The historic city of Hue, Vietnam has the perfect unofficial must see backpacker hotspot in the form of a creepy post apocalyptic abandoned water park. We felt this was one place we couldn’t miss and our research left us giddy with anticipation. But it was even better in person.
In this guide we explain everything you need to know about visiting the abandoned waterpark near Hue. We’ll show you how to get in if you can’t get past the guards and what you should see once you make it inside the grounds. Read more about us.
We visited Hue’s abandoned waterpark in October 2018 on our 18 month honeymoon around the world. After visiting adventurous Phong Nha, we used Hue as a base to relax before driving the famous Hai Van Pass. But before leaving Hue, we made sure to explore Hồ Thuỷ Tiên, the eerie waterpark that attractions tourists from all around the world.
It’s been interesting to see how the park has changed over the years because when we visited, the grounds were still relatively mysterious. Now, you can easily find the location on Google Maps and the guard at the front gate can be bribed for entry. But this wasn’t always the case.
Our guide is packed with photos from our visit before graffiti covered most of the park and we’ll show you how we got inside by avoiding the guard. While it’s no longer a secret location and you can expect to share it with many other tourists, we think the abandoned waterpark in Hue is a very unique experience. Okay, let’s begin!
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Why Is The Waterpark Abandoned?
Before we get into all the eerie details, we think it’s interesting to learn a little bit of background about the park. In 2004, the Hue Tourism Company opened a family amusement park around Thuy Tien Lake about 8km south of downtown Hue. It was officially known as Hồ Thuỷ Tiên and cost a whopping US$ 3 million when it was built.
The primary attraction was the three-story aquarium designed to look like a dragon. It was located in the center of the park and the inside resembled a dragon’s ribcage decorated with various pictures of sea life. On the bottom floor, the aquarium itself was filled with real fish and live crocodiles.
In addition to the main attraction, visitors could take advantage of the 2,500 seat amphitheater, three large waterslides, kiddie pool, cement car and accommodation village. Hồ Thuỷ Tiên remained opened for about 2 years before it was shut down for good under a cloak of mystery.
According to the locals, one theory involves the cursed location of the park because it’s near royal tombs, pagodas and temples. Many believe the park is haunted and spirits encouraged tourists not to visit. Another theory suggests visitors were upset about the inclusion of the dragon aquarium and people stopped visiting in protest. In Vietnamese culture, the dragon is a symbol of power and nobility which is why many did not want it showcased within the park.
A third and final theory offers a more simple explanation. Since the park opened up before it was completely finished, the closure could have resulted from the simple fact visitors were not getting the full experience they were promised. But whatever the reason, Hồ Thuỷ Tiên has effectively been swallowed up by the surrounding jungle.
Tourists visited for years after the closure, unobstructed by guards. Back then it truly was off the beaten path and its location was a thing of fairy tales. Real adventurers would have to source the secret from other travelers over a beer or the sliding of a note along a table.
Today, the main entrance gate is watched by a guard who collects an admission fee of around 20,000 VND ($0.80 USD). There is even now a refreshment cart that occasionally operates within the grounds. You can read the comments on TripAdvisor to see what recent visitors are saying about entry problems or visiting tips (make sure you filter by date).
When you finally get inside, here’s what we recommend seeing:
The Dragon
At the heart of Thuy Tien Lake stands the centerpiece and focal point of the entire water park… a three story high brightly colored dragon statue. The bottom level contained an aquarium while the upper level was an observation platform looking out over the beautiful lake.
From the outside, it’s easy to understand why this mysterious dragon was the main attraction. We were impressed by its intricate colorful design and liked how it could only be accessed by two narrow bridges.
Take some time to explore each of the three levels. The entire interior is plastered with layers of graffiti from the last few decades. We also ran into a very large swarm of hornets which were hanging around inside the dragon so always be on the look out for dangers.
After climbing the spiral staircase to the second floor, you’ll see how much this aquarium had fallen into disrepair. Most of the glass has been shattered into sharp and jagged pieces, covering the lower levels leaving a potential for serious foot injuries. We’d highly recommend closed toes shoes over flip flops.
Even the windows didn’t stand a chance with broken glass shattered in every direction. But you can easily imagine what a beautiful spot this could have been.
After you climb the spiral staircase through the dragon’s ribcage, you’ll see that the top floor opens to the dragon’s mouth and this doubles as an observation deck. Can you imagine excited families looking out over the lake at this thriving part of the city? Now transport yourself back to today and take in what this place has now become. Deserted and forsaken.
It’s certainly an eerie spot, especially if you are one of the only people around. After visiting the dragon, get ready to walk or bike because there are a few more places you should see.
