March 23, 2016 – Hué, Viet Nam

Hué is a city in central Vietnam that was the seat of Nguyen Dynasty emperors and the national capital from 1802-1945. However, most of us who were alive in 1968 will remember Hué as the location of one of the bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War (called the American War by people in Vietnam). The city, and its historical sites, suffered great damage during the Tet Offensive at the hands of the Viet Cong, North Vietnamese Army, and subsequent American military bombing. It’s now nearly 50 years later, and we were interested to see if any reconstruction has taken place.

Crystal Serenity arrived at the port of Chan May (located about midway between Hué and Da Nang) at 7:00 am. Our travel agent had arranged a private tour for us here. We left the ship at 8:30, and our driver and guide were waiting for us. It was quite foggy and cool this morning, but it cleared up as the day went on.

It’s a 90-minute drive to Hué from Chan May, and our guide Hoan (pronounced as the Spanish name Juan) gave a running dialog of what we were seeing, as well as an introduction to Hué (pronounced Hway). It was a rural drive, with colorful sights to be seen – rice fields, Acacia trees, small villages, and a very large lagoon, which Hoan described as the biggest lagoon in Southeast Asia (54,000 acres of water surface).

Hué has a population of 400,000 (quite a change from Ho Chi Minh City’s 10 million) and it lies on both sides of the Perfume River. Hoan described Hué as “the capital of Buddhism in Vietnam.” At one time there were 400 Buddhist temples in Hué, but now there are only 200. There are also 10 universities in Hué, so there is a young vibe to the city.

Our first stop was to get out of our car and hop on for a cyclo ride. Cyclos are three-wheel bicycles where a passenger sits in a seat supported by the two front wheels, with a driver sitting behind, doing the pedaling.

We rode along in traffic, dodging cars and motorbikes for about 30 minutes in Hué. We crossed a bridge over the Perfume River, and then drove along the river for a while, on the way to the Citadel. We crossed a moat and through a gate in first wall of the Citadel. Inside that wall, and before the second wall, there are 50,000 people now living (many of them are descendants of the Ngyuen royal family, according to Hoan).

The Citadel was the center of the historic city and the exclusive residence of the royal family and its entourage. There are three walled enclosures, built concentrically around one another, containing the Imperial City and the Forbidden City – collectively known as the Citadel. This was the seat of power for 13 emperors between 1802 and 1945.

To get a feel for how big this complex is, the outer wall is nearly seven miles in circumference and stretches for three miles above the Perfume River. As we approached the gate leading into the Imperial City, we saw a huge Vietnamese flag atop a pole standing 121 feet high – tallest in the country.

A 23-foot tall wall and moat enclose a courtyard, where civil and religious ceremonies took place. Inside the Imperial City is the Forbidden Purple City where the royal family lived. Once through the gate into the Imperial City, there are many buildings, but directly in front of us was the Palace of Supreme Harmony (Thai Hoa Dien). 

The Palace of Supreme Harmony was built in 1803 and is a large hall with an ornate timber roof. It was used for the emperor’s official receptions, special events, and important ceremonies. On state occasions the emperor sat on an elevated throne. No photos are permitted inside. Hoan told us that the harmony part of the title refers to the harmony of Yin and Yang. Ginny decided to stay within the Imperial City, while Jim and Hoan proceeded into the Forbidden City.

During the time of the Nguyen Dynasty, only the emperor, the queen, nine separate ranks of concubines, female servants, and court eunuchs were allowed to enter the Forbidden Purple City Anyone else who dared enter was executed. Unfortunately, 80% of the Forbidden City, including the emperor’s home, was destroyed during the Vietnam War. Restoration is ongoing, but much more still needs to be done. This area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the UN is helping to fund some of the reconstruction.

Jim and Hoan did a lot of walking around within the Forbidden City (Ginny claimed they were gone for an hour). They passed by a vibrant red passageway outside the former home of the emperor, as well as the Royal Theater (built in 1825 and now open as a leading venue for traditional entertainment) and the Royal Library (1821) which was undamaged during the war.

Even with a lot of the buildings destroyed by war, we were still able to get a feeling for how beautiful and majestic this place once was.

After finishing our visit to the Citadel, we returned to our car and drove to the An Hien House, originally the residence of Emperor Tu Duc’s 18th daughter. As we understand it, Tu Duc was the last Nguyen emperor to rule with complete independence from the French. The house was not large, but Hoan said that it was a good example of a former aristocrat’s home, with a shrine to Buddha at the entryway, followed by a shrine to the family’s ancestors. We placed lighted incense sticks at both small shrines and then visited the home’s garden, which is mostly trees indigenous to the area.

This was followed by the nearby Heavenly Lady Pagoda, which is a symbol of the city of Hué. The site is dominated by a 7-story octagonal tower (Hué’s oldest pagoda), perched high on a hill above the river. Also interesting was a marble turtle (symbol for long life) and a very large bronze bell from 1710 (weight of 4,409 pounds) which can be heard from six miles away when rung.

Last, but not least, was the Tomb of Emperor Khai Dinh, who ruled from 1916 - 1925. Construction of this flamboyant tomb took 11 years, and he died at the age of 41, before the tomb was completed in 1931. Khai Dinh was widely seen as a puppet of the French, and he was not well-liked; even less so, because the tomb was built with money from a 30% tax increase forced on the people. He was the last emperor to be buried in a royal tomb in Hué, and it’s a real standout for a lot of reasons.

The tomb was built into the side of a hill and it rises steeply through three levels. There were about 150 steps to climb to reach the top level, so Ginny decided not to attempt that. Jim and Hoan easily made it and enjoyed the exercise. The first level is a courtyard where there are stone statues of mandarin honor guards and an elephant.

Up three more flights of stairs is the remarkable main building. The walls and ceiling are totally decorated with mosaics and porcelain decorations. The mosaics were constructed using fine china, ceramics, beer bottles, etc., which were broken into pieces. Under a gold-speckled canopy is a gilt bronze bust of Khai Dinh which was cast in Marseille in 1922. His remains are interred 60 feet below the statue.

This was a very good excursion to Hué – well worth the three hours riding round-trip from Chan May.

Jim & Ginny