CENTRAL VIETNAM

POWER, both Imperial and mercantile, lay in central Vietnam for over 500 years, until history collided here in the 20th century.
Vietnamese rulers built temples and palaces in Hue, while traders from around the world built fortunes in Hoi An. It took the marriage of a princess to unleash these forces from the Cham rulers who had held sway for centuries prior.
Central Vietnam is arguably the cultural heartland of the country, with the ruins and relics of these eras scattered throughout.
It also marked the most northerly point of my Vietnam travels.