The Imperial City of Hue - always alive!
The head of the empire
From the middle of the bridge, where to start? By the most Vietnamese perhaps. And the most universal, since Unesco has registered the old Hué as a world heritage site. It is necessary to be a little didactic at the risk of not finding oneself there. The citadel - Kinh Thành, contains the imperial city - Hoàng Thành, and the forbidden purple city - Tu Cam Thành. Vietnam had not inherited Confucianism and the imperial system from China for nothing. The citadel housed the organs of the administration; the imperial city, the podiums of the Presence; the purple city, the sovereign's private residence. Ten bridges and ten gates give access to this sovereign compound. The traveler today enters through the impressive South Gate. In the shape of a horseshoe, it has a masonry base and wooden superstructures with glazed tile roofs.
The symbolism of power is expressed in the geometry, the colors and the motifs of the building. Turning around, we see the red flag with the yellow star flying above the Flag Tower. Let's enter and head for the Palace of Supreme Harmony, on whose roof two dragons greet the moon. Behind it, the Forbidden City opens, or rather closes. Let us go all the same, towards the royal library, miraculously intact. The geniuses of the roof will have protected this delightful pavilion. In 1968, during the battle of Hue in the Tet offensive, the private domain of the emperors was devastated by the fighting. Restorations meticulously recovered what could be restored, but priceless treasures were lost forever. And it is not without a certain melancholy that one notices the empty spaces.
Mausoleums and pagodas
The imperial mausoleums are another aspect of the historical buildings of Hue. There are seven of them along the river. Among these funerary villages, three perhaps stand out. Eight kilometers from the citadel, that of Tu Duc. Empty. It is not known where the emperor's body was buried. There is something romantic about this large wooded estate where the gray stone buildings have a particular sobriety and harmony. At the edge of a lake, the Xung Khiem leisure pavilion is full of charm. The Stele pavilion contains a colossal stone to the glory of the monarch. To the north of the domain, on Mount Duong Xuan, the Tu Hieu pagoda was commissioned by the eunuchs of the imperial city (without a son to look after them post mortem, they entrusted themselves to the monks). Ten kilometers away, the tomb of Khai Dinh mixes Vietnamese architecture and Beaux-Arts style. A fusion that recalls the adaptations of classical models that the Jesuits made in China. The tomb hall is of stunning ornamental virtuosity. Accessible by river - some 20 kilometers - the burial complex of the dynasty's founder, Gia Long, stretches across a series of hills. The members of his family rest around him. He reigns in death as in life.
The dragon boats that go on the Perfume River to take tourists for a ride are delightfully kitschy. On board these boats, one can go to the pagoda of the Celestial Lady - Thiên Mu Pagoda three kilometers west of the citadel. It majestically dominates the river from the top of Hà Khê hill and its own 21 meters. Founded in 1601, regularly refurbished since then, it has today the octagonal shape and the seven levels given to it by Emperor Thiêu Tri in 1844. The monks have resisted both the authoritarianism of Ngô Dinh Diêm and communism. The Tu Dam pagoda, less known to travelers, which can nevertheless be reached on foot without effort from the citadel, is a beautiful Thiên foundation of 1695 which still attracts many pilgrims. The mountainous backgrounds give to all these monuments a particular base and relief.
A great culinary tradition
Imperial cuisine is recreated by passionate chefs and offered on special occasions, but street food itself benefits from the attention paid to the things of gastronomy (which have a dietetic dimension, it goes without saying). So it is everywhere in Hue that one can enjoy, from posh restaurants to street stands. To go to the source of the ingredients, you must go to the market of Dong Ba. For it is there that, in all their crudeness and colors, one finds the most. The number of goods on offer, which a European would not know what to do with, can lead him to measure the richness and unpredictability of the gastronomy here. The fish market is a market within a market, which opens at three in the morning. The boats come to the quay to deliver their catch.
From the sea to Hue
Back in Hue, we must focus on the right bank, the French sector. The layout of a 3rd Republic provincial city still stands out. Thus the raspberry station from 1906, stop of the Transindochinois from the 1930s. The old Grand Hotel dates from 1901, it is still in business and still immaculate. The national school has cinnabar walls, which were raised during the Great War. And as a proof that education does not formate so much, it had Ngô Dinh Diêm and Hô Chi Minh as students. The villas in which the cultural museum is located harmonize European pleasure architecture and Vietnamese motifs. As for the hotel La Résidence of 1930 and the sports circle - ten years later - they are beautiful examples of Art Deco liner architecture. And then, of course, there is the Tràng Tiên Bridge.
Finally, two strange visions
An Bang, about thirty kilometers southeast of Huê, also has a cemetery, Nghia trang An Bang, but it is something else. People are buried there in monuments that seem by their size, their vertical abundance, their polychromy, the volubility of their ornamentation, perfectly extravagant. A city of the dead imagined by some Vietnamese Druillet. A powerful optimism emerges from this. A confidence. The same confidence that the emperors used to show in their funeral villages.
Related tour
Departure day: 1D0N
Departure: Da Nang city
Arrival: Hue city
Regions: Central Vietnam
Type: Daily Tour
Departure day: 5D4N
Departure: Da Nang city
Arrival: Hoi An city
Regions: Central Vietnam
Type: Classic Tours
Discover the awe-inspiring Phong Nha Cave on a full-day tour from Hue! Explore the intricate network of underground caverns, marvel at the stalactites and stalagmites, and float on a boat through the serene underground river. Book your adventure today!
Departure day: 1D0N
Departure: Hue city
Arrival: Phong Nha cave
Regions: Central Vietnam
Type: Daily Tour
Immerse yourself in Hue's rich history and culture on our deluxe small group tour. Explore the Imperial City, marvel at ancient tombs, and cruise along the serene Perfume River. Join us daily for an unforgettable journey into Vietnam's past.
Departure day: 1D0N
Departure: Hue city
Arrival: Hue city
Regions: Central Vietnam
Type: Daily Tour
Departure day: 12D11N
Departure: Ho Chi Minh City
Arrival: Hanoi City
Regions: Northern Vietnam
Type: Luxury Tour,Classic Tours
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