Published:  23:06 Tuesday - November 08, 2011

Lying on Highway No. 1 on the border between Thua Thien-Hue province and Danang City, Hai Van Pass is not only one of the most scenic hillside roads in Vietnam but also the highest pass in the country. When joining tours in Vietnam and visiting this place, you will have a chance to discover peace, quiet and history along the way.

The meaning of Hai Van is wind and cloud or sea cloud since the peak of the mountain is in the clouds while its foot is close to the sea. Hai Van Pass is like a giant dragon, which is considered to be one of the largest frontier posts in Vietnam. The name “De Nhat Hung Quan”, meaning the most colossal frontier post, is engraved on an incense burner in Thai Temple.

In the past, Hai Van Pass was known as the Thuan Hoa and Quang Nam frontier.

From the Hai Van Pass, tourists in Vietnam travel are able to see one of the major tourist attractions, which is the panoramic view of the Danang city, Tien Sa port, Son Tra peninsula and long white sandy beach.

Hai Van Pass

Whenever one goes through Hai Van Pass, two feelings are experienced: amazement at passing through the clouds and fear when seeing the dangerous bends of the road. A 21km-long road over Hai Van Pass, opened at the end of the 19th century, winds back and forth to a height of 435m above sea level. The drive over the pass gives the visitors thrill of tearing through the clouds on the winding road up and down the pass.

The pass is crowned with the vestiges of a fortified gateway built by the French which is now covered with moss. This gateway acts as entrance and exit points of Thuan Hoa and Quang Nam provinces. These points are indicated by the inscribed words “Hai Van Gate” on the one facing Thua Thien and “the most grandiose gateway in the world” on the one looking down on Quang Nam.

From the top of Hai Van Pass, one can admire Lang Co Beach to the north and Danang to the south. The curving railway through Hai Van Pass is 3,200m long including sections running through seven tunnels. There are endless forests to the west of Hai Van Pass and the ocean is to the east.

 No wonder, Hai Van Pass is a real challenge for drivers, as well as for adventurers and it is listed among one of the most visited of  the various popular destinations in tours in Vietnam.

 Thu Nguyen (collected)

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