After complex restoration work the world-wide largest temple plant Sukhothai, in the center of Thailand, is again freely accessible. It is an extensive area from temple ruins and survive-large, appearing nearly magic Buddhas Statue.
Halong Bay in northern Vietnam: 2.000 islands, deep ravines, rough rocks and many caves. Numerous legends revolve around this bizarre and twisted landscape, the most prominent of which is about Ha-Long, the "Descending Dragon". According to the tradition, he was sent by the gods to defend the Vietnamese from their enemies. The film portrays one of the remaining 300 families living in floating houses and travelling troughout the bay to fish. There are more than 1.000 kinds of fish and 160 coral types. However, this diversity is endangered. Important shipping lines lead right through this island world, industrial centres line the shores of Halong Bay. The rapidly increasing tourism also brings along dangers.
Vietnam's Imperial City Hué in Central Vietnam is situated beautifully between hillocks and rice fields by a bend in the Perfume River. The almost square citadel-city is surrounded by an eleven-kilometre wall, which contains the "Imperial City". Inside of this - once again walled in - one finds the "Forbidden Purple City" reserved for the emperor. For 143 years 13 emperors of the Nguyen dynasty ruled from here with a feudal court of Chinese influence. At first they reigned in glory and then in decadence and submission under the French colonial power. The emperors were great lovers and supporters of the fine arts; poetry especially. To this day, there is a certain state of rapture, a poetic air and melancholy mood over the city.
Luckily the Vietnam War left this old riverside town in central Vietnam undamaged. More than 2,000 years old, it once was a station of the maritime Silk Road. In its heyday (16th until 19th centuries) Japanese and Chinese seafarers settled here to trade silk and porcelain. Dutch, Portuguese, Siamese, Chinese and other trading vessels called at this legendary port until the Thu Bon-river which links Hoi An with the sea silted up and became impassable. Hoi An became a Sleeping Beauty. Its hibernation endured the war and the hard times of socialism and lasted until the wake up-call of tourism brought a new era to this ancient town. (Today Hoi An is a picturesque showpiece of Vietnamese and Colonial architecture that retains a sense of history.)
