Tour de Vietnam -- Part 3: Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng to Hà Nội

The last segment of our trip started in Phong Nha - Ke Bang, a small village situated on the Son River, a tributary of the Gianh River. The upstream segment of Son River flows underground beneath limestone mountains of the middle Annamite Range (Trường Sơn in Vietnamese) inside Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park. It is a region containing the world's largest cave, based on volume (Hang Son Doong). There are over 65 miles of caves and underground rivers in this preserve, making it one of the most extensive limestone karst ecosystems in the world. While the caves are the biggest attraction, our plan was to search for birds and butterflies within the National Park. Right now, there is no substantial trail system into the jungle, so we were limited to trails within the Phong Nha Botanic Garden and touring the countryside by motorbike. The Vietnam Coracle provides five different mapped routes for exploring the area by motorbike. 

Phong Nha and the Son River

Son River with boats ready for cave exploration

The pace on the motorbikes is a bit too fast to see much in the way of butterflies and birds, and there are few places to actually get into the forest and enjoy it at a slow pace. In addition, we had some overcast skies with off-and-on rain which kept all of the critters hidden.

Motorbiking

Exploring the countryside

The Phong Nha Botanic Garden had some nice trails, although they were not extensive. Exploration and developed access to this preserve is fairly recent. The park is named for the Phong Nha caves and the Ke Bang forest. The Vietnamese government designated the 211,000 square mile area a nature preserve in 1986, and it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003. The entrance to the Hang Son Doong cave (world’s largest by volume) was only discovered in 1991 by a local man searching for timber. He mentioned the discovery years later to some members of the British Cave Research Association who funded an attempt to rediscover the entrance. They managed to find it again in 2008 and conducted a survey in 2009. There is a 2022 documentary called A Crack in the Mountain about its discovery and impacts to the local people. The volume of the cave was calculated to be 1,360,000,000 cubic feet with a length over 5.6 miles. A Boeing 747 could fly through without its wings touching the sides. It was determined in 2019 that it is connected with a nearby cave, Hang Thung, further increasing its size. There are reportedly 36 endangered plant species that inhabit the forests as well as 23 endangered fauna. Over 92 percent of the park is intact primary forest with trees dating at 500 to 600 years old. 

Key sections of the Ho Chi Minh Trail (the communists called it Trường Sơn Strategic Supply Route) were located near Phong Nha. The Ho Chi Minh Trail was the supply line that kept communist forces equipped with personnel, weapons and food during the American-Vietnamese war. It consisted of thousands of miles of tracks rather than a single road and looped from North Vietnam into Laos and Cambodia, then back into South Vietnam. It ultimately contributed to the victory of North Vietnamese forces. There are many monuments in the Phong Nha area dedicated to that effort. There was an informational board at the botanical gardens concerning the war effort in the Trường Sơn area. 

 Access to the gardens is well maintained, and there are several waterfalls and swimming holes to enjoy in better weather.

Dense jungle on both sides of the trail

Buttress roots in Phong Nha National Park

While Jeff watched birds the visitor center, I ventured out onto some of the trails in the hope to find some butterflies. I was caught in quite a downpour and took cover in a gazebo.

Despite the lack of butterflies, there were gorgeous streams, fungi, plants, monkeys, lizards, and other insects. I did find a few butterflies as well. I uploaded other sightings at iNaturalist.  

Trails in the Phong Nha Botanic Garden

Genus Mycalesis? I'm open to suggestions

Lemon Pansy (Junonia lemonias) at the hotel, of course!

We explored this area, mainly by motorbike, for a couple of days before we headed to Dong Hoi, another city that was heavily bombed during the war due to its location near the 17th parallel and the DMZ, the dividing line between North and South Vietnam. According to internet sources, American B-52s obliterated the city on February 11, 1965, razing it to the ground. Only a water tower, the Quang Binh Gate, Tam Toa Catholic Church and a single palm tree remained standing. It is now a very pleasant town and is generally considered the gateway to the Phong Nha park. The next morning we boarded a train in Dong Hoi to Ninh Binh and Tam Coc, two hours south of Hanoi and the gateway to Cuc Phong National Park.

View from the hotel in Dong Hoi

Train to Ninh Binh

Vendor at the train station

We arrived at our hotel which was just within biking distance of the town of Tam Coc. The town itself was quite busy with tourists. There were some lovely views from within the town itself, and our hotel was surrounded by rice fields and limestone outcrops. The following day we would travel to Cuc Phong National Park to try again at some birds and butterflies.

