I woke up at 5 a.m. on my last day in Hue to ride a bicycle to this abandoned waterpark. It was absolutely worth it! It was one of the most freeing experiences to be traveling in Southeast Asia alone, going to this desolate place where no one in the world knew where I was.
I’ve read that there’s usually a guard at the gate to take money from tourists but no one was around on my way in. But, on my way out, I rode my bike through a bunch of men in the military holding big guns and that was terrifying! I just confidently rode through their group and out the gates. I think the area around the abandoned waterpark is used for military training and that can make exploring the area extremely dangerous.
The Ho Thuy Tien waterpark opened to the public in 2004. Vietnam is extremely hot and I’m sure the water slides and pools would have been a nice escape from the heat. The park cost 3 million USD to build and at the time of its opening, it wasn’t fully completed.
Inside the giant dragon’s head were aquariums of fish and three-storeys of stairs designed to look like you’re in the dragon’s rib cage. The entertainment park sprawls into the jungle and, though I didn’t explore it all because I had to catch a ride on a motorbike to my next destination, I found abandoned slides. Apparently there’s also an ampitheater!
After a couple of years, the park closed down and was never finished.
Now it’s a playground for explorers!
