We knew this was going to be a long and busy day but it was a trip we had been looking forward to for months and it didn't disappoint.
Hue:
The land on which Hue now stands belonged to the Kingdom of Champa until 1306 when it was ceded in a marriage treaty to the Vietnamese. Over the centuries it became a major town and cultural centre until in 1802 Nguyen Emperor Gia Long, in an attempt to unify the country, moved the capital there from Hanoi. Gia Long owed his throne to French military support which he found increasingly difficult to resist, and by 1885 the French had seized the entire city, leaving the emperors as unpopular nominal rulers who demanded crippling taxes to pay for their extravagant building projects and luxurious lifestyle.
In 1945, with the abdication of Emperor Bao Dai, Hue ceased to be the national capital and two years later a huge fire destroyed many of the city's wooden temples and palaces.
Hue had long been a centre of social and political unrest led by an anti-colonial educated elite. After the withdrawal of the French in 1954 the opposition focused on the strongly Catholic regime of President Diem. In May 1963, after troops fired on thousands of demonstrating Buddhist nationalists, the protests escalated into a series of self-immolations by monks and nuns and massive public demonstrations.
During the 1968 Tet Offensive the city was torn apart again when the North Vietnamese Army held the city for a brutal 25 days: nearly 3000 bodies of their victims were later discovered in mass graves around the city. In what has been described as 'the most bitter battle of the entire war' (Stanley Karnow), Hue was all-but levelled in the 10 day house-to-house counter-assault by Southern and American troops. Seven years later the North Vietnamese Army were back to liberate the city, a pivotal position as the first major town south of the Seventeenth Parallel.
The mammoth task of rebuilding Hue has been going on for nearly 30 years and has been boosted by, in 1993, UNESCO listing it as a World Heritage Site.
Getting there:
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| Doreen, Peter, Val, Liz, Brian, Steve, Sue and John: don't know what happened to Barbara? |
'Pass of the Ocean Clouds'
The bus left at 8 am and we were to take Highway 1 over the Hai Van Pass. Thirty kilometres north of Da Nang, this is the first, and most dramatic, of three mountain spurs off the Truong Son Range that cuts across Vietnam's pinched central waist all the way to the sea. These mountains once formed a national frontier between Dai Viet and Champa, and Hai Van's continuing strategic importance is marked by a succession of forts, pillboxes and ridge-line defensive walls erected by Nguyen-dynasty Vietnamese, French, Japanese and American forces.
This thousand-metre high barrier forms a climatic frontier blocking the southward penetration of cold, damp winter airstreams which often, unfortunately including the day we were there, bury the tops under thick cloud banks.
We stopped .....
......having been warned to keep away from hawkers and pick-pockets.
From the top of the pass there were some superb views over Da Nang Bay, with glimpses of the rail lines looping and tunnelling along the cliff.
You don't get service stations like this on the M6!
Thien Mu Pagoda:
Our first stop was the Thien Mu Pagoda, also known as Linh Mu ( 'Pagoda of the Celestial Lady'), which stands on the site of an ancient Cham temple and, founded in 1601, is the oldest pagoda in Hue.
Legend has it that in 1601 Lord Nguyen Hoang left Hanoi to govern the southern territories. Upon arriving at the Perfume River (named from the tree resin and blossom it carries) he met an elderly woman who told him to walk east along the river carrying a smouldering incence stick and to build his city where the incence stopped burning. He later erected a pagoda in gratitude to the lady whom he believed to be a messenger from the gods.
The octagonal seven-level pagoda known as Phuoc Duyen Tower is the most prominent single structure in Thien Mu Pagoda; standing on the crest of the hill, the tower is visible from far away. But that’s not all there is to the pagoda complex. The compound is actually spread out over two hectares of land, with other structures around and behind the tower. In fact, the Phuoc Duyen tower is far younger than the pagoda complex itself; the the tower was constructed by Emperor Thieu Tri in 1844, over two hundred years after the pagoda was founded in 1601.
The Phuoc Duyen tower is a 68-foot-high octagonal brick stupa, stepped into seven levels. Each level is devoted to one Buddha who came to Earth in human form, represented in each level of the tower as a single Buddha statue arranged to face the south.