We had originally planned to travel to Cuc Phong park by motorbike, but the ride was a one-hour, one-way drive (by car) and we were wanting to be finished with the motorbikes. So, we hired a taxi instead. The driver dropped us off at the park headquarters. In contrast with Phong Nha the park, Cuc Phong had a good network of trails, and they were deceptively short on the map! We started on the "small" loop out of the park center and it took us most of the day. There aren't many good maps online, so here's our park brochure.

The forest was absolutely amazing, primary forest with enormous trees and dense jungle. The trees were so impressive, it's difficult to capture their massive size in photographs. 

Cuc Phong National Park was established in 1962 by Ho Chi Minh and is the oldest national park in Vietnam. There are reportedly 307 bird species, 133 species of mammals, 122 species of reptiles and over 2000 plant species. The wildlife is elusive, however, and the weather may or may not cooperate. We unfortunately visited during a period of cloudy, rainy weather and had to be content with enjoying the scenery. A good description of the park is provided in English here. We did see a few unusual bird and insect species and got to have a look at the many leeches present throughout the park, although they're not bad if you wear long pants, socks and good shoes.  We didn't have problems. Here are photos of a few other critters with a few IDs from iNaturalist, but it was generally "slim pickings:"

Gastropod

Podontia dalmani (member of the flea beetles)

Genus Neope?

Faunis eumeus? (Large Faun)

We wrapped up the trip by taking a van from Ninh Binh to Hanoi where we spent a couple of days exploring the Old Quarter, Temple of Literature, and National Museum of Vietnamese History. The Old Quarter was sensory overload and is the heart of Hanoi. The streets are narrow, chaotic, congested, and difficult to cross. During the 13th century, thirty-six guilds were established in that section, each occupying a different street (today there are more than 50 streets). There are streets for silk, wooden bowls, baskets, leather, copper, charcoal, bamboo, etc. 

Congested streets

Lamps for sale

Metal working

Wire

Produce

On the northeast side of the Old Quarter is the Old East Gate (Cua O Quan Chuong), built in 1749 during the reign of King Le Hien Tong (1717 - 1786). It is the only surviving gate of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long. When Chinese control ended in the 10th century, the Thang Long citadel was built in the same place; however, not much remains of the original citadel, and the east gate was added at a later time.

Old East Gate

We also visited Hanoi's Temple of Literature, founded in 1070 by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong and located west of the Old Quarter. Vietnam's first university was founded here in 1076. While the university was initially only available to those of noble birth more gifted students from all parts of the country were admitted by 1442. It was a very high honor to attend. Being the weekend, the grounds were extremely crowded while we were visiting. The grounds are divided into five courtyards. Two of the courtyards were places where scholars would relax. The third courtyard contains the Stelae of Doctors, a series of turtle stelae containing names and birthplaces of 1307 graduates successful at the Royal Exams. 

Stelae of Doctors

Stelae of Doctors at the Temple of Literature

The fourth courtyard contains various altars to Confucius and his disciples with the House of Ceremonies in the center and an additional building where Confucius and his four closest disciples are worshipped. 

The fifth courtyard was added in 1076 by Emperor Ly Nhan Tong and contained the grounds of the imperial academy. There are two floors. The first contains a statue of Chu Van An, a teacher and the first rector of the Imperial Academy. The second floor was where people worshipped the three kings contributing most to the foundation of the temple and the academy.

Altar to Chu Van An

Second floor altars for (two of) three emperors who built the Temple of Literature and contributed to the cause of Confucian education: Ly Thanh Tong, Ly Nhan Tong and Le Thanh Tong

We intended to see the National Museum of Vietnamese History but ended up at the Vietnam Museum of Revolution! So, we missed the museum dealing with ancient Vietnam. We were pretty exhausted at this point, were having trouble walking, and our flight home was tomorrow, so it's not surprising we got the wrong place. The museum we toured was established in 1959 and walks the visitor through the Revolutionary Period, with exhibits related to the struggle for independence from the French and the story of the Communist party. It was interesting, although the exhibits could use an update. It gives the visitor a greater understanding of the long struggle for freedom from French, and Japanese occupiers as well as the American invasion from the Vietnamese perspective.  Overall, it was a great trip and fascinating country to visit. Loved it.

