Hue

Hue is the ancient capital of Vietnam, and home to centuries of emperors of a time long gone by. The city is strategically located in the centre of the country and along the banks of the Perfume River, making it the ideal spot for Vietnamese royalty to build their temples and tombs.

It was here we visited the Thien Mu Pagoda perched high above the banks of the Perfume River overlooking the ancient city. The pagoda with its tall pagoda structure and worshipping temple is still home today to a monastery of monks and considered a sacred site in Vietnam.

In the centre of the city is the massive and very impressive Royal Citadel, once the capital city of Vietnam this walled city surrounded by a moat is an impressive sight to see. You are greeted by the massive Flag Tower facing the river and then onto the Ngo Mon Gate the largest structure in tact in the imperial city, as most of the city was destroyed in the many wars this country has endured, and thus they have lost some wonderful ancient ruins. In the centre of the Imperial City is the Purple Forbidden City which was the home to emperor, his court and many wives (up to 400). The Forbidden City is similar in size and scale to the Forbidden City in Beijing, the main difference being very little is intact due to the destruction of the many wars. Fortunately the beautiful red Hien Lam Pavilion is still standing, the imperial temple for the royal family and shrine to all the past emperors. We strolled around the ruins and some of the restored structures of this most important place in Vietnamese history.

As each emperor took the power in Hue they each started construction of very large and impressive tombs to immortalize their lives. We were only able to see one of the amazing tombs and we visited the tomb of Tu Doc the longest reigning emperor and the only one not to have any children even though he had 140 wives. The tomb is an impressive structure overlooking a manmade lake surrounded by a beautiful park like setting. Even though the day was a cool and gloomy day the whole tomb area had a serene and tranquil feel to it, a true resting place for an emperor.

Our visit to the ancient city of Hue also included a wonderful boat trip down the Perfume River in a local wood boat, a tour the local market, and demonstration of the construction the iconic cone hats and also the making of incense. Again we felt rushed as there is so much history to uncover in this ancient capital.