Hue, an imperial town that played an important role during the terrible American war of the 1970s. Although Hue's imperial city is its main attraction, there is still more to discover about the American War. Something that I would unquestionably advise everyone to do to gain a better understanding of how the nation has changed recently. In fact, it greatly increased my respect for the nation and the locals.
The DMZ Tour
The DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) tour takes you to the former border between North and South Vietnam, where no fighting was being permitted. You should set aside a full day for it because the tour lasts roughly from 07:30 to 18:30. Here is the program's breakdown:
Part 1.
- 07:30: Leave for the province of Quang Tri and pause at its corresponding Citadel. The tour guide will provide you with more than enough information along the way, including important specifics, about how the war came to be. Bridging the 1 hour and 20 minutes goes by quickly as you become engrossed in his story. The Citadel also houses a small museum that includes photographs and some collections from the war.
- The Vietcong army traveled the Ho Chi Minh Trail to attack the south that was supported by the United States. Highway 9 is followed along this route as it travels toward the Laos border. The Dakrong Bridge, where the trail begins, is one of the places to stop.
- Rock Pier: The Americans had a checkpoint set up at Rock Pier, a commanding stone rock, to keep an eye on the Vietcong's movements. Approximately 300 meters high and only reachable by helicopter.
Part 2.
- The former US military airfield Khe Sanh Combat Base, which also has a museum nearby, still houses some of the Air Force's transport vehicles.
- After lunch, you'll head to the Hieng Luong Bridge, the contrasting bridge that separates the formerly capitalist south from the formerly communist north. South is yellow, while the north is blue. Up until this point, the north had continued to color their own over the south's, but the jousting is over now.
- Vinh Moc Tunnels: The tour, in my opinion, saved its best for last. Learn more about the history of these tunnels and get a sense of what it was like for the locals to flee American bombers' threats by taking a brief walk through them.
The blue colored part of the bridge is the former north of Vietnam
Erased
The Vietnamese government cleared many reminders of the war in an effort to put this horrifying time behind them. The tour does, however, take you to a number of key locations where there is still much to see of the war's aftermath. Even so, you can still get a good idea of what happened through the photographs from the museum and the tunnel visit.
Costs
The cost of the tour is 1,140,000 Vietnamese Dong, or about €46. A small lunch is provided; all other expenses are your responsibility. For me, it was well worth the money because, as I mentioned above, I learned more about the history of this beautiful country on this particular day. My admiration for the people has only grown as a result.
Preparation
In order to better understand the war from the American perspective in advance of this tour, I watched a three-part documentary series (3x45 minutes each). I could then take the tour with a much clearer understanding of the events' context. Furthermore, because you are already familiar with the fundamentals, you are not immediately overwhelmed by the volume of information.
Learning more about the war?
You can learn more about the former South, which the Americans supported, at the War Remnants Museum in Saigon. This might be done in together with a trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels.
Add comment
Comments