Tour de Vietnam — Part 2: Huế to Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng

I was excited to arrive in Hue, which was the seat of the Nguyen Dynasty and national capital from 1802 to 1945. Emperor Gia Long constructed a walled citadel in 1803 along the banks of the Perfume River and moved the capital from Hanoi to Hue in an effort to unite the north and the south. The citadel complex was a series of gated courtyards, gardens, pavilions and palaces and housed the imperial family. However, the French were increasingly obtaining control over the country, and the Treaty of Protectorate was signed in 1884 officially recognizing French rule over Vietnam. The Nguyen Dynasty ruled as a figurehead under French colonial authority until the region was occupied by Japanese during World War II. During this time, the Viet Minh communist resistance movement also developed under Ho Chi Minh. After surrender of Japan in 1945, the Viet Minh seized power and Emperor Bao Dai abdicated the throne bringing an end to the dynasty. 

During the American-Vietnamese war, the North Vietnamese launched the Tet Offensive in 1968 during which the South Vietnamese and American forces lost control of most of Hue and the surrounding area. During the time that the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong controlled the citadel, more than 2,500 people were executed. American and South Vietnamese responded by bombing the site and spraying napalm. An estimated 10,000 people were killed including 150 US Marines. The area was recaptured after over one month of intense fighting. It was one of the longest and bloodiest battles of the war. The citadel was severely damaged. One website says that 40 percent of the buildings were destroyed, and another says 80 percent. Calls for renovation began in the early 1980s and it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. While we were there, the Kien Trung palace was undergoing restoration. 

As we approached, we walked along the approximately 100-foot wide moat that encircles the 6.5-foot-thick walls protecting the complex.  

I downloaded a nice map of the entire complex, which is available on Wikimedia Commons and included below. Some of the structures indicated on the map have been destroyed.

1. Meridian Gate (Ngọ Môn) 

2. Thái Dịch Lake (Hồ Thái Dịch) 

3. Trung Đạo Bridge (Cầu Trung Đạo) 

4. Esplanade of Great Salutation (Sân Đại Triều) 

5. Hall of Supreme Harmony (Điện Thái Hoà) 

6. Main Gate of Forbidden Purple City (Đại Cung môn) 

7. Left House, Right House (Tả vu, Hữu vu) 

8. King’s Official Working Place (Điện Cần Chánh) 

8a. (Điện Võ Hiển) 8b. (Điện Văn Minh) 

9a. (Điện Trinh Minh) 9b. (Điện Quang Minh) 

10. King’s Residence (Điện Càn Thành) 

11. Queen’s Residence (Điện Khôn Thái) 11a. (Viện Thuận Huy) 11b. (Viện Dưỡng Tâm) 

12. Kiến Trung Pavillion (Lầu Kiến Trung) 

13. Royal Reading Pavillion (Thái Bình Lâu) 

14. Royal Park (Vườn Ngự Uyển) 

15. Cơ Hạ Park (Vườn Cơ Hạ) 

16. Interior Treasury (Phủ Nội Vụ) 

17. Triệu Temple (Triệu Miếu) 

18. Thái Temple (Thái Miếu) 

19. Grand Queen Mother’s Residence (Cung Trường Sanh) 

20. Queen Mother’s Residence (Cung Diên Thọ) 

21. Phụng Tiên Temple (Điện Phụng Tiên) 

22. Hưng Temple (Hưng Miếu) 

23. Thế Temple (Thế Miếu) 

24. Nine Dynastic Urns (Cửu Đỉnh) 

25. Hiển Lâm Pavillion (Hiển Lâm Các) 

26. Hiển Nhơn Gate (Cửa Hiển Nhơn) 

27. Hoà Bình Gate (Cửa Hoà Bình) 

28. Chương Đức Gate (Cửa Chương Đức) 

29. Royal Office (Ngự Tiền Văn phòng) 

30. Harem (Lục Viện) 

31. Minh Thận Temple (Điện Minh Thận)

We started our tour at the To Mieu Temple Complex, a smaller walled complex in southwestern area of the larger complex. The To Mieu Temple Complex includes: 

22. Hưng Temple (Hưng Tổ Miếu)

23. Thế Temple (Thế Tổ Miếu)

24. Nine Dynastic Urns (Cửu Đỉnh) 

25. Hiển Lâm Pavillion (Hiển Lâm Các) 

The Hưng Tổ Miếu (Temple of the Resurrection) was built in 1804 to honor founder Gia Long's parents. It was destroyed by war in 1947, reconstructed in 1951, and underwent large scale restoration between 1995 and 1997.

Hưng Tổ Miếu Temple

Hưng Tổ Miếu interior

Thế Tổ Miếu Temple was constructed at the orders of emperor Minh Mạng in 1822-1823 for the purposes of ancestor worship of the past emperors of the dynasty and contains shrines for each of the emperors. 

