Good Morning, Vietnam! (Da Nang, Vietnam 04/16/2019)

Prior to the Vietnam war, Da Nang served as the country’s capital. Thirteen different kings reigned during this period, between 1802-1945, under the Nguyen Dynasty. Our tour today focused on the Citadel, the “court” of the dynasty. Modeled after the Forbidden City in Beijing, the complex took 27 years to complete and in its prime boasted a total of 150 buildings within its 1,000-acres. Ten different gates, each with tiled dragons over the entry way, lead into distinct areas of the grounds, with different points of entry for the King, soldiers (men), women, and animals. The buildings had bamboo roofs crossed with golden rods positioned to reflect the yin and yang of the universe and were all painted using the same five colors, each of which reflects a specific element of the universe (fire, earth, water, metal and wood).

Seventy percent of the Citadel’s buildings were destroyed during the war, first in 1947 when the North Vietnamese and French battled over the area, and again in 1968 during the Tet Offensive. Today only ten of the original 150 buildings remain; however, there is a major restoration project underway and the full complex is expected to be ready for touring by 2035.

Our route to the Citadel took us over the Dragon Bridge. On Friday and Saturday nights the dragon spits water and fire out of its large head. It’s quite the spectacle. Since we were here on a Tuesday, we missed the fun, but Pam did find some pictures to share.

Following our visit to the Citadel we stopped by the Pagoda of the Celestial Lady, built in 1601, then road the dragon boats across the river for lunch. We made our way down the embankment balancing on loose stones, walked a plank with a large crack down the middle, and entered a boat with plastic lawn chairs and plenty of air between the slats that made up the bottom of the boat. It was an adventure!