HUE
Hue was the capital of Vietnam from 1802 to 1945. At its heart and surrounded by moats, lies the Purple Forbidden City, the residence of the Nguyen Emperors. Although it was severely damaged during the war, the remains of the citadel, which have been partially restored, still contain many interesting sights. South of the city are the imperial tombs with the most important being: Tu Duc, Minh Mang and Khai Dinh. As well as several sites of historical interest ‘Hue cuisine’ is also celebrated throughout Vietnam and is an important strand of Vietnam’s culinary heritage.
HUE
Hue was the capital of Vietnam from 1802 to 1945. At its heart and surrounded by moats, lies the Purple Forbidden City, the residence of the Nguyen Emperors. Although it was severely damaged during the war, the remains of the citadel, which have been partially restored, still contain many interesting sights. South of the city are the imperial tombs with the most important being: Tu Duc, Minh Mang and Khai Dinh. As well as several sites of historical interest ‘Hue cuisine’ is also celebrated throughout Vietnam and is an important strand of Vietnam’s culinary heritage.
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THIEN MU PAGODA
Built on a hill overlooking the Perfume River, 4km southwest of the Citadel, this pagoda is an icon of Vietnam and as potent a symbol of Hue as the Citadel. The 21m-high octagonal tower, Thap Phuoc Duyen, was constructed under the reign of Emperor Thieu Tri in 1844. Each of its seven storeys is dedicated to a manushi-buddha (a Buddha that appeared in human form). Thien Mu Pagoda was originally founded in 1601 by Nguyen Hoang, governor of Thuan Hoa province. Over the centuries its buildings have been destroyed and rebuilt several times. Since the 1960s it has been a flashpoint of political demonstrations. To the right of the tower is a pavilion containing a stele dating from 1715. It’s set on the back of a massive marble turtle, a symbol of longevity. To the left of the tower is another six-sided pavilion, this one sheltering an enormous bell (1710), which weighs 2052kg and is said to be audible 10km away. The temple itself is a humble building in the inner courtyard, past the triple-gated entrance where three statues of Buddhist guardians stand at the alert. In the main sanctuary behind the bronze laughing Buddha are three statues: A Di Da, the Buddha of the Past; Thich Ca, the historical Buddha (Sakyamuni); and Di Lac Buddha, the Buddha of the Future. The best time to visit is early in the morning, before the tour groups show up. For a scenic bicycle ride, head southwest (parallel to the Perfume River) on riverside Ð Tran Hung Dao, which turns into Ð Le Duan after Phu Xuan Bridge. Cross the railway tracks and keep going on Ð Kim Long. Thien Mu Pagoda can also be reached by boat.
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EMPEROR TU DUC MAUSOLEUM
Tu Duc tomb constructed between 1864 and 1867, is the most popular, and certainly one of the most impressive of the royal mausoleums. Emperor Tu Duc designed it himself, for use both before and after his death. The enormous expense of the tomb and the forced labour used in its construction spawned a coup plot that was discovered and suppressed. Tu Duc lived a life of imperial luxury and carnal excess (he had 104 wives and countless concubines), though no offspring. From the entrance a path leads to the shore of Luu Khiem Lake . The tiny island to the right, Tinh Khiem , is where Tu Duc used to hunt small game. Across the water to the left is Xung Khiem Pavilion , where he would sit with his concubines, composing or reciting poetry. Hoa Khiem Temple is where Tu Duc and his wife, Empress Hoang Le Thien Anh, were worshipped – today it just houses a jumble of dusty, unlabelled royal artefacts. The larger throne was for the empress; Tu Duc was only 153cm tall. Minh Khiem Chamber , to the right behind Hoa Khiem Temple, was originally meant to be a theatre. Cheesy dress-up photo ops and cultural performances are available here today. Directly behind Hoa Khiem Temple is the quieter Luong Khiem Temple dedicated to Tu Duc’s mother, Tu Du. Just around the lakeshore is the Honour Courtyard . You pass between a guard of elephants, horses and diminutive mandarins (they were even shorter than the emperor) before reaching the Stele Pavilion , which shelters a 20-tonne stone tablet. Tu Duc drafted the inscriptions himself. He freely admitted that he had made mistakes and chose to name his tomb Khiem (‘modest’). The tomb , enclosed by a wall, is on the far side of a tiny lagoon. It’s a drab grey monument and the emperor was never interred here – the site where his remains were buried (along with great treasure) is not known. To keep it a secret from grave robbers, all of the 200 servants who buried the king were beheaded. Tu Duc’s tomb is about 5km south of Hue on Van Nien Hill in Duong Xuan Thuong village.
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IMPERIAL CITADEL
Added to Unesco's World Heritage List in 2010 and reopened in 2012, Hanoi's Imperial Citadel was the hub of Vietnamese military power for over 1000 years. Ongoing archeological digs of ancient palaces, grandiose pavilions and imperial gates are complemented by fascinating military command bunkers from the American War – complete with maps and 1960s communications equipment – used by the legendary Vietnamese General Vo Nguyen Giap. The leafy grounds are also an easygoing and quiet antidote to Hanoi's bustle.
