Hue is an ancient city located in the central part of Vietnam. It lies on the banks of the Fragrant River. For several centuries, Hue was the capital of the Nguyen Empire, which is why a huge number of historical and cultural attractions have been preserved here - imperial palaces, tombs, pagodas. The city was and remains the main center of education, culture and religion in Vietnam.
Imperial citadel
The Imperial Citadel is the main attraction of Hue City. This is a city within a city. Several historical sites are located within the citadel:
- Forbidden Purple City;
- Imperial Palace Complex;
- Palace of the Supreme Harmony;
- several temples and tombs.
Forbidden Purple City
The rulers of many countries wanted a secluded place where only a select few would have access. In Vietnam, such a place was the Forbidden Purple City, in which the imperial family and their entourage lived. The city existed for more than 500 years, getting into which was the dream of almost all residents of the country. But in 1968 the American army completely destroyed the city. Almost nothing remained of the former luxury - only small fragments of the library and theater buildings. Not so long ago, the Forbidden Purple City was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Imperial palace complex
The Imperial Palace Complex is located in the center of the Imperial Citadel and consists of the Thai Hoa Palace, courtyard, Midday Gate, Dai Kung Gate, a garden and several temples. The territory of the complex is vast, there is a lot of greenery and there is even a tennis court. Here you can also visit the museum, where you will see the robes of the great emperors, and where you will be told in detail about the city and its centuries-old history.
In the vicinity of the city of Hue, there are 13 tombs of the Vietnamese emperors. It was accepted that each of the emperors, during his lifetime, had to build a tomb for himself. Although these places cannot be called simply tombs, they are more like palace complexes - huge territories on which gardens, ponds, palaces, temples and tombs are located. In my opinion, although not everyone will agree with me, not all tombs are worthy of attention, many are in disrepair for a number of different reasons. The following ones seemed to me the most interesting:
Tomb of Emperor Minh Manga
Emperor Minh Mang, the second emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty, ruled the country from 1820 to 1840. The emperor had 32 wives and 107 concubines, he became a father 142 times. Min Mang was a very superstitious person, he believed that if someone outraged the burial, then the family of this deceased would end its existence forever. Therefore, no one knows exactly where, on the territory of the tomb, there is a secret place in which the body of the emperor is buried. His tomb is one of the most beautiful and largest in Hue.
Tomb You Duka
Emperor Ty Duc is the fourth emperor of Vietnam. He ruled Vietnam from 1847 to 1883. Because of his actions, Vietnam lost its independence. By nature, he was a creative person, wrote poetry, and was famous for his great love of luxury. He is remembered in history as an indecisive, weak and unsuccessful ruler. And also the fact that he had more than 100 wives. Ty Duc designed his own tomb himself; it took more than 12 years to build it. He loved this place so much that during his lifetime, he moved out of the palace and settled here. More than 50 buildings are located on the territory of the tomb with an area of 12 hectares.
Tomb of Khai Dinh
Khai Dinh was the last emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty. He ruled Vietnam for 9 years, from 1916 to 1925. He was remembered in history as a reformer. The tomb was built during the life of Khai Dinh, on the side of a mountain. To get into it, you need to overcome many steps. The architecture of the complex combines both Vietnamese and European traditions.
Entering the inside of the tomb, you will feel the entire royal scale - the painted ceiling, ceramics, stained-glass windows. The inner hall, where the relics of the emperor are kept, is buried in gold. And the view of the outskirts of the city is simply magnificent!
Bachma National Park
In the vicinity of Hue, there is the Batma National Park, which also deserves considerable attention of tourists. The park is located on an area of more than 200 sq. km, and the main attraction of the park is the mountain of the same name with a height of about 1500 meters.
The flora and fauna of the park is amazing and diverse; there are many hiking routes developed for tourists. The most popular route - "Pheasant trail", runs at an altitude of 500 meters through a tropical forest and ends near a clean mountain stream with many small waterfalls.
Everyone who visits the city of Hue will find and discover something new. Someone will be inspired by its history and help to better understand this country, someone will be charmed by nature and give new strength, and someone will want to come back here again and again, to the city of centuries-old traditions, hiding many mysteries and secrets.