Thế Tổ Miếu Temple

Thế Tổ Miếu Temple

Altar in Thế Tổ Miếu Temple

Adjacent to Hien Lam Pavilion are Nine Dynastic Urns cast in bronze between 1835 to 1837 under Emperor Minh Mang. Each urn was decorated with 17 bas-reliefs and named in accordance with the posthumous titles of the Nguyen Emperors. Each urn is 6.5 feet in height, weighing 4,188 to 5,732 pounds. The urns are dedicated to the Nguyen sovereigns with the largest dedicated to founder Gia Long. Hiển Lâm Pavillion is adjacent to the Nine Dynastic Urns. It was built between 1821 and 1822 as a memorial under King Minh Mang.

Nine Dynastic Urns

Hiển Lâm Pavillion

We continued in a clockwise direction to the Queen Mothers residence, which is listed on the map as

19. Grand Queen Mother’s Residence (Cung Trường Sanh) 

20. Queen Mother’s Residence (Cung Diên Thọ) 

The Truong Sanh Residence was constructed in 1821 under the reign of Emperor Minh Mang. It was originally a garden area where the emperors would meet with their mothers. After several renovations, it became the residence of Grand Queen Mothers from 1886. It includes a complex of structures with some parts of the original royal garden including a rivulet, rockery, and pond. It was severely damaged in the war. It has a beautiful entrance gate with prancing dragons.

Entrance gate to Truong Sanh

Truong Sanh Residence

Truong Sanh Residence interior

Rockery within the gardens

Dien Tho Residence is another complex consisting of 10 buildings including houses, a store house, a pleasure pavilion and Buddhist temple. Only some of the structures remain. The palace was the residence of eight mothers and four grandmothers of the emperors. Truong Du Pavilion is part of Dien Tho Palace and was built in 1849 in preparation for a four-week festival. It is built on a rectangular lake.

Truong Du Pavilion

Truong Du Pavilion interior

Tinh Minh Mansion is another structure that is part of Dien Tho Palace complex. The site of this building was originally occupied by a structure called Thong Minh Duong, built in the 19th century. Thong Minh Duong was replaced with the present structure in 1927. It was then used as a medical clinic for Empress Thanh Cung, Emperor Dong Khanh's first wife, in her later years. It was renovated in 1950 for use as Bao Dai's (the last emperor's) private residence. 

Tinh Minh Mansion

Towards the center of the complex is the Thai Binh Reading Pavilion, constructed in 1841-1847 under Emperor Thieu Tri. It was renovated in 1921 and again in 1987, 1989 and between 1990 and 1991. It was totally restored between 2010 and 2015. Artistic landscaping and pottery mosaics surround the structure. The reading pavilion is located on the above map as

13. Royal Reading Pavillion (Thái Bình Lâu) 

Thai Binh Reading Pavilion

Thai Binh Reading Pavilion interior

The Nhật Thành pavilion was built in 1841 under the reign of Emperor Thieu Tri. At the end of the dynasty, this was the place where Bao Dai's mother and the royal concubines would meet for Buddhist chanting and to pray for peace. It was destroyed in 1947 and again in 1968 to the extent that only the foundation remained. It was restored in 2018.

Nhật Thành Pavilion

Kien Trung Palace was built between 1921 and 1923 during the reign of Emperor Khai Dinh. It once served as the living and working space of Bao Dai, the last emperor. It incorporated architectural elements from Vietnamese, French and Italian Renaissance styles. It was destroyed in the late 1940s with only the foundation remaining intact. It is currently under restoration at a cost of $5.3 million.  It is identified on the above map as

12. Kiến Trung Pavillion (Lầu Kiến Trung) 

Renovation of Kien Trung Palace

The Forbidden Purple City was a citadel within the citadel and was located at the center of the Imperial enclosure. It was reserved for the personal use of the emperor, and the only servants allowed inside were eunichs who would pose no threat to the concubines. The area was almost entirely destroyed by the wars. I found a historical aerial photo from 1932 before many of the structures were destroyed, and the resolution is quite good. The source website also has several other historical photographs of additional structures.

Sadly, we missed one of the most important monuments in the citadel, the Thai Hoa Palace. Built in 1805, it was a place for court rituals, to welcome ambassadors of other countries or celebrate diplomatic rituals. I highly recommend planning in advance of your visit and purchasing the audio guide provided at the entrance gate. The complex is huge and requires all-day walking. We also failed to tour the Can Chanh Palace (Palace of Audiences) and Dai Cung Mon Palace although we did see the annexes (Left and Right Mandarin's Buildings) where the mandarins (bureaucrats) prepared themselves before meetings with the emperor. Located immediately behind Thai Hoa Palace, on either side of a courtyard, both buildings date from the early 19th century and were renovated in 1899. In addition, the right mandarin's building was restored in 1977 and the left was restored in 1986 and 1997. 

