dynasty and is one of the cultural cores of the country. Nguyen Dynasty ruled Vietnam between 1802 - 1945.

Outside view of Imperial City. It is built on the same principles as Beijing's Forbidden Palace.

It was a pity that certain parts of this city were destroyed during the Vietnam War when the Americans attempted to root out the Viet Cong soldiers at the Citadel.

We visited some emperors' tombs like Tu Duc's. It was interesting to hear the stories of the lives of these emperors.

[Left] I am about the same height as this Emperor.

Along the way, we stopped by some local craft shops. There was a little girl making incense.

A lady asked the tour guide,"Aren't she suppose to be in school now?"

Not all children have the privilege to have proper education like what we have in Singapore. We saw another boy at night seeking for income by polishing shoes for tourists. Even when we were in Cua Dai beach at Hoi An, many children earn a living by asking the tourists to buy fruits, snacks..etc. In Singapore, it is not legal for children to work at such a tender age.

Due to the warm weather, all of us were tired and sticky, we left the rest of the tour group and went back to the hotel to rest after lunch.

We went to the Perfume River in the evening after dinner. We boarded a boat to view the traditional cultural performance.

Vietnam - 23 Mar 07 - 1 April 07

Jay, Danny, Estella and I went for a 10-days Vietnam trip. We flew via Tiger Airway to Hanoi, then took a night train to Hue, bus to Hoi An, a night bus to Nha Trang, night train to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) and then back home to Singapore.

It was my first visit to Vietnam and it has been an eye-opener indeed. Thank God for His providence and guidance throughout the whole trip. I was also reminded of how blessed I am as a Singaporean.

I will detail my trips in the following posts. Please check it out.