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Vietnam
> Hue |
HUE
Hué in
central Vietnam was the capital of the Nguyen Dynasty that ruled Vietnam from 1802 to
1945. However, the sovereignty of Vietnam during the Nguyen dynasty was restricted
for almost 100 years. First, the French conquered Saigon in 1859 and in 1862 set up their
colony Cochin China in the South of Vietnam; then, in 1883 a French fleet appeared at the
Hué cost and forced the Vietnamese emperor Hiep Hoa to accept French overlordship for all
of Vietnam. Thereafter, the French administratively divided the country into the colony
Cochin China (in the South) and the protectorates Annam (central Vietnam) and Tonkin
(North Vietnam). The Vietnamese emperor was allowed to stay in office and the imperial
court still took care of those government matters, which were of no interest to the French
colonial masters. But over the decades this arrangement undermined the importance of the
imperial court for the Vietnamese state. When on August 24, 1945, the last Nguyen emperor,
Bao Dai, resigned, this was of no practical relevance to the political situation in the
country. With a population of 350,000 Hué is not a particularly large city by present-day
Vietnamese standards. But it is full of historical attractions, even though it has
suffered more than any other Vietnamese city during the Vietnam War. Hué is famous for
its rainy weather. The rainy season last longer than in the Vietnamese average, from May
to December, and even during the so-called dry season it regularly rains.
 Hue Citadel
The
construction of Hue Citadel was commenced in 1801 by Emperor Gia Long. This followed a
period duringwhich the Nguyen Lords moved the capital around the surrounding area. Since
the initial construction, the citadel has been altered and improved upon by a number of
Emperors including Emperor Minh Mang, whose tomb is not far from modern day Hue
city.Unfortunately, Vietnam’s history of war has boded ill for the citadel, and much
of the interior, particularly the Forbidden Purple City, has been destroyed. It was during
the conflict with the Americans that some terribly bloody and vicious fighting took place,
which flattened a lot of the inner city. However, some parts do still remain and will give
you an idea of what a magnificent imperial capital Hue must have been.The Citadel is
almost 10 km in circumference and its walls are 6 m high and 20 m thick. The moat
encircles the entire Citadel and is 23 m wide with a depth of 4 m. There are ten entrances
to the citadel, many of which are now bridges and roads into the Citadel area (where
people live and farm).
Imperial
City
The
Imperial City was constructed in 1804 and is square in shape, with a perimeter of nearly
2.5 km. It has four entrances: the Noon Gate that is opposite the flag tower, the Gate of
Humanity on the left side, the Gate of Virtue on the right hand side, and the Gate of
Peace at the rear. The city is surrounded by the Golden Waters pond that flows into the
lakes at the northern corner of the city. Each gate has a bridge spanning the Golden
Waters, whilst the Noon Gate has three bridges. In imperial times, the centre bridge was
for the use of the Emperor alone, whilst the other two bridges were for the use of his
entourage. Once you enter via the Noon Gate, separating you from the Great Rites Court is
the Thai Dich Lakes (Great Liquid Lakes). These were dug in 1883 and are spanned by a
central bridge, the Trung Dao (Central path) Bridge. The bridge has two ornately designed
gateway, carved with dragons slithering up and down them. The Great Rites Court (also
known as the Esplanade of Great Salutation) consists of two paved terraces. The upper was
reserved for high ranking civil and military mandarins, whilst the lower was for village
officials and elders. The stellae on each side of the court indicate where each
official’s designated place was. At the two corners of the court stand two bronze
Kylins, which are believed to bring peace.Beyond the Great Rites Court there is the Throne
Palace. This was used on meetings. During these meetings, the Emperor would sit on his
throne whilst only four top ranking officials were allowed in the palace. The remainder of
officials had to stand outside according to rank. The palace was seriously damaged during
the Tet Offensive.Behind the Throne palace is where the Great Golden Gate once stood,
marking the entrance to the Forbidden Purple City.The imperial City was not destroyed to
the extent of the Forbidden Purple City and there are number of temples still standing,
although some are locked up due to their instability. These include Trieu Temple, Thai
Temple (a reconstruction), the Residence of Everlasting Longevity, Phung Tien Temple, Mieu
Temple, and the Hung Temple.
Forbiden
City
Unfortunately most of the Forbidden Purple City was completely
destroyed during the Tet Offensive. Most of what remains is no more than the foundations
of what must have once been grand buildings. There are a number of smaller buildings that
were spared complete destruction, and there are some attempts at restoration going on (and
so there should be, given the admission price).Before its destruction, the Forbidden
Purple City was used solely by the emperor and his family. It was originally constructed
during the reign of Emperor Gia Long and was known as Cung Thanh (City of Residences). It
was not until the reign of Emperor Minh Mang that the name Forbidden purple City was
adopted.The City has seven gates linking it to the Imperial City. From the Great Golden
Gate, you will enter a large paved area, backed by the foundations of everything that used
to be there. To your left and right there are two small buildings that house many
artefacts of the City. In the left house, you can dress up as an Emperor and have your
photo taken sitting on a throne (really makes you wonder sometimes). There are only a
handful of buildings within the city that have been completely destroyed.
