January 14, 2017

January 14, 2017

In the middle ages, Vietnam fractured into fiefdoms and feudal warfare. In 1802 an emperor emerged that united the whole country for the first time as it exists today. He moved the capital here to Hue in the middle of the country and built a fortified citadel. His subsequent Nguyen Dynasty did extensive construction. This Hue complex of monuments is now a World Heritage Site.

We started the day with a cruise on the local Perfume River in a modern Dragon boat. As with many of our tours, the operators have items for sale on the side. This cruise turned into a shopping spree after I modeled a bright red silk-like robe for our fellow passengers. Despite starting it, Aimee and I didn’t buy anything.

Just west of the city we dock at Thien Mu Pagoda (Heavenly Lady Pagoda) atop a small hill. This Buddhist temple built in 1601 is the oldest in Hue. Its most visible structure is a 7-story stupa. This temple was also a hotbed of activist anti-colonial monks, one of whom famously immolated himself in 1963.

Apparently this temple is also a monk training center as we see many young boys in robes and tonsured haircuts. While one is beating a gong in the temple, the rest have cleaning duty.

Back on the bus, we drive south of Hue to visit two tombs from the Nguyen dynasty. The first, the Tomb of Minh Mang, built around 1826, is a large complex of gardens, Oriental gates, bridges, Koi ponds, and temples. It is very picturesque and serene.

The second tomb, of Khai Dinh, was totally different. It is built on the side of a steep hill. We climb dragon stairs, past a series of terraces with stone guards, to the mausoleum.  It was magnificent, containing several rooms completely covered in brightly colored mosaics. Looking closer we see the mosaic consists of broken ceramics.

Back in Hue we had lunch, another set menu arranged by our guide. This set menu is a good way for us to sample different varieties of the local cuisine. This time we had Banh Khoai, which turned out to be a Viet form of tacos. And Bun Bo, which was some form of rice paste with a topping.  And we had noodle soup, which is a favorite of Asians.

After lunch, we drove to the Citadel of Hue as it begins to mist. While cloudy the whole trip, so far we have managed to avoid any precipitation. It finally caught up to us. Hue has a reputation for having the worst weather in Vietnam.

Hue Citadel is an enormous walled and moated city. Inside, close to the river is the Imperial City, another walled compound based on the Forbidden City of Beijing. Sadly, it was another victim of the Vietnam War. During the Tet Offensive of 1968, the North Vietnam Army occupied Hue Citadel for several weeks. In the ensuing battle to recapture the town, the Imperial City was pummeled in house-to-house fighting.

Our guide gave us a tour of the few remaining structures. It must have been magnificent.

Our group hires some Bicycle Rickshaws to pedal us around some farther reaches of the Citadel. It sure beats walking around this gigantic walled city.