Off to Hue Through the Hải Vân Pass

Of the entire 1600-kilometer train journey which unites North and South Vietnam, the most spectacular is the short segment connecting the cities of Danang and Hue, where the tracks climb over the Hải Vân Pass.

Historically, the Hải Vân Pass has been the physical barrier between the two halves of Vietnam. This is where the Annamite Mountain Range disappears into the sea, and it once marked the border between the ancient kingdoms of Champa and the Dai Viet. The mountain range also affects the...