One of the mandarin's buildings where meetings with the emperor occurred

Bronze Cauldron in front of The Can Chanh Palace (Palace of Audiences)

View of the Ngo Mon Gate as we end the day

The following day, we fired up the motorbikes and headed out to visit several Royal Tombs and other sites located beyond the Perfume River to the southwest of the citadel. I photographed a map of the area that was displayed at the main citadel:

First up was a tiger arena built in 1830 for the royal pastime of watching fighting between elephants and tigers. The fangs and claws of the tigers were removed so that the elephants would win. Elephants are a symbol of the emperor's power. The last fight was held in 1904. There are views of the arena and cages. 

Inside the arena

One of the cages

We moved on towards the Lang Tu Duc tomb, which is quite a complex. Emperor Tu Duc enjoyed the longest reign of any monarch of the Nguyen dynasty, ruling from 1848-1883. Despite the magnificence of the site, Tu Duc was buried in a different, secret location somewhere in Hue. Here is a map of the tomb complex:

Upon entering, we encountered Luu Khiem Lake. The lake was created from a small stream once running through the area. The soil was excavated and used to create the Tinh Khiem Islet during Tu Duc's reign.  

Luu Khiem Lake

The Chi Khiem Temple, on the north shore of the lake, was dedicated to the minor wives of Emperor Tu Duc and his predecessors.

Chi Khiem Temple

Chi Khiem Temple

Luong Khiem Temple is located behind Hoa Khiem Temple. Luong Khiem was the living place of King Tu Duc's mother, Empress Dowager Tu Du, when she was alive. Hoa Khiem was the place where Tu Duc worked, then later a place where he and his wife were worshipped. A theater, Minh Khiem Chamber, was built behind the Hoa Khiem Temple and is considered the oldest royal theater in Vietnam. 

Luong Khiem Temple

Hoa Khiem Temple

Hoa Khiem Temple

Palanquin and throne at Minh Khiem chamber

Upon entering the complex, the Xung Khiem Pavilion is visible across the lake. This is where the emperor would sit with his concubines, composing or reciting poetry. 

Xung Khiem Pavilion

As we continued through the complex, we encountered the Honor Courtyard with a set of stone elephants, horses and mandarins. The courtyard was intended to be a place of reverence and respect for the Emperor Tu Duc.

The courtyard leads to the Stele Pavilion which covers a 20-ton stone tablet. The inscriptions were written by Tu Duc himself. The Stele Pavilion is the largest in Vietnam.  

Stele Pavilion

View of the Stele Pavilion from the tomb

Stone tablet under the pavilion

There are so many tombs to visit in the surrounding area, we limited ours to the Tu Duc Tomb, the most impressive, and the tomb of Dong Khanh, 9th emperor. The Dong Khanh tomb was built in 1889. An adopted son of Emperor Tu Duc, this emperor was placed on the throne by the French in 1885 and died three years later. The tomb is a combination of Asian and European architectural styles. It is situated 500 meters behind the Tu Duc tomb and recently reopened after over three years of restoration. 

Courtyard and bronze cauldron at Dong Khanh tomb

Ngung Hy Palace is composed of three buildings connected to two courtyards in the back. The palace exterior is decorated with terracotta reliefs and other embellishments such as fighting cocks, music-chess-poetry-wine, fruits, animals, etc.

Ngung Hy Palace

Ngung Hy Palace interior

Ngung Hy Palace interior

Dong Khanh tomb

Dong Khanh burial area

Dong Khanh tomb

As you can see, the number of sites and structures is overwhelming and it is possible to spend a week in the Hue area and exploring all of the citadel features and surrounding tombs thoroughly. Other surrounding tombs include the Tomb of Minh Mang, Tomb of Khai Dinh, Tomb of Gia Long (founder of the Nguyen dynasty), Tomb of Thieu Tri not to mention the Thien Mu Pagoda, Tu Hieu Pagoda, Thuan An To Vinh Hien beach, Nam Giao Esplanade, Thanh Toan Bridge. It's something to consider when planning a trip. Again, I'd recommend mapping out the sites and researching them in advance. Take advantage of any audio tours offered.

That same day, we left the motorbikes behind and loaded ourselves up onto a sleeper bus headed for Phong Nha Ke Bang where we planned to spend a few days exploring the countryside looking for birds and butterflies.