To the tower’s right (due east) is a pavilion containing an eight-foot-high stone stele set on the back of a giant marble turtle. The stele was carved in 1715 to commemorate the Lord Nguyen Phuc Chu's recently-completed renovation of the pagoda; the Lord himself penned the text inscribed on the stele, which describes the pagoda's new buildings, extols Buddhism and praises the monk who helped the Lord spread the faith in the region.
The main sanctuary, also known as Dai Hung Shrine, is accessible through a gate and a long walkway crossing a pleasant courtyard. The sanctuary hall is divided into two separate segments - the front hall is separated from the main sanctuary by a number of folding wooden doors. The sanctuary hall enshrines three statues of the Buddha (which symbolizes past, present, and future lives), as well as several other important relics, including a bronze gong and a gilded board adorned with inscriptions by the Lord Nguyen Phuc Chu.
During the summer of 1963, Thien Mu Pagoda, like many in South Vietnam, became a hotbed of anti-government protest. South Vietnam's Buddhist majority had long been discontented with the rule of President Ngo Dinh Diem since his rise to power in 1955. Diem had shown strong favouritism towards Catholics and discrimination against Buddhists in the army, public service and distribution of government aid. In the countryside, Catholics were de facto exempt from performing corvée labour and in some rural areas, Catholic priests led private armies against Buddhist villages. Discontent with Diem exploded into mass protest in Huế during the summer of 1963 when nine Buddhists died at the hand of Diem's army and police on Vesak, the birthday of Gautama Buddha. In May 1963, a law against the flying of religious flags was selectively invoked; the Buddhist flag was banned from display on Vesak while the Vatican flag was displayed to celebrate the anniversary of the consecration of Archbishop Ngo Dinh Thuc, Diem's brother. The Buddhists defied the ban and a protest that began with a march starting from Từ Đàm Pagoda to the government broadcasting station was ended when government forces opened fire. As a result, Buddhist protests were held across the country and steadily grew in size, asking for the signing of a Joint Communique to end religious inequality. Thien Mu Pagoda was a major organising point for the Buddhist movement and was often the location of hunger strikes, barricades and protests.
The temple also houses the Austin motor vehicle in which Thich Quang Duc was driven to his self-immolation in Saigon in 1963 against the Diem regime. It was the first of a series of self-immolations by members of the Buddhist clergy, which brought the plight of Buddhists to the attention of the international community.
Lunch:
This was an unexpected surprise as we'd all been expecting to have to fend for ourselves (and had come with boxes of goodies from breakfast). Instead, we were taken to the Y Thao Garden Restaurant , a restaurant in a lovely garden setting near the western gate of the Citadel.
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| Spring rolls decorated on a formed peacock. |
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| Vegetable soup |
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| Grilled shrimp (with tea finger bowl) |
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| Hue speciality pancake (Banh khoai) |
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| Mixed fig salad with pork and shrimp |
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| Mixed steamed lotus rice |
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| Green bean cake formed fruit |
Imperial Citadel:
In the early 19th century Emperor Gia Long laid out a vast citadel, comprising three concentric enclosures, ranged behind the prominent flag tower. Within the citadel's outer wall lies the Imperial City (containing administrative offices, parks and dynastic temples), with the royal palaces of the Forbidden Purple City at its centre. Some of these Imperial edifices have been, or are in the process of being, restored, but wars, fires, typhoons, floods and termites have all taken their toll.
In accordance with ancient tradition, the citadel was built in an auspicious location chosen to preserve the all-important harmony between the emperor and his subjects, heaven and earth, man and nature. Just in case this wasn't enough, the whole 520 hectares are enclosed within 7m-high, 20m-thick brick and earth walls built with the help of French engineers, and encircled by a moat and canal. Eight villages had to be relocated when construction began in 1805, and over the next 30 years tens of thousands of workmen laboured to complete more than 300 palaces, temples, tombs and other royal buildings.
The Flag Tower (Cot Co):
Also known as Ky Dai (the King's Knight), the flag tower dominates the southern battlements.
It is in fact three squat brick terraces topped with a flagpole first erected in 1807.
The yellow-starred Viet Cong flag flew briefly here during the 1968 Tet Offensive, and the continuing military feel of the place was very prominent on our visit with military music blaring from loud speakers and army reservists thronging the area.
