VIETNAM

HUE DANANGDanang is a major port city

in South Central Viet-nam on the coast of the South

China Sea. It is one of the 5 independent munici-palities in Vietnam, with a population nearing 1 mil-lion. Originally known as Cua Han – Market of the Han – and later renamed Tourane by the French in 1787, Danang has meant a lot of things for a lot of people. For some, it’s the history of the war. For others, the spectacular scenery and the friendli-ness of the locals is the most interesting. Danang is quickly becoming a major destination resort with tourists from Europe, Australia and the U.S. look-ing to find a retreat similar to what Phuket, Pattaya, Bali and Tahiti once were.

The Ancient Capital of Hué, located 87 miles (140 km) from Danang and 10 miles (16 km) inland from the South China Sea, is bisected by the Perfume River (Huaong Giang). Hué began to swell with tourism in 1993. The tourism related industry is the leading generator of currency in this historic city that was severely damaged during the Vietnam War. The population of Hué has now exceeded 350,000. The number of tourists visit-ing Hué has been growing rapidly.

HISTORY

Established in the second century, Danang was the nucleus of Champa, a state heavily affected by India. The Kingdom of Champa’s boundaries extended from Hai Van Pass in the north to Vung Tau in the south along the center of what is today central Vietnam. When Marco Polo arrived in Champa in 1285, he found a civilization of people that he described as idolaters and broad forests which yielded a kind of dark wood. The architecture of Champa was very advanced and samples of their work-manship can still been seen today in their temples made of red brick. The ruins of one of their most famous temples can be found at the Mi Son archaeological site in the outskirts of Danang. In 1856, Napoleon III sent an expedition to Vietnam to convince the Emperor to allow trade to proceed with Vietnam. When the Vietnamese resisted, the French built a fortress in Danang and fighting commenced between the two factions. Danang was eventually conquered by the French and the city was not liberated from them until 1954.

Hué was once under the control of the Kingdom of Champa and was later overtaken by the Viets from the north in the 14th century. A Viet-namese Princess later married a Cham King and Hué became a part of Vietnam. The Vietnamese moved their capital to what is now called Hué around 1687 and continued to expand into Cham territory. Hué was the capital of Vietnam until 1945.

Hué was the site of extremely heavy fighting between U.S. forces and the North Vietnamese Army during the Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) Offensive in 1968. Much of the ancient city was damaged. The people of Hué have worked hard in recent years to rebuild and restore their city to its former glory.

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DANANG PLACES OF INTEREST

1 China Beach was a “rest and relaxation” area during the war and was made popular by the U.S. television series

of the same name, although the “real” China Beach (My Khe Beach) is some 3 miles (5 km) north. In December 1992, Chi-na Beach was the site of the first international surfing compe-tition to be held in Vietnam.

2 The Cham Museum is considered the best sight in the city. It is located where Tran Phu and Le Dinh Duong

Streets meet. This museum houses the best collection of

Cham art to be found anywhere in the world. It was founded in 1915 by the École Française d’Extrême Orient and has a priceless exhibit of Cham sculpture. Many of the sandstone carvings (altars, garudas, lingas and images of Brahma, Shi-va and Vishnu) are without equal. A guide is needed here as most exhibits are labeled only in Vietnamese.

3 Ho Chi Minh Museum, also known as Bao Tang Ho Chi Minh, is located on Nguyen Van Troi Street. It has three

sections where you can see various weaponry of the Vietnam War from the U.S., China and the former Soviet Union. Here

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you will also find a replica of Ho’s Hanoi house.

4 Cao Dai Temple or Chua Cao Dai, was built in 1956. It is the largest such structure outside the sect’s headquarters in Dy Ninh.

There are more than 20,000 Cao Dais in Danang and this is their cen-terpiece. Located at 35 Hai Phong Street, women enter on the left, marked “Nu Phai” and men enter the temple on the right, marked “Nam Phai.” Remember to remove your footwear before entering.

5 Danang Cathedral or Chinh Toa Danang, was built for the city’s French residents in 1923. Today, it serves a Catholic communi-

ty of 4,000. The architecture is interesting as are the medieval-style stained glass windows of various saints. Danang Cathedral is located on Tran Phu Street.

BEYOND CENTRAL DANANG

Hoi An is a beautiful Vietnamese town, a little more than 18.5 miles (30 km) to the south of Danang. It sits on the banks of the Thu Bon River near the South China Sea. It was basically untouched during the Vietnam War and retains its centuries old Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese and European architecture. The most famous landmark in Hoi An is the Japanese Covered Bridge which is thought to have been built in the 16th century, but could be older.

WITHIN HUE

The Citadel is a large moated and walled area that used to enclose the entire city. Its 23 foot (7 meter) high walls were originally built of earth, but were covered with bricks in the 1820’s. The Imperial City is in the Citadel and was built in the early 19th century and modeled after the Forbidden City in Peking.

The Forbidden Purple City was off limits to all but the Imperial Family and its entourage. There are 60 buildings situated within 20 courtyards. Fighting during the TET Offensive virtually ruined the complex. Of note are two Mandarin Palaces, the Dien Canh Can and the Reading Book Palace which are currently being restored.

The Royal Tombs, including the Tu Duc Tomb, are located 4.25 miles (7 km) from Hué and was once the Royal Palace of Tu Duc, who ruled Hué more than 100 years ago. His tomb was constructed between 1864 and 1867. Tu Duc was the longest reigning Emperor (1848 – 1883) and lived a luxurious lifestyle. He supported 104 wives and numerous mistresses, but had no offspring. No one knows the exact location of his burial.

