Hue - The Royal City

July 17-18, 2016

Huế is a city in central Vietnam that was the seat of Nguyen Dynasty emperors and the national capital from 1802-1945.

We arrived in Hue via local bus on July 17.  It was packed with a couple guys smoking during the ride, a few people sitting on a makeshift bench, because there were more passengers than seats, and cellphones ringing followed by loud conversations. We were crammed in. The scenery was stunning and we arrived at the correct location, so compared to our journey from Ha Long Bay, it was a huge win.

The two ladies sitting in front of me are pretty much sitting on my toes...

We stayed at a the Citadel Backpackers Home stay. We had a great clean room with 3 bunk beds. Perfect for our family.

The owner of the homestay was so helpful. He even helped us get a cake for Viktor's birthday.

The next day we had a tour of the city and surrounding areas planned. We knew from our days of touring in Ninh Binh that although it would be really interesting, it would also be extremely hot. I think we spent a small fortune on ice-cream and drinking water throughout the day.  

Our first stop of the day was the Thanh Toan Bridge.  Built two centuries ago the covered bridge of Thanh Toan is unique in that only two exist in Vietnam (the other one being in Hoi An).  Built as a tribute to the villagers by the wife of a high ranking Mandarin, the bridge has survived storms, floods and wars. 

We also visited the Thanh Toan Museum. A small 2 room display of the village's traditional and cultural heritage.  One of the rooms was an interactive display where the kids could try out some of the chores involved in country living.

This kind lady at the museum took the time to show us how the various tools and equipment were used.

Beautiful countryside.

Next we visited the Khai Dinh Tomb. The Tomb of Khải Định is located in Chau Chu mountain near Huế in Vietnam. It was built for the Nguyễn Emperor Khải Định. It was built from 1920 to 1931 taking 11 years to complete. The tomb is a blend of Western and Eastern architecture.

Next we stopped at the incense and conical hat making village. The kids had a chance to try making some incense.

Conical hats are made of palm leaves.

We had one more tomb to visit. Tomb of Tự Đức (Vietnamese: Lăng Tự Đức)  It is built for the Nguyễn Emperor Tự Đức and took three years to build from 1864–1867. It is divided into a Temple Area and a Tomb Area.  Emperor Tu Duc enjoyed the longest reign of any monarch of the Nguyen dynasty, ruling from 1848-83. 

We stopped for a brief lunch before heading back to the city. On the way we stopped at the Tu Hieu Pagoda.  This popular pagoda was built in 1843 and later co-opted by eunuchs from the Citadel. Today 70 monks reside at Tu Hieu; they welcome visitors to the twin temples (one dedicated to Cong Duc, the other to Buddha). They chant daily at 4.30am, 10am, noon, 4pm and 7pm. 

Tu Hieu is associated with Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, who studied at the monastery in the 1940s, but lived in exile for more than 40 years, and was only permitted return to Vietnam in 2005.

In the city we visited the Citadel and the Imperial City.  The Imperial City (Vietnamese: Kinh thành Huế) is a walled fortress and palace in the city of Huế, the former imperial capital of Vietnam.  It was the seat of the Nguyen Dynasty from 1805-1945.  Within the Imperial City is the Purple Forbidden City (Tử cấm thành), access to the innermost enclosure was restricted to the Nguyễn imperial family.  Much of the city was destoyed by cyclones, termites and war, but it is being restored and is a very grand and impressive site.

The Hue Citadel

Entrance to the Imperial City

Our last stop on the tour was the Tien Mu Pagoda, a pagoda on a hill with a stunning view and beautiful manicured bonsai trees.  Thiên Mụ Pagoda (Vietnamese: Chùa Thiên Mụ; also called Linh Mụ Pagoda) is a historic temple in the city of Huế in Vietnam. Its pagoda has seven stories and is the tallest religious building in Vietnam. The temple is often the subject of folk rhymes.

Souvenirs being sold just down the road from the pagoda.

 Beautiful views of the Perfume River

Evi, not so impressed with the photo ops anymore...

Beautiful bonsai trees

We had an action packed day and the last thing we would do is take a boat down the Perfume River to a stop near our hotel. Enjoying beautiful views of a dramatic, stormy sky, it was the perfect way to take some time to reflect on everything we had seen and done all day.

Funny sign we passed on out way back to the hostel. Good night.