The Imperial City:
Popularly known as Dai Noi ('the Great Enclosure'), this follows the same symmetrical layout as Beijing's Forbidden City and has 4 gates, one in each wall. It must have been an awe-inspiring sight in its heyday: pavilions of rich red and gilded lacquer, glazed yellow and green roof tiles and lotus-filled ponds all surveyed by the emperor with his entourage of haughty mandarins. Many of its buildings were badly neglected even before the fierce battle of Tet 1968, and by 1975 only 20 of the original 148 were left standing.
Ngo Mon Gate:
In 1833 Emperor Minh Mang replaced an earlier, much less impressive gate with the present dramatic entrance to the Imperial City.
Ngo Mon, ( the 'Noon' or 'Southwest Gate'), has five entrances. The Emperor alone used the central entrance paved with stone. Two smaller doorways on either side were for the civil and military mandarins, who only rated brick paving, while another pair of giant openings in the wings allowed access to the royal elephants.
Perched on top of Ngo Mon is an elegant pavilion called the Five Phoenix Watchtower as its nine roofs are said to resemble five birds in flight when viewed from above. Emperors used the watchtower each year for the declaration of the Lunar New Year and the announcement of the civil service exam results. It was here in 1945 that the last emperor, Bao Dai, abdicated in 1945.
We walked north from Ngo Mon .....
....between two square lakes .....
.... and a display of traditional Vietnamese music.
Thai Hoa Palace (the Palace of Supreme Harmony):
We passed a pair of kylin, mythical dew-drinking animals that are harbingers of peace .....
...... to reach Thai Hoa Palace ( the 'Palace of Supreme Harmony'), the most spectacular of Hue's palaces ...
..... with its mosaic dragons and yellow-lacquered roof tiles.
This was the throne palace where major ceremonies such as coronations or royal birthdays took place and foreign ambassadors were received.
First constructed in 1805, the present building dates from 1833 when the French floor tiles and glass door panels were added. It was the only major building in the Imperial City to escape bomb damage, but the throne room's 80 ironwood pillars had been eaten away by termites and humidity and were on the point of collapse when rescue work began in 1991. During the restoration every column, weighing 2 tonnes apiece, had to be replaced manually and then painted with 12 coats of lacquer, each coat taking one month to dry! Unfortunately we were able to record none of this as photography is not allowed.
Thai Binh Reading Pavilion:
Of the forty buildings which made up the Purple Forbidden City, only the emperor's Reading Pavilion, situated near the Royal Theatre, has survived
Thái Bình Lâu (Royal Reading Pavilion) is a two-storey wooden building constructed between 1919 and 1921 during the reign of Emperor Khải Định. This house, which is 9.55m high, has a thatched roof, that represents yin and yang, and gorgeous gold enamel decorations on the roof.
Hien Lam Cac Pavilion:
The Hien Lam Cac Pavilion (Pavilion of Everlasting Clarity), was built in 1821-22 by Emperor Minh Mang in memory of the mandarins who served the Nguyen dynasty. At 13m in height, consisting of three storeys, this is the tallest building in the citadel. Because of the holiness of the Pavilion, the Emperors Nguyen had decreed that no other construction built in the Citadel should be higher.
In front of the pavilion stand the nine dynastic urns, which were cast in bronze in 1835-37 and which each weigh between 2 and 2.5t. Each urn is dedicated to an emperor, symbolising one of his qualities.
| Dynastic Mieu Temple : |
Situated southwest of the Citadel and facing south, The Mieu Temple is dedicated to ten Emperors of the Nguyen dynasty. Built by Emperor Minh Mang in 1821, it presents a 9-compartment main building and a 11-compartment front building, together connected in the "double" architecture with two bays on east and west sides It is roofed with yellow enameled tiles and on the ridge rests a wine gourd decorated with Phap Lam enamel.
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| Dragon-head drainage spout |
The middle altar was dedicated to Emperor Gia Long and his two Queens (Thua Thien and Thuan Thien).
Phung Tien Temple:
After such a lot of 'culture-vulturing' in the Citadel, 30 minutes of complete fun and frivolity: a ride in a cyclo, the local Vietnamese version of the trishaw, with the passenger in front of the cyclist.
