Hue, Vietnam

Hue is known as the historical and cultural center of Vietnam. It’s rich imperial heritage is present in its complexes of tombs, palaces and temples. This central coastal city also has beautiful beaches and an interesting contrast between modern and traditional, rural and urban.

We visited The Imperial City, built when Hue was established as the capital of the newly unified Vietnam in 1802. It was ruled by the Nguyen dynasty, the last family of Vietnamese kings. But by then France had colonized Vietnam and the kings bowed to the French or they had short reigns. The complex of monuments here are quite grand and have French and Vietnamese influence.

We entered the Citadel, the square fortress enclosing the Imperial City.

The citadel is surrounded by a moat. This one was reconstructed in this century.

This is one of the shrines inside the complex.

This is one of the many gates to pass through to reach the Forbidden City, below. Like the Forbidden City in Beijing, this is where the king held court and lived with his hundreds of concubines. The only males allowed here were eunuchs.

The King held court here on his golden throne. The one here is an replica.

The huge sprawling complex of the imperial City has many shrines, temples, administrative areas and living spaces. This pavilion was built as a meditation center for the king.

The colorful displays of incense sticks and the conical hats made with lotus, bamboo, and palm leaves.

We took a cruise on Hue’s Perfume River. It was named many years ago for the flowers that would fall into the water from upstream orchards, and the lovely aroma the breezes sent down the river. The floral perfume is no longer there, but it is still a very pleasant boat ride.

Our boat ride ended at the Thien Mu Pagoda. The 7- story Buddhist Pagoda is one of the oldest and most iconic religious sites in the country. It is the unofficial symbol of the city.

The laughing Buddha is surrounded by incense sticks in this shrine.

There is a lovely bonsai garden on the grounds.

The tombs of the Nguyen dynasty Kings are treasured, historic and religious sites for Hue. The Minh Mang tomb, the Nguyen king, who reigned from 1820-1841, is one of the most famous. It stretches over 37 acres with 40 constructions on it arranged in a symmetrical pattern. The complex is not just a burial place for the king and his wife and concubines, but is also for religious worship and the contemplation of nature.