Tuesday 24 March 2026
What an incredible experience! Vietnam loomed large in the news during our teen and young adult years but we personally knew little about the history of this Southeast Asian country before the 1960s. That’s why we opted for a tour that would explore some of its deep history. From the Port of Chân Mây, Vietnam we departed on the “Huê – Home of History” tour with our guide Nine, who expressed delight at the opportunity to spend the day with so many millionaires, a light hearted comment reflecting the fact that 1,000,000 Vietnamese đồng is worth about 38 US dollars! While we traveled the thirty-eight miles north to the community that had for hundreds of years been the Imperial Capital of Vietnam, he gave us a sweeping view of Vietnamese history over the last thousand years, of the Cham people and the melding of their culture with that of the Vietnamese to the establishment of the Nguyễn Dynasty 1802-1945 before we made a couple of delightful stops not mentioned in our itinerary. The first was at a workshop where they made traditional conical hats, a symbol of Huê, and crafted incense sticks. Next was a photo op at the Huê Citadel at the center of the Huê Imperial City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We entered through the Noon Gate and discovered that we tourists weren’t the only ones taking pictures. We got to watch the photo shoot of a local family in traditional dress as well as admire the buildings that served as the royal residence and the political, cultural, and religious center of a unified Vietnam from 1802 to 1945.Then we made the short trip to The Ngọc Sơn Princess Shrine, the centerpiece of our experience today. Built in 1921 by Nguyen Huu Tien as a shrine to his first wife Princess Ngoc Son, it still serves as a family home to his descendants by his second wife Princess Cong Ton Nu Thi Tran. They welcomed us to their ancestral home and in the royal tradition served us an amazing nine course Vietnamese lunch that they had prepared for us. After a delightful time visiting with members of the family and enjoying the peaceful gardens, we were on our way to Thien Mu Pagoda, a Buddhist shrine that has overlooked the Perfume River for more than four centuries. It includes a shrine to Thich Quang Duc, a Buddhist monk whose 1963 death was international news. From there we took the steps down to the waterside and boarded a Dragon Boat for a ride on the Perfume River, an activity once enjoyed only by the king. This included passages under the new Nguyen Hoang Bridge and the Truong Tien Bridge, Huê’s oldest bridge designed by the French engineering firm that built the Eiffel Tower. All too soon we were back on board the tour coach. As we rode we were actively looking for the small shrines that families establish outside their homes and looking for political banners that seemed to be everywhere. We also enjoyed views of the lush Vietnamese countryside including the Cau Hai Lagoon and the rice paddies that yield the seafood and rice bounty that nourishes the local population. Meanwhile Nine talked glowingly of the economic progress the country is experiencing. He told us that before 1975 many things were broken by bombs and that many Vietnamese left the country illegally because of the new government, wanting new horizons. Nonetheless the country has rebuilt. He himself was born before 1975 and remembers that it was terrible for ten years but since 1986 things have gotten better and better and he is looking to the future. Personally, we have appreciated the warm welcome we’ve received here. This opportunity to spend time with the locals and learn some of their history has truly enriched our understanding of their part of this wonderful world!
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