The Water Slides
We think the most intriguing section in the park were the waterslides. The three different colored slides are still there and accessible with a set of stairs built around changing rooms. Fake wooden bridges lead to the pool where the riders would finish. Connected to this pool is an area designed for smaller children with cubby houses and a playground.
The empty desolate waterslides are one of the easiest places to conjure up images of how the waterpark would have been great for kids, sliding down and splashing into the water below. Today, the whole place has transformed into a playground of rubble, fit only for adventurous travelers seeking excitement.
Surprisingly many of the water slides are still in decent condition despite being covered in graffiti. It’s been years since we visited so it’s now probably unsafe to walk on the slides like we did in our photos. But if you’re fortunate enough to have a clear sunny day, you’ll see a reflection of the brightly colored slides in the brown murky water below.
All areas in the park are accessible including the start and end of the slides. In addition to the open slides, you’ll also find a large tube slide. We did see one daredevil attempt to crawl through one of the closed slides and he emerged a few minutes later looking like he’d just had a shower.
Search the whole area and you’ll find a mushroom shaped waterfall once used for cooling off as well as some smaller children’s slides. You’re also likely to see discarded beer cans, cigarette butts and snack packets littered among the large pools of grimy water.
Interestingly, there are no overpoweringly bad smells around the abandoned water park complex. The water slides can be found to the west of the lake as you read a map. Once you enter at the northeast of the lake, head clockwise, past the dragon and you’ll eventually find the water slides.
The Amphitheater
On the north shore of the lake, you’ll find an old amphitheater that was once used for animal shows or musical performances. The 2,500 seats gives you an indication as to the size of the former show area. Look closely and you’ll see the amphitheater overlooks the entire lake. Just be extremely careful on the steps when exploring this section.
The amphitheater exterior is just as run down as the interior with trees and vegetation now growing everywhere. We saw a few water buffalo snacking on the grass so there’s a chance you might not be completely alone.
Look across the lake and you can see the dragon standing tall in the distance. We used our bikes to cover this distance, otherwise you’re looking at a decent walk.
The Car
We’re not exactly sure how this car was related to the waterpark. Perhaps it had jets of water that would periodically project at the 2 seats from behind? Or maybe it was a dry area, just for fun?
Either way, what was the first thing you thought when you first saw a picture of the car? Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets right?! You can find the car on the southeast corner of the lake not far from the dragon.
How To Get To Hue’s Abandoned Waterpark
- Address: CH5H+5CG, hồ Tiên, Thủy, Thủy Bằng, Hương Thủy, Thừa Thiên Huế, Vietnam
- Location: Google maps
The abandoned waterpark in Hue is about 8km (about 5 miles) south of downtown and you can easily find the exact location on Google Maps. Check out the best options for traveling to Hue by train or bus with 12Go Asia. But once in Hue, you’ll have to make a decision about how to get to the waterpark.
You need to cover 8km there and back, which is a 10 mile roundtrip. We saw people walking, biking or driving a motorbike. Personally, we biked and we highly recommend starting early in the morning to avoid the hottest part of the day. There were many others who had the same idea so you’ll probably end up following a line of cyclists.
If you’re not a confident moped driver, hop on a bicycle because the traffic in Hue can be out of control. However, if you’ve been through the baptism of fire driving around Vietnam by moped, you’ll be fine as it’s not even close to the chaos of Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh. You can pick up a motorbike in the tourist area of town around Chu Van An (the night walking street) for around 100,000 VND (about $4.00 USD). Or many hostels and hotels in town will provide free use of bicycles which is what we used.
You could also take a taxi or a Grab to the waterpark. The location is now very popular so most drivers will know exactly where to go. However, we recommend the bikes because you’ll need a way to get around the waterpark once inside. It’s a big space and if you don’t have a bike, it will take you a long time to walk around.
What To Expect When You Arrive
If you choose to arrive at the main entrance, you’ll be greeted by parking attendants who will show you where to park your moped or bike. The fee to park is typically 10,000 VND, but some visitors have reported paying much higher.
After parking, head to the entrance to pay the 20,000 VND fee. Back in the day, the guards wouldn’t let many people through, but money talks in Vietnam and many people had no problem entering the grounds. Once you pay, the guard will point you towards a dirt path instead of using the proper entrance. If you follow this straight path, you’ll reach the dragon in about 10 minutes.
When we visited, the guard wasn’t letting anyone through so we had to find another way in. So if this happens to you, we’ll show you the exact route we took to get inside skipping the main entrance.
The Back Way In
This is where it got a little strange for us. After seeing several people be refused at the gate, we hung back a bit to observe and ended up cutting through the forest which opened onto a new road to the northwest. A young local guy on a moped was parked alone and asked if we were trying to get into the park. We ignored him at first thinking it was another scam.
