Hue
Built on a small hill overlooking the Song Huong (Perfume River), 4km southwest of the Citadel, this seven-storey pagoda is an icon of Vietnam and as…
Must-see attractions in South-Central Vietnam
Danang
This wonderfully wacky bridge takes the form of a ginormous, colour-changing dragon, weaving its way across the Han River. If that wasn't attention…
Hoi An
Built two centuries ago by an ethnically Vietnamese family, this gem of a house has been lovingly preserved through seven generations. Look out for signs…
Assembly Hall of the Fujian Chinese Congregation
Hoi An
Originally a traditional assembly hall (or guildhall), this structure was later transformed into a temple for the worship of Thien Hau, a deity who…
Hoi An
Emblematic of Hoi An, this beautiful bridge was first constructed in the 1590s by the Japanese community to link it with the Chinese quarters. Over the…
Hue
This hillside monument is a synthesis of Vietnamese and European elements. Most of the tomb’s grandiose exterior is covered in darkened, weathered…
Hue
Taking up the southwest corner of the Imperial Enclosure, this highly impressive walled complex has been beautifully restored. The imposing three-tiered…
Demilitarised Zone
A highly impressive complex of tunnels, Vinh Moc is the remains of a coastal North Vietnamese village that literally went underground in response to…
Hue
The Imperial Enclosure or Imperial City is a citadel-within-a-citadel, housing the emperor’s residence, temples and palaces, and the main buildings of…
Danang
This small but important museum contains the world’s largest collection of Cham artefacts, housed in buildings marrying French-colonial architecture with…
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Hoi An
Built for worshipping family ancestors of the Tran (陳) clan, this chapel (more accurately an ancestral hall) dates back to 1802. It was commissioned by…
Hoi An
By Unesco decree, more than 800 historic buildings in Hoi An have been preserved, so much of the Old Town looks as it did several centuries ago. Eighteen…
Hue
This tomb (completed in 1867) is the most popular, imposing and impressive of the royal mausoleums, designed by Emperor Tu Duc himself before his death…
Hoi An
Founded in 1653, this small temple is dedicated to Quan Cong, an esteemed Chinese general who is worshipped as a symbol of loyalty, sincerity, integrity…
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My Son
The main kalan (sanctuary), B1, was dedicated to Bhadresvara, which is a contraction of the name of King Bhadravarman, who built the first temple at My…
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Demilitarised Zone
The site of the most famous siege of the American War, the USA’s Khe Sanh Combat Base was never overrun, but it saw the bloodiest battle of the war. About…
Hoi An
This pagoda (founded in the mid-17th century) is associated with An Thiem, a Vietnamese prodigy and monk from the age of eight. When he was 18, he…
Hoi An
There’s a whole block of colonnaded French colonial buildings on Ð Phan Boi Chau between Nos 22 and 73, among them the 19th-century Tran Duong House. It’s…
My Son
The effusive have described this as Vietnam’s Angkor Wat, but that’s hardly fair: My Son contains fewer ruins (and they are very much ruined) within a…
Danang
Known to locals as Con Ga Church (Rooster Church) because of the weathercock atop the steeple, the candy-pink, photogenic Danang Cathedral was built for…
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Hue
Planned during Minh Mang’s reign (1820–40) but built by his successor, Thieu Tri, this majestic tomb, on the west bank of the Perfume River, is renowned…
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Demilitarised Zone
Quang Tri once boasted an important citadel, but little of its old glory remains. In the Easter Offensive of 1972, North Vietnamese forces laid siege to…
Danang
This pagoda has three giant Buddha statues in the courtyard, and an equally imposing large gold one in the temple.
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My Son
Group A was almost completely destroyed by US bombs. According to locals, the massive A1, considered the most important monument at My Son, remained…
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Ho Thuy Tien Abandoned Water Park
Hue
Closed for mysterious reasons in 2006, this long-abandoned water park outside Hue centres on a dramatic dragon head poking from the waters of Thuy Tien…
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Hue
The principal entrance to the Imperial Enclosure is Ngo Mon Gate, which faces the Flag Tower. The central passageway with its yellow doors was reserved…
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South-Central Vietnam
Quang Tri province was the most heavily bombed part of Vietnam and it remains the most contaminated with ordnance. This museum provides an excellent…
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South-Central Vietnam
The elegant Cham towers at Chien Dan are located just outside the town of Tam Ky on a wide open field; the only other building nearby is a small museum…
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Hue
Wildly overgrown but evocative, Ho Quyen was built in 1830 for the royal pastime of watching elephants and tigers face off in combat. The tigers (and…
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Hue
Overlooking Dong Ba Canal, this pagoda was built under Emperor Thieu Tri’s rule (1841–47) and is celebrated for its four low towers, one on either side of…
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Assembly Hall of the Chaozhou Chinese Congregation
Hoi An
Built in 1752, the highlights in this congregational hall are the gleaming woodcarvings on the beams, walls and altar – absolutely stunning in their…
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Demilitarised Zone
Hamburger Hill was the site of a tumultuous battle in May 1969 between US forces and the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) over a 900m-high mountain – resulting…
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My Son
Buildings D1 and D2 were once meditation halls and now house small displays of Cham sculpture. Preservation has now been completed at Group G, where a…
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Hue
Located just inside the Citadel ramparts, near the gates to either side of the Flag Tower, are the Nine Holy Cannons (1804), symbolic protectors of the…
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Hue
This three-tiered esplanade was once the most important religious site in Vietnam, the place where the Nguyen emperors made animal sacrifices and…
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Hue
Nestled in a pine forest, this pagoda was built in 1843 and later co-opted by eunuchs from the Citadel. Today 70 monks reside at Tu Hieu; they welcome…
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Hue
In the very centre of the Imperial Enclosure, there's almost nothing left of the once-magnificent Purple Forbidden City. This was a citadel-within-a…
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Hue
The Royal Theatre, begun in 1826 and later home to the National Conservatory of Music, has been rebuilt on its former foundations. When performances aren…
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Hue
This 1803 palace is a spacious hall with an ornate timber roof supported by 80 carved and lacquered columns. It was used for the emperor’s official…
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Hue
Covering an area of 250 hectares, the cemetery behind the fishing village of An Bang holds an incredible collection of incredibly ornate tombs and…