All aboard!!
It was a great way to see parts of the city we wouldn't otherwise have seen.
Some of the drivers were more forthcoming than others. Sue's (who had learned his English from his mother who presumably, judging by his age, had learned her's from the American servicemen) was very vocal in pointing out interesting landmarks as they passed them .... and in agreeing with her that it probably was wise to put her camera away as they passed a large police/military base. Interestingly, it was next door to an equally imposing and large compound that he explained was a home for 'street children' rounded-up by the authorities in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (aka Saigon).
What had started off as single-file soon involved some overtaking and macho rivalry.
And, of course, Steve couldn't be left out!!
Even though it was rush hour, the locals took it all in good part.
And sometimes it was best to close your eyes and hope!
Khai Dinh's Tomb:
Last stop of the day was the tomb of Khai Dinh , the penultimate Nguyen emperor ( 1916-25). He was a vain man, a puppet of the French and very taken with French style and architecture. Although he only reigned for nine years it took eleven years (1920-31) to complete his tomb and it cost so much he had to levy additional taxes to pay for it. He ended up with 'a monumental confection of European baroque, highly-ornamental Sino-Vietnamese style and even elements of Cham architecture' (Rough Guide). That's one way of putting it!
Unlike previous Vietnamese dynasties, which buried their kings in ancestral villages, the Nguyen built themselves magnificent royal mausoleums in the valley of the Perfume River. Khai Dinh's tomb is set on a wooded hill and , unlike the mausoleums of his predecessors, has neither gardens nor living quarters and only one main structure. It is also unique among the royal tombs in Hue, Vietnam in that whereas other royal tombs are expansive and invite respectful reflection, Khai Dinh built his final resting place to be monumental in style and bombastic in execution.
Plus, if the local tour guides are to be believed, Khai Dinh's tomb was purposefully designed to be difficult to visit - the tomb was built on the side of a mountain, and its inner sanctum is 127 steps up from street level, a fact that must have grated on the court officials who wererequired on pain of their lives to pay their respects to the late emperor.
From the street facing Khai Dinh’s Royal Tomb, visitors must climb up a series of steps to reach the wrought-iron gate that limits access to the tomb.
At street level, the tomb looks gray and imposing – the Emperor chose to build his tomb out of modern materials like concrete and wrought iron. The tomb is also wired for electricity, a first in Hue tomb design. Despite the Eastern design sensibility, a large Western influence can be seen in the tomb’s details. The Emperor visited the Marseilles Colonial Exhibition in France in 1922, which may have accounted for the significant European influence on the tomb’s design.
The approach is via a series of grandiose, dragon-ornamented staircases, the first of which leads to the salutation courtyard ......
........with a complete honour guard of mandarins, elephants, and horses. This honour guard, unlike the rest of the royal tomb, is carved out of stone, and occupy two rows on each side of the forecourt.
....and a stele-house.
There are a further four terraces until we reached the principal temple,
Inside, everything, walls , ceiling, furniture, is decorated to the hilt, writhing with dragons and peppered with symbolic references and classic imagery. most of this lavish display is worked in glass and porcelain mosaic.
The lavishness may well reflect Khai Dinh's reputation as a particularly flamboyant dresser. It was rumoured that he brought back a string of fairy lights from France and proceeded to wear them around the palace, twinkling, until the batteries wore out!
Unfortunately photography is forbidden inside.
Life-size statue of a martial emperor standing as a conqueror.
This is a closeup of the ceramic mosaic that makes up the walls of the center row within the Thien Dinh Palace at the top of the tomb. The walls and partitions of the palace’s left and right rows are made of undecorated imitation stone, but the walls in the middle row – housing the crypt and the places for the Emperor’s “cult” – are a riot of colour and texture, of the type that can be found nowhere else in Vietnam. The mosaics are the work of Vietnamese artisans using broken porcelain vases and bits of glass.
The rear of the palace reveals the piece de resistance: a life-size gilded bronze statue of the enthroned Emperor Khai Dinh, sitting under a concrete canopy decorated with a ceramic-and-glass mosaic. The statue was cast in France in 1920; the canopy weighs over a ton, belying its lacy appearance.
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