But shortly after, another big group on bicycles appeared and began talking to him, so we decided to join the conversation. He said for 10,000 VND each he would get us in with no bother from guards. Apparently his uncle was the guard and his mothers garden backed onto the park.
Before we knew it, there were maybe 10-12 tourists following this guy on his moped. The atmosphere among our group was tense, like everyone knew they were being naughty, dragging up memories of getting sent out of class at school. We followed him all the way back to the main road and into the park the correct way.
Follow along with the photos below as we’ll show you the way to get in:
As you approach the turn off to the main entrance, there is another right turn (pictured above) around 30-50 meters before the main entrance road. Look for the white/green sign that mentions 300m and take that turn. A close up of the sign look like this:
After passing the sign, take another right turn keeping a pond to your right hand side.
Next, take a left when you see another green sign saying 150m to park entrance.
A long narrow dusty lane full of pot holes and residential houses (including our guides mother’s house) will follow. Eventually that will lead you to a clearing and suddenly the huge lake will be right in front of you.
Everyone in our big group began to relax when they realized this wasn’t some sort of group robbery. Our guide was actually genuine and looked after us as we entered. He told us to lock our bicycles up every time we left them to explore or the guards would take them and demand payment to get them back.
Another questionable man was creeping around as we entered, demanding we all paid him too. He was getting a bit pushy but our guide stepped in. They had some words. The questionable man walked away disgruntled. However, we did see him hanging around later checking out all the bicycles.
So the route in a nut shell… when you arrive, take the right turn where you see the first white/green sign in the photo and follow the remaining signs. As a hint, the numbers on the signs should get smaller as you get closer.
Our map above shows the exact route you need to take to get in the same way we did. Hopefully, nothing has changed since we visited and this route works for you! But if you recently visited, please let us know in the comments if this route is no longer available so we can keep this up to date for other readers.
Tips For Your Visit
If visiting the abandoned waterpark in Hue is at the top of your bucket list, here are a few tips:
- Be persistent if the guard won’t let you in. Try another entrance and pay someone within reason to help you get in if possible.
- Wear robust footwear. The shattered glass inside the dragon is lethal plus who knows what else is lurking around in an abandoned complex.
- Take plenty of water. Remember you’re in Vietnam and the humidity is relentless so you’ll need to stay hydrated. Sometimes you can find a local pushing a refreshment cart around, but come prepared and don’t expect to find water when you need it.
- Don’t let anyone mess with your moped or bicycle. We did not park our bicycles near the main entrance and locked them up every time we explored somewhere new. We came across a few locals checking out our bikes so make sure you always lock them or you might lose your way home.
- Save the route in your map to your phone before you leave wifi. This way you can still access the directions even with no service.
- There are no longer crocodiles at the aquarium. Sadly, it took several years for the abandoned crocodiles who were in the aquarium to be safely removed. The only animals we saw were a few water buffalo.
Remember, it’s not illegal to go inside in Hue’s abandoned water park, it’s just frowned upon. There will be many other people in the park on the same day you visit because it’s no longer a secret. But we will end by saying, trust your gut. If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t and you should get out of there.
The Morgan Conclusion
What we liked: The old waterpark in Hue is a fascinating place to visit because it’s really eerie. We were pleasantly surprised by the picturesque locations and how easy it was to access the park. While an abandoned waterpark is not something you see everyday, we think it’s a cool experience you can have in Hue.
What we didn’t like: Depending on when you visit it can be difficult to get inside because the guards are very unpredictable. Visitors are also asked to pay different amounts and we don’t like the inconsistencies. Overall we did feel safe, but there were some shady characters walking around so always keep your guard up.
Is the abandoned waterpark in Hue worth visiting? Yes, we think it’s worth visiting Hue’s abandoned water park. If you take a bike, you can easily get around the waterpark in a few hours. But if you walk, it will take a lot longer to get around or you might miss a few things inside. We think this is a cool attraction you should try to add to your Vietnam itinerary if you can spare the time.
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We hope our guide to the abandoned water park helps you plan your visit to Hue, Vietnam!
Please let us know if you have any questions in the comments below.
Happy Travels,
Mark and Kristen
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Mark and Kristen spent 6 years traveling the world, visiting over 40 countries across 4 continents and more than 30 US states. They created Where Are Those Morgans in 2018 to help others plan the best possible vacations by writing authentic travel and hiking guides based on their real experiences.
Since the arrival of baby Maya in late 2024, Mark and Kristen’s extensive travels have slowed down but they still take plenty of trips. Where Are Those Morgans now helps millions of travelers each year to visit new places and hike new trails through information-packed blog posts and expert travel guidebooks. Read more about Mark and Kristen.