By train through Vietnam: From Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City | DW Documentary

A journey of about 1,700 kilometers. In Vietnam, the “Reunification Express“ train travels from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. After the end of the Vietnam War, the destroyed line was quickly repaired, to help support the reconciliation of the people of North and South Vietnam. The 32-hour journey through the Southeast Asian country is an opportunity to experience unique culture and take in breathtaking landscapes. The first stop is the Trang An Landscape Complex, a nature reserve that is home to Delacour’s Langurs — a very rare, endangered primate species. From here, the journey continues south. The train crosses the Ben Hai River at the 17th parallel. This was the border between North and South Vietnam. During the Vietnam War, the bloodiest battles raged here. It is not far to Hue, which was the capital of Vietnam in imperial times. Here, the filmmakers disembark to attend a performance of the Royal Ballet. Now, the train approaches the scenic highlight of the trip: the ride along the South China Sea takes viewers through the Ocean Cloud Pass, a climatic border between North and South Vietnam. In Da Lat, a motorcycle tour makes a short detour into the mountains before the trip ends the next morning in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon. The “Reunification Express“ — a symbol of reconciliation between Vietnam‘s North and South.