Tomb of
Tuduc
Tu Duc was the Emperor of Vietnam from 1848 to 1883. He is regarded
as one of the more decadent cruel Vietnamese Emperors. Although he was a dedicated
Confucian, his lifestyle was unusual in all areas. At each mail he would have a choice of
fifty dishes that were delivered by fifty servants and prepared by fifty chefs! He had
over one hundred wives and quite a few girlfriends on the side, although he never had
children. When Tu Duc drank tea, the water was collected as dew from lotus leaves. He also
had one of his own brothers put to death after his involvement in a revolt against him.
His tomb was constructed between 1864 and 1867 and is own of the more grandiose tombs in
Hue City’s surrounds. In an attempt to foil grave robbers, his body was not even
buried in the tomb, and all those who were involved in the burial were beheaded. His body
and treasures are at a destination which to this day is unknown.The centrepiece of the
tomb is a huge stone tablet that is estimated to weigh over twenty tonnes upon which are
inscribed various clarifications of his rule. There are also a number of temples and other
buildings within the tomb grounds, along with a nice lake with an island in the centre.
Towards the end of his rule, Tu Duc spent a lot of time on this island and generally
within his tomb, accompanied by his entourage. The tomb of Tu Duc is about 7 km out of the
centre of Hue city.
Tomb of
Minh Mang
Minh
Mang ruled from 1820 to 1840 and was responsible for some of the major construction upon
the Imperial City. It was also the actions of Minh Mang towards the Catholic missionaries
which first brought French military power to bear on Vietnam. The ground of his tomb are
large and peaceful, and his actual bomb oversees the Lake of Tranquillity. The first
entrance is guarded by a life size stone entourage of soldiers, horses and elephants, and
opens to a courtyard containing three temples. Past the temples, you will cross Trung Minh
Ho (The Lake of Impeccable Clarity) which is bridged in three places. The central bridge
was for the sole use of the Emperor whilst the other two were for his entourage. Beyond
the pond there is Sung An Temple that Minh Mang dedicated to his Empress. Following this
temple you need to cross another bridge before reaching his tomb that is a huge walled-in
dirt mound, which you cannot enter. To give Minh Mang peace of mind whilst ruling, all his
servants were eunuchs.
Tomb of Khai Dinh
Khai Dinh
ruled from 1916 to 1925, and his tomb majestically appears from the side of a mountain
covered by forest. Unfortunately, the tomb lacks the harmonious blending with nature that
many of the other tombs and Vietnamese architecture tries to achieve. This is due to the
fact that the tomb was built earlier this century during the French colonial occupation
and under their influence. The weather-stained and blackened concrete walls make the tomb
seem older than it actually is, but the different style of Khai Dinh’s tomb makes it
worth a visit.The tomb is layered, and each stage is divided by stairs. The entrance to
the tomb begins with a long climb up from the street level staircase that is bound by
dragon banisters. This opens up onto a courtyard, but it is the second level that has a
stone statued entourage made up of life size mandarins, horses and elephants. You must
contend with more stairs to get to the main part of the tomb and to where Emperor Khai
Dinh is buried. The Khai Dinh temple is 10 km south of Hue City, and a sealed road passes
straight past its entrance. The view from the top is quite beautiful, looking at the
plains and surrounding mountains. The large white statue farther south standing on a
hillside is of Quan Am, the Goddess of Mercy.
Thien Mu Pagoda
This pagoda
overlooks the south-west bank of the Perfume River, around 4 km south of the railway
bridge crossing. This was the home of Thich Quang Duc, made famous by the photo of him
burning to death in protest to the Diem regime. The motor car that took him to the site of
his self immolation in Ho Chi Minh city in 1963 is out back. The pagoda has been adopted
as the symbol of Hue city and is very popular with both foreign and local tourists, hence
the trinket sellers and beggars out front. Behind the pagoda is a lovely garden and a
large glass encased smiling Buddha. To the left of the pagoda is a huge bell dating to the
18 century and is said to be audible 10 km away.The road to Thien Mu Pagoda runs along the
bank of the Perfume River and is great for a late afternoon ride as many boats are
returning upriver. The light is just great so take your camera. The road also passes by a
Portuguese church and also a mid sized fresh produce market, which stocks excellent fruit.
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