Well constructed in a majestic natural setting on the banks of the Huong River (Perfume River) in Binh Tri Thien Province, Hue was once the imperial capital of the Nguyen Kings and has been one of the historical, cultural and intellectual centers of the country. Hue is famous for its imperial architecture consisting of citadels, fortresses, royal palaces, temples, pagodas and splendid mausoleums of the Emperors of the Nguyen dynasty and its poetic beauty. Hue City has been approved by UNESCO as World Cultural Heritage. The people and the scenery of this royal city will certainly fascinate its visitors. Come and see Hue!
Hue - A Glimpse of History
The Citadel City of Phu Xuan was built on the site of present day Hue in 1607 by Lords Nguyen Hoang. In 1744, Phu Xuan became the capital of the southern part of Vietnam under the rule of the Nguyen Lords. The Tay Son troops occupied the city from 1786 until 1802, when it fell to Nguyen Anh. He renamed the city Hue and crowned himself Emperor Gia Long, thus founding the Nguyen dynasty, which ruled the country for 143 years. Immediately upon his accession, Gia Long began the decades-long construction of the citadel, the Imperial City and the Forbidden Purple City. On August 24th, 1945, Emperor Bao Dai abdicated and became the last emperor of the Nguyen dynasty, and brought Vietnam’s monarchy to an end.
Citadel
Hue's citadel, which covers an area of 52 sq. km, was constructed between 1804 and 1833 by Emperor Gia Long, on a site carefully chosen by geomancers. The citadel is encircled by a zigzag moat which is 30 meters across and four meters deep. The Imperial City (Dai Noi) is made up of three different walled enclosures.
The Imperial Enclosure (Hoang Thanh) and the Forbidden Purple City (Tu Cam Thanh) are enclosed within the Exterior Enclosure (Kinh Thanh).
The Exterior Enclosure was built within 27 years (1805 - 1832) in the style of the French military architect Vauban. The wall is made of stone, bricks and earth, and measured 8 meters high and 20 meters thick. Ten large fortified gates topped with watch towers were built at various points along the wall. Towards the Chuong Duc Gate are 9 Holy Canons, each of which is five metres long and weighs 12 tones, symbolizing for the protectors of the Palace and Kingdom.
The Imperial Enclosure, which is six meters high and 2.5 km long, is where the emperor's official functions were carried out. Inside the enclosure are palaces, temples and flower gardens. The Imperial Enclosure is accessible via four richly decorated gates, of which the Ngo Mon (Noon Gate) is the most famous, topped by the Lau Ngu Phung, the Five Phoenix Watch Tower, from which the emperor used to preside over formal ceremonies.
The Forbidden Purple City, the innermost enclosure, was reserved solely for the private life of the emperor and the royal family. It is encircled by a brick wall 1.2 m high and 4 meters thick with seven gates set into the wall.
Lang Co
Lang Co is a paradisiacal peninsula of palm-shaded sand with a crystal-clear turquoise blue lagoon on one side and many kilometers of beachfront facing the South China Sea on the other. Looking from the top of the Hai Van Pass, Lang Co appears as pretty as a picture.
Royal Tombs
The imperial tombs of the Nguyen Kings lie scattered on the hillsides either side of the Perfume River to the west of Hue City. Although the dynasty had 13 Kings, only seven of them reigned until their deaths, and thus put to rest in this valley of the Nguyen Kings. Almost every mausoleum was carefully planned and constructed by the emperor himself when he was still on the throne.
Each tomb has a large brick-paved courtyard containing stone figures of elephants, saddled horses soldiers, civil and military mandarins. In front of the tomb stands the stele pavilion containing the tall marble or stone stele engraved with the biography of the deceased king written by his successor; however, Emperor Tu Duc wrote his own. There are temples and houses built around the mausoleum where to worship the deceased king and queen and for the king's concubines, servants and the soldiers who guarded the tomb. Setting foot in any of the tombs, one feels a sense of admiration for the noble grandeur and elegant simplicity of the architecture.
Tomb of Emperor Minh Mang
Planned by the King himself, The tomb was constructed one year before his death in 1840 and was finished by his successor Thieu Tri in 1843. The tomb is perhaps the most splendid of the royal tombs. The setting blends the beauty of the nature with the majestic architecture and superb stone sculpture created by its many anonymous craftsmen.
Tomb of Emperor Tu Duc
Tu Duc’s Mausoleum, 7 km southwest of Hue City, was constructed between 1864 and 1867 and is set amidst frangipani trees and a grove of pines. According to the king, to die is to begin a new life in a new empire, so that he designed an exquisitely harmonious tomb for him which resembles a royal palace in miniature for use both before and after his death. Visitors to the tomb will be impressed by its majesty and serenity.
Tu Duc is the fourth king of the Nguyen dynasty who ruled from 1848 to 1883, the longest reign of any of the Nguyen Kings. He had 104 wives and thousands of concubines; however, he had no offspring.
Thien Mu Pagoda
Thien Mu Pagoda was built in 1601 by Lords Nguyen Hoang on a hillock on the left bank of the Perfume River. It is one of the most ancient and famous pagodas in Vietnam. The symbolic feature of the pagoda is its seven-storey octagonal Phuoc Duyen Tower, 21 m high, built by Emperor Thieu Tri in 1844. Each of the seven storeys represents a different reincarnation of Buddha.
In 1710, Lords Nguyen Phuc Chu had an enormous bell cast for the pagoda and named it Dai Hong Chung, which weighs 2052 kilos. The bell can be audible 10 km away. He also wrote a short history of the pagoda which was engraved on a stele of 2.5 m high mounted on a massive marble tortoise. The legend of its construction must also be an interesting story to hear when seeing this pagoda. The image of Thien Mu Pagoda with its bell sound has become the symbol for Hue and has entered the literature, poetry and music of the Vietnamese.
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