Vietnam Royal Tourism

Hue Overview

Vietnam’s 19-20th Century capital under her last royal dynasty, Hue is a quiet and attractive city home to some of Vietnam’s most impressive feudal remnants.

Vietnam Royal Tourism will guide you through the landmark Citadel, once the residence of the royal family, where we climb the Citadel’s colossal Ngo Mon Gate for views over the Thai Hoa Palace, with its interior of gold and scarlet ironwood columns and royal paraphernalia.

Walk the grounds of the former Forbidden Purple City, scarred by decades of war, and admire the Hall of the Mandarins and the 2 tonne dynastic urns with their fine bronze work. We take a dragon boat up the Perfume River to the celebrated Pagoda of Thien Mu in its fine hilltop location.

If art and architecture matter more to you than beaches and beer. Hue will be high on your Vietnam must-visit list. The capital of the Nguyen emperors, Hue is packed with temples, tombs, palaces and pagodas - or at least the remains of those that successive armies didn't manage to completely destroy. Foodies won't want to miss the fussy degustation-style Imperial cuisine for which this city is rightly famous. On the banks of the enigmatically named Perfume River, the peculiar light of this historic place imbues photographs with a hazy, purple tinge. It would all be quite idyllic if it weren't for the constant dogging most tourists face as soon as they step off the bus. The touts in Hue are more incessant than most. While the offshoots of mass tourism may be annoying, it should be remembered that Hue's cultural sites were destined for oblivion without it. After 1975 they were left to decay -Imperialist reminders of the feudal Nguyen dynasty. In 1990 that the local People's Committee recognised the potential of the place and declared these sites 'national treasures'. In 1993 Unesco designated the complex of monuments in Hue a World Heritage site, and restoration and preservation work continues. The Festival of Hue is celebrated biennially in even-numbered years, with local and international cultural performers at locations throughout the city.

Sights & Activities

PERFUME RIVER BOAT TRIPS

Many sights in the vicinity of Hue, including Thuan An Beach, Thien Mu Pagoda and several of the Royal Tombs, can be reached by a journey along the Perfume River. The journey takes about six hours, and usually runs in Morning or Afternoon.

CITADEL

10km-long walls of its Citadel (KinhThanh) on the north bank of the river. Begun in 1804 on a site chosen by Emperor Gia Long's geomancers, it was originally made of earth and later strengthened with brick. Roughly square shaped, three sides of the Citadel are straight; the fourth is rounded slightly to follow the curve of the river. The ramparts are encircled by a zigzag moat, which is 30m across and about 4m deep. There are 10 fortified gates, each accessed via a bridge. In the northern corner of the Citadel is Mang Ca Fortress, which is still used as a military base. At the centre of the wall facing the river, the 37m-high Flag Tower (Cot Co) is Vietnam's tallest flagpole. Erected in 1809 and extended in 1831, it was knocked down in 1904 by a typhoon that devastated the city. It was rebuilt in 1915 only to be destroyed again in 1947. Two years later it was erected once again, in its present form. Located just inside the Citadel ramparts, near the gates to either side of the Flag Tower, the Nine Holy Cannons, symbolic protectors of the palace and kingdom, were cast in 1804 from brass captured from the Tay Son Rebels. Commissioned by Emperor Gia Long, they were never intended to be fired. Each is 5m long, has a bore of 23cm and weighs about 10 tonnes. The four cannons near Ngan Gate represent the four seasons, while the five cannons next to Quang Duc Date represent the five dements: metal, wood, water, fire and earth

IMPERIAL ENCLOSURE

Housing the emperor's residence and the main buildings of state, the Imperial Enclosure is a citadel-within-a-citadel, with (6m-high walls that are 2.5km in length. The Enclosure is divided into several walled sections, with the Forbidden Purple City (op-posite) at its centre. The formal state palaces are between this and the main gate. Around the perimeter are a collection of temples and residences, the better preserved of which are along the southwestern wall. Situated along the opposite wall, nearest to the main gate are the ruins of the Thai To Mieu temple complex (now housing a plant nursery) and behind it the University of Arts, housed in the former Royal Treasury. To the rear of this is a park and lake, spreading into the far corner, where a couple of elephants are kept. This is a fascinating site, which you could easily spend the better part of a day exploring. It's completely iniquitous that most day tours include a only brief stop here - it's easily reached on foot from anywhere in Hue and much more enjoyable as a leisurely stroll.

Ngo Mon Gate

The principal entrance to the Imperial Enclo sure is Ngo Mon Gate (Noontime Gate; 1833), which faces the Flag Tower. The central passageway with its yellow doors was reserved for the use of the emperor, as was the bridge across the lotus pond. Other mere mortals had to use the gates to either side and the paths around the pond. On top of the gate is Ngu Phung (Belvedere of the Five Phoenixes), where the emperor appeared on important occasions, most notably for the promulgation of the lunar calendar- On 30 August 1945 the Nguyen dynasty ended here when Emperor Bao Dai abdicated to a delegation sent by Ho Chi Minh's Provisional Revolutionary Government.

Thai Hoa Palace

Built in 1803, Thai Hoa Palace (Palace of Supreme Harmony) is a spacious hall with an ornate timber roof supported by 80 carved and lacquered columns. It was used for the emperor's official receptions and other important court ceremonies, such as anniversaries and coronations. During state occasions the emperor sat on his elevated throne and his mandarins paid homage. Nine stelae divide the two-level courtyard into separate areas for officials in each of the nine ranks of the manuarinate; administrative mandarins stood to one side while the military mandarins stood to the other

Halls of the Mandarins

The buildings in which the mandarins pre pared for court ceremonies were restored in 1977. The structures are located directly behind Thai Hoa Palace on either side of a courtyard, where there are two gargantuan bronze vac dong (cauldrons) dating from the 17th century.

Forbidden Purple City

Behind the palaces, in the very centre of the Imperial Enclosure, the Forbidden Purple City (Tu Cam Thanh) is a citadel-within-a-citadel-within-a-citadel. Reserved solely for the personal use of the emperor, the only servants allowed into this compound were eunuchs who would pose no threat to the royal concubines. It was al¬most entirely destroyed in the wars, and a large part is now draped in green foliage. Take care as you wander around the ruins as there are some gaping holes.

To Mieu Temple Complex

Taking up the south corner of the Imperial Enclosure, this walled complex dedicated to the Nguyen emperors has been beautifully restored. After entering through the ornate temple gate, you must then pass through the three-tiered Hien Lam Pavilion. On the other side of this stand Nine Dynastic Urns. These dinh (urns) were cast between 1835 and 1836, each dedicated to a different Nguyen sovereign. Engraved into the sides are heavenly bodies and landscapes. About 2m in height and weighing 1900kg to 2600kg each. the urns symbolise the power and stability of the Nguyen throne. The central urn, which is the largest and most ornate, is dedicated to Gia Long. Also in the courtyard are two dragons, trapped in what look like phone boxes. On the other side of the courtyard is the long, low, red and gold To Mieu Temple itself. Inside are shrines to each of the emperors, topped by their photos. Under the French only the seven liked by the colonial power were thus honoured - Ham Nghi, Thanh Thai and Duy Tan were only added in 1959. The temple is flanked on the right by a small robing house and on the left by a shrine to a soil god. Behind each of these, a gate leads into the next part of the complex - a Divine Kitchen and Divine Storehouse sit on cither side of a small walled enclosure housing the Hung To Mieu Temple. This is a restored 1951 reconstruction of the original, built in 1804 to honour Gia Long's parents. Both temples were used by the court on death anniversaries, but women (including the Empress) were strictly forbidden.

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