Huyen Tran Cultural Center

Only recently built, the Huyen Tran Cultural Center is completely off the tourist map but proved to be a great place to go with local friends to goof around and escape the fast paced city. Exiting Hue we weaved around the hills covered with cemeteries on motorbikes escaping all traffic and noises of the city. When we arrived at the Center the parking lot was completely barren which made it all the better for me.

The center is dedicated to Princess Huyen Tran, born in 1287 to King Tran Nhan Tong. In 1306, to help maintain peace with the neighboring country of Champa, she married King Che Man who would die one year later. Champa tradition was that a wife must be burnt to death when her husband died so King Tran Anh Tong brought Huyen Tran back to Dai Viet where she would became a nun until her young death in 1340.

The entire place was all to us which allowed us to do all the inappropriate things one normally cannot do at a temple; climbing onto the statues, being noisy, and entering places off limits. Up a staircase through the jungle we reached the Peaceful Bell Tower with a great vista overlooking the distant city. Being the only ones around, who would of thought ringing a giant bell could be so fun? Going inside of it and goofing around the 4 of us could not escape our child-like state. This was the perfect place to end my trip in Hue having fun in an unknown location with new amazing friends.