SHORE ExCURSIONS

To make the most of your visit to Hue, Danang and surrounding areas, we suggest you take one of the organized Shore Excursions. For Information con-cerning tour content and pricing, consult azamaracruises.com or contact the onboard Shore Excursion Desk. When going ashore, guests are ad-vised to take with them only the items they need and to secure any valuables.

LOCAL CUSTOMS

Bargaining: Bargaining should be good natured – smile, don’t raise your voice or argue. In some cases you will be able to get a discount of up to 30%. Pric-es tend to be fixed in most large stores, but smaller shops will negotiate.

Tipping: Tipping is becoming increasingly expected in Vietnam, although it is not usually required. Gov-ernment run hotels and restaurants generally add a 10% service charge.

Dress Code: Light cotton clothing is suggested. T-Shirts, shorts and jeans are suitable in most cases. For women, longer dresses and pants are the norm. The Vietnamese on the whole are very tolerant, but a show of too much skin is taboo. When visiting tem-ples be sure to dress more conservatively. Slip on shoes (not open toe) are the easiest to get in and out of.

Avoiding Offence: Displays of emotion – from af-fection to anger – are considered crass and rude. Never show anger, regardless of the situation as most Southeast Asians abhor conflict. Don’t touch the head of anyone, including children as it is a sign of disrespect. The feet are considered to be unclean. When seated, don’t point them in anyone’s direc-tion.

LOCAL CUISINE AND DRINk SPECIALTIES

Danang has a large variety of eating establishments. Dozens of food stalls are found behind the main market building in the Con Market. The Vietnamese are particularly fond of seafood, but prepare chick-en, beef, pork and vegetable dishes equally well. The proper way to eat is to take rice from the large shared dish and put it in your rice bowl. Using your chopsticks, take meat, fish or vegetables from the serving dishes and add them to your rice. Do not stick your chopsticks vertically into a rice bowl and leave them there as this is a classic Buddhist death sign. Pho is the Vietnamese name for the noodle soup that is a special favorite at breakfast. Lau, fish and vegetable soup; Bun Thang, rice noodles with fried egg and prawns; Ech Tam Bot Ran, frog meat soaked in batter and fried; and various vegetarian dishes are the most popular.

Vietnamese coffee is served French-style, brewed at the table. Vietnamese tea is inexpensive, but not particularly tasteful. Nuoc Dua (coconut milk) can be sweetened with sugar and is excellent on a hot day. So-da Chanh (lemon soda) is the most prevalent. Coca-Cola and Sprite can usually be found as well. Imported beer is fairly cheap in Vietnam. Imports such as Heineken, San Miguel, and Tiger are available in hotels and marketplaces. The local brew is 333. New local brands are emerging quite rapidly. Bottled water is recommended.

SHOPPING

The main shopping areas in Danang are found along Hung Vuong Street and at the Con Market 11.75 miles (19 km) from the port as well as the Han Market on Tran Phu Street 11.25 miles (18 km) from the port and the Con Market. In Hué, the main shopping areas are along Le Loi Street and the Dong Ba Market on Tran Hung Dao Street. The specialties of the area include silk clothing, ceramics, lacquerware and marble sculpture. Hué is known for producing the finest conical hats in Vietnam. The city’s specialty are “poem hats” which, when held up to the light, reveal black cut out scenes sandwiched between layers of translucent palm leaves. Some tourist oriented stores and street merchants may accept U.S. Dollars. Most stores allow the use of major credit cards.

LOCAL CURRENCY

The unit of currency in Vietnam is called the Dong (VND). The currency of choice seems to be the U.S. Dollar in many locations, but the government is trying to dissuade its use.

POST OFFICE AND TELEPHONE FACILITIES

The General Post Office in Danang is located at 46 Bach Dang Street at the corner of Le Duan Street. Postal services are also available at the port on most occasions. In Hué, the GPO is at 8 Huong Hoa Tham Street with the same hours as Danang.

In both Danang and Hué, the local Telecommunications Cen-ter can be found within the General Post Office. Collect over-seas calls will need to be placed by a Vietnamese operator. Dial the following access numbers to use a personal calling card:

AT&T: 1.201.0288 MCI: 1201.1022 - service is only available from local post offices

TRANSPORTATION

The Danang Tourism Office (#6 on map) is located at 158 Phan Chu Trinh. A Hué City Tourism Office can be found at 18 Le Loi Street in Hué.

TOURIST INFORMATION

Taxis may be available at the pier, but most are not metered. Taxi drivers will, for the most part, accept local currency and the U.S. Dollar. Fares need to be negotiated with the driver before departing.

USEFUL WORDS AND PHRASES

Good morning/afternoon – Xin chao (Buoi sang)How much? – Bao nhieu? Thank you – Cam onYou’re welcome – Khong co chi Please – Lam on, vui longWhere is the toilet? – Phong ve sinh?

The official language is Vietnamese, which is a combination of Chinese, Thai, Cham and Mon-Khmer. English and French are widely spoken.

This information has been compiled for the convenience of our guests and is intended solely for that purpose. While we work to ensure that the information contained herein is correct, we cannot accept responsibility for any changes that may have taken place since printing.

© RCCL 2010 - All rights reserved.

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