Hue biking tour 1 day

Highlights tour:

Thanh Toan bridge:  Thanh Toan bridge is located about 7 kilometers to the east of Hue in Thuy Thanh Commune, Huong Thuy district. It was reportedly established during the reign of Emperor Le Hien Tong (1740-1786) and has been maintained by the village ever since. Construction of the bridge was initiated by Tran Thi Dao, the wife of a high-ranking Mandarin in Le Hien Tong's court. Tran, who came from this area, had the bridge constructed to better facilitate transportation and communication in the village that lines both sides of the canal. When the Emperor heard of her charitable act, he exempted the village from taxation as a reminder for them to live up to her example. In 1925, Emperor Khai Dinh granted her a posthumous title and ordered the villagers to establish an altar on the bridge in her memory.
In many guidebooks, the bridge is referred to as the "Japanese Bridge" since it bears some stylistic resemblence to another small wooden bridge in nearby Hoian (see the Japanese Bridge, Hoian, on this website). Recognizing the bridge's historical value, the Cultural Ministry renovated the bridge in 1991.

  Vong Canh hill:  Vong Canh hill is 7 km from the center of Hue. It is not so beautiful and well-known as Mount Ngu. Still, as it is called, standing from the top of Vong Canh Hill, tourists can enjoy the lovely panorama of Hue especially the Nguyen Dynasty's tombs.

  Ho Quyen Arena: Ho Quyen is an arena where tigers and elephants fought to the death, gladiator style, for the benefit of the royal family and other high-ranking spectators. It was constructed in 1830 along the south bank of the Perfume river, about 200 yards from Long Chau temple where royal war elephants were worshipped and buried.
In traditional Vietnamese culture, tigers were feared beasts that preyed upon helpless villagers and their livestock. In contrast, elephants were noble animals who represented the prestige and virility of the royal family. The fights held here between the two species were carefully rigged so that the elephants held the upper hand in every fight. The tigers were routinely declawed and tethered, with their teeth filed down to further put them at a disadvantage. Although the tigers could put on a show by jumping and charging at the elephants, the elephants would generally (if not always) win in the end by trampling the tigers to death.

Fights were usually staged once a year, and the last was held in 1904, though royal elephants continued to be reared in the area until the August Revolution of 1945. Unfortunately, the site is not well preserved, and is rapidly approaching ruin unless conservation measures are taken soon.