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KNOW. YOUR. CITY.

December 1629, 2015
Issue 197 HK$18

ART & CULTURE P.54

Pagoda ponderings
The Hai Van Pass; (below) Linh
Mu pagoda; (left) local cuisine

Travel
Edited by Mat Gallagher
mat.gallagher@timeout.com.hk

Budget: Hue Serene

Shining Hotel

surrounds of La Rsidence Hu
Htel and Spa, a gorgeous art
deco building constructed in the
1930s that was once home to the
local French governor. Complete
with tiled floors, slowly whirring
ceiling fans and grand rooms
named Voyage en Chine and
DOrnithologue, it doesnt take
much to imagine how colonials
would once have strolled these
ornate corridors, headed to the
bar for an evening tipple while
bemoaning the terrible heat of
the tropics.

The cats meow

The Mieu Temple;
(below) peaceful
surrounds of Hu

Having a Hu of a time

Simon Ostheimer drops off from the traditional tourist trail for an
extended visit to Vietnams central region and former capital, Hu

uch like China before it,

Vietnam still officially
a socialist republic has
quietly embraced the capitalist
ethos it once abhorred. The results
have been an economic upswing, an
increasing number of skyscrapers
in the major cities and a huge surge
in tourists.

Towards the centre of this long,

spindly country on the eastern
coast of Southeast Asia lies the
ancient town of Hoi An. This
Unesco world heritage site dates
back to the 15th century and for
more than 400 years was one of the
regions most important trading
posts, with British, Dutch, Indian,

Chinese and Japanese merchants

visiting and settling. When it
was eventually usurped by the
French-run city of Nng, some
60 miles to the north, the port
settled into a long stupor, which
preserved its remarkable collection
of architecture. On a warm autumn
afternoon, when the sun reflects

off the water of the Perfume River

and on to neighbouring buildings, it
causes the structures to glow. The
town is undeniably beautiful its
also packed to the gills with tourists.
Where once you could expect
to find local craftsmen making
ceramics, textiles, silks and fishing
nets, there now stand neon-lit bars
with fancy cocktail lists, boutique
flashpacker guesthouses and cafs
touting their imported Italian
espresso machines. Meanwhile,
on the other side of the Japanese
bridge a famous crossing built by
Japanese residents in the 1590s lies
house after house filled with tacky
souvenir shops doing a roaring trade
with Chinese and Korean tourists.
Like many world heritage sites
before it, the very aspects Unesco
was trying to preserve have largely
disappeared in the face of mass
tourism, leaving behind an hollow,
though pretty, shell.
The imperial March
A few hours drive to the north,
albeit over a stomach-churning
mountain road full of hairpin turns,
lies the former imperial city of Hu
(pronounced Hway). A much larger
settlement than Hoi An ever was, the
city is oddly much quieter, albeit still
full of backpackers chowing down
on banana pancakes.
For our lodgings weve forsaken
humble dorms for the grander

46 timeout.com.hk

It doesnt take much

to imagine how
colonials would once
have strolled these
ornate corridors,
bemoaning the
terrible heat
of the tropics
At the heart of Hu is the citadel,
a vast complex surrounded by
a 10km-long moat. At its centre
sits the Purple Forbidden City (as
the inner sanctum of the Imperial
City was known), an area reserved
exclusively for the emperor. Over
several decades, the citadel was
expanded to include hundreds of
rooms and temples. All but 10 of
the buildings were destroyed in
early 1961 in the fierce fighting that
took place between American and
North Vietnamese forces. Today,
a number of buildings are slowly
being restored, part of an ambitious
rebuilding project funded by
the government.
A number of engaging day trips
are possible from Hu. Scattered in
the hillsides surrounding the city
are the imperial tombs, of which
the grandest is that of Emperor
Minh Mang, a sprawling 44-acre
site protected by statues of soldiers
and animals, including horses and
elephants, that took more than 20
years to complete. Several hours
away theres the cave system in

With its sister hotel, the Hue

Serene Palace, these hotels
offer simple but desirable
rooms and suites in the thick of
the action. The Serene Shining
is the slightly cheaper of the
two and offers large rooms,
some with views of the river, as
well as an on-site restaurant,
bar and spa. Rooms from $171
(inc tax) per night. 57/5 Nguyn
Cng Tr St, +84 54393 5887;
sereneshininghotel.com.

Mid-range: Saigon
Morin Hotel

Phong Nha-K Bng National

Park that you can explore by boat,
and M Sn, a miniature version
of Angkor Wat. Catch a boat
downstream to the historic Thin
M temple, a scenic area thats home
to the tallest pagoda in Vietnam,
and also famous as the former
home of monk Thch Qung c,
whose self-immolation in 1963 was
captured in Malcolm Brownes
famous photograph.
While you can arrange your
own transportation and guides,
the various sights do take some
travelling and decent organisation
to see. If youre here on a short break
its worth booking tours through
your hotel or a travel agent.
Food and drink
When youve had enough of
sight-seeing and history, catch a
cab for about $80 to Beach Bar Hue
(Xun An Rd, Ph Thun,
+84 54 3984 757; beachbarhue.
com), an extremely chilled spot
located some 14km northeast of Hu
where you can relax with a beer and
some affordable and fresh
local seafood we particularly
recommend the clams.

Those looking for a quick bite

should pick up a pastry at La
Boulangerie Franaise (46 Nguyn
Tri Phng Rd; +84 54 3837
437; laboulangeriefrancaisehue.
fr), a wonderful enterprise where
disadvantaged youths are taught
how to bake pastries and baguettes.
Besides contributing to a good
cause, its worth stopping here
for the amazing sandwiches. For
something more substantial, make
a reservation at Le Parfum (5 L
Li St, +84 54 3837 475; laresidence-hue.com), where the
Vietnamese head chef combines
local ingredients with classical
French cuisine to create a highly
memorable menu. It isnt cheap, but
for a truly amazing real of high-end
Vietnamese-French fusion cuisine
in authentic colonial surrounds, you
cant get much better.
Hu has a rich history and doesnt
lack for attractions, but sadly the
city still seems to be used as a mere
transit point from north to south,
with tourists content to be bussed
and flown from one end of the
country to another. Only those that
choose to stay longer can really
appreciate its beauty.

Built in 1901 this was the

first hotel of its kind in central
Vietnam. Completely renovated
and reopened in 1997, the
hotel offers 180 rooms, four
restaurants, an outdoor pool
and spa facilities. The hotel is
just one street back from the
river and walking distance from
all the main sights. Rooms
from $590 (inc tax) per night.
30 L Li St, +84 54 3823526;
morinhotel.com.vn.

Luxury: La Rsidence Hue

Htel & Spa
If you like to relax in style, look
no further than La Rsidence
Hue Htel & Spa, a historic
hotel that once housed the
French governor, and has
since been converted into
the citys only five-star hotel.
Built in 1930, its one of the
signature examples of art deco
architecture in not only Hu, but
all Vietnam. Rooms from
$1,300 (inc tax) per night.
5 L Li St; +84 54 3837 475;
la-residence-hue.com.

How to Get There

Vietnam Airlines (vietnam-airline.

com) flies from Hong Kong to
Hu via Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh
City from $2,300 (inc tax)
return. Alternatively, you can fly
direct from Hong Kong to the
city of Nng on HK Express
(hkexpress.com) from $1,300
(inc tax) return, and then catch
a taxi (around $500) or coach
($70) for the four to five-hour
journey to Hu.

timeout.com.hk 47

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