Hai Van Pass is a 21-kilometer twisting mountain pass that has existed for almost 2,000 years and was historically a major connection between Da Nang City and Hue City, before the completion of a tunnel in 2005.
Let's climb up to the main gate of the military fortress that was built in 1826 during the Nguyen Dynasty. Many structures were actually destroyed during the Vietnam War, and they were only restored in 2024.
Honestly, I could have been persuaded that this arched entrance was undestroyed during the war as it looked too plain, too dated to feel that it was only rebuilt a few years ago.
Known as the world's most majestic gate by the emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty, this outpost was strategically located at 500 meters above sea level, and this view looked out to the beautiful beaches of Da Nang City.
While there were security guards, it didn't seem to have a ticketing system. However, there were two sets of operating hours; summer and winter, which I would share at the end of this post.
Photo-taking by tourists.
No idea about the significance of this door.
Exploration time!
Not much shelter so load the sunscreen.
Spectacular views in front and behind us. As mentioned earlier, one view is southwards, pointing to Da Nang City, whereas the other is northwards, towards Hue City.
Those with sufficient time to spend can consider patronizing the shops below the attraction. For us, we were more keen to spend more time at the last imperial city of Vietnam.
Captivated by this vibrantly colored bug.
Didn't stop me from climbing higher though. My apparent carelessness is well known but to have survived so long in life is really a blessing. Nevertheless, you don't catch me bouncing all around at this are, like my usual self.
Yellow building; can't remember what's inside.
Bunkers in the area. Even though we also have bunkers in Singapore, many were sealed off, and I bet all of them wouldn't be able to command such a good view. p.s. Singapore's highest hill is less than 200 meters!
Nothing much inside the bunker anyway.
There's also a shrine that had a temporary shelter that totally looked out of place. Was it built simply as a shelter in event of wet weather?
According to the tablet within, it's an altar for the mountain god. Such a prestigious spot for a shrine; albeit a pretty small one.
As tourists to a country, we should always respect the rules and regulations. Despite being a maverick, I think it's hard to not to notice the barrier preventing visitors from going to the top of the archway.
No one seemed to care though.
There's supposed to be a road going up a 100 meter to another area but as we were running short of time; we had to give it a miss.
"The World's Most Majestic Gate"!
Lastly, tons of photos of my mom!
=====
Location Map
As above.
Operating Hours
As above.
Attraction Map
As above.
