BOAT TRIPS ( Perfume River Cruise)
Many sights in the vicinity of Hue, including Thuan An Beach, Thien Mu Pagoda and several of the Royal Tombs, can be reached by a journey along the Perfume River. Rates for chartering a boat are around US$ 6 for an hour's sightseeing on the river, a half-day charter to one or more sites will cost around US$ 15. Ask directly at any of the four main river-boat moorings on the south side of the river; it's cheaper than chartering through an agency and you can negotiate your own route. Be clear on your requirements, preferably in writing: you may find yourself paying more for lunch at the family's restaurant than for the boat. Most hotels and travellers' cafes are keen to push shared tours, which typically take in the tombs of Tu Duc, Thieu Tri, Minh Mang and the Thien Mu Pagoda. Prices vary, but are generally implausibly cheap at around US$4 per person (which may include lunch but not entry fees). The journey takes about six hours, and usually runs from 8am to 2pm, Given the time constraints you'll need to catch a motorbike to get from the moorings to the first two tombs. The third tomb's less than a kilometre's walk, but they'll try to get you on a bike for that one as well. Once the various entry fees have been factored in. main' travellers wish they had cycled or arranged a motorbike instead.
CITADEL
Most of Hue's sights and a sizeable chunk of its population reside within the 2m-thick, 10km-long walls of its Citadel (KinhThanh) on the north bank of the river. Begun in 1804 on a site chosen by Emperor Gia Long's geomancers, it was originally made of earth and later strengthened with brick
Imperial Enclosure
Modeled after the famed Forbidden City of Beijing, the grounds were surrounded by a wall (see photo) 2 kilometers by 2 kilometers, and the walls were surrounded by a moat. The water from the moat was taken from the Huong River (Perfume River) that flows through Huế. This structure is called the citadel.
Inside the citadel was the Imperial City, with a perimeter of almost 2.5 kilometers.
Inside the Imperial City was the imperial enclosure called the Purple Forbidden City in Vietnamese, a term that mimics that used by the Chinese for their own Forbidden City. The enclosure was reserved for the Nguyen royal family. Like its Chinese counterpart, Vietnam's Purple Forbidden City included many palaces, gates and courtyards.
Ngo Mon Gate
The principal entrance to the Imperial Enclo sure is Ngo Mon Gate (Noontime Gate; 1833), which faces the Flag Tower. The central passageway with its yellow doors was reserved for the use of the emperor, as was the bridge across the lotus pond. Other mere mortals had to use the gates to either side and the paths around the pond. On top of the gate is Ngu Phung (Belvedere of the Five Phoenixes), where the emperor appeared on important occasions, most notably for the promulgation of the lunar calendar- On 30 August 1945 the Nguyen dynasty ended here when Emperor Bao Dai abdicated to a delegation sent by Ho Chi Minh's Provisional Revolutionary Government.
Thai Hoa Palace
Built in 1803, Thai Hoa Palace (Palace of Supreme Harmony) is a spacious hall with an ornate timber roof supported by 80 carved and lacquered columns. It was used for the emperor's official receptions and other important court ceremonies, such as anniversaries and coronations. During state occasions the emperor sat on his elevated throne and his mandarins paid homage. Nine stelae divide the two-level courtyard into separate areas for officials in each of the nine ranks of the manuarinate; administrative mandarins stood to one side while the military mandarins stood to the other.
Halls of the Mandarins
The buildings in which the mandarins pre pared for court ceremonies were restored in 1977. The structures are located directly behind Thai Hoa Palace on either side of a courtyard, where there are two gargantuan bronze vac dong (cauldrons) dating from the 17th century. The opposite hall houses a collection of gowns and porcelain from the Nguyen era. Behind the courtyard are the ruins of the Can Chanh Palace, a large hall for receptions.
Forbidden Purple City
Behind the palaces, in the very centre of the Imperial Enclosure, the Forbidden Purple City (Tu Cam Thanh) is a citadel-within-a-citadel-within-a-citadel. Reserved solely for the personal use of the emperor, the only servants allowed into this compound were eunuchs who would pose no threat to the royal concubines. It was almost entirely destroyed in the wars, and a large part is now draped in green foliage. Take care as you wander around the ruins as there are some gaping holes. To the right the Royal Theatre begun in 1826 and later home to the National Conservatory of Music, has been rebuilt on the former foundations. Cultural performances are held here daily at 9am, 10am. 2.30pm and 3.30pm. Behind this, the two-storey Emperor's Reading Room (Thai Binh Lau), decorated with interesting roof mosaics, was the only part of the Forbidden Purple City to have escaped damage during the French reoccupation of Hue in 1947
Museum of Royal Fine Arts
The beautiful hall that houses the Museum of Royal Fine Arts (3 Đ Le Truc; Time 7am-5pm) was built in 1845 and restored when the museum was founded in 1923. The walls are inscribed with poems written in nom (Viet namese script). The most precious artefacts were lost during the American War, but the ceramics, furniture and royal clothing that remain are well worth the visit. The outside courtyard has interesting ceremonial cannons stone court sculptures and large brass bells and vats.
Dieu De National Pagoda
The entrance to Dieu De National Pagoda (Quoc Tu Dieu De; 102 Đ Bach Dang), built under Emperor Thieu Tri’s rule (1841-47), is along Dong Ba Canal. It is one of the city's three "national pagodas', which were once under the direct patronage of the emperor. Dieu De is famous for its four low towers, one to either side of the gate and two flanking the sanctuary. There are bells in two of the towers; the others contain a drum and a stele dedicated to the emperor. During the regime of Ngo Dinh Diem (1955-63) and through the mid-1960s, Dieu De National Pagoda was a stronghold of Buddhist and student opposition to the South Vietnamese government and the war. In 1966 the pagoda was stormed by police, who confiscated the opposition movement's radio equipment and arrested many monks, laypeople and students. The pavilions on either side of the main sanctuary entrance contain the 18 La Ha, whose rank is just below that of Bodhisattva, and the eight Kim Cang, protectors of Buddha. In the back row of the main dais is Thich Ca Buddha flanked by two assistants.
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