Hue - ancient capital

iHue is located in Thua Thien prefecture and is in the central part of Vietnam. Located 660 km from Ha Noi and 1080 km from Saigon, Hue has always been considered the fulcrum of Vietnam's two rice baskets, the Red river delta and the Mekong delta. Hue became the name of Vietnam's most well known ancient capital because of the local mispronunciation of the word Hoá in Thuân Hoá.

Since the 16th century, Thuan Hoa, due to its strategic location, has been a very prosperous area. The Nguyen Lord chose this area to be their headquarters. Nguyen Anh made it Vietnam's capital city in 1802 after he defeated the Tay Son and ascended to the throne with the name Gia Long. King Gia Long (1762-1819) was credited for building and fortifying Hue from the very beginning. Since then, successive king of the Nguyen Dynasty has added to the foundation set by his predecessors.

Although Hue has sustained much damage from natural disasters and wars, the city and most of the architecture remain. As a capital city, Hue is relatively young since the Nguyen dynasty only ended some 50 years ago (1802-1945). Of the ancient capitals in Vietnam, Hue is the only one that still has the intact appearance of a complex of the monarchic capital consisting of walls, palaces, and royal tombs. Consequently, Hue is among Vietnam's most valued national treasure in terms of history and heritage

In 1981, after visiting Hue, Mr. Amadou-Mahtar-M'Bow, then Director General of UNESCO proclaimed Hue to be "a masterpiece of urban poetry". On December 11, 1993, UNESCO's Director General, Federico Mayor acknowledged the Complex of Monuments of Hue to be a World Culture Heritage.

Some attractions in Hue

Thien Mu Pagoda

Built in 1601 between a river and a pine forest, the Thien Mu Pagoda ("Heavenly Lady Pagoda") in Hue is one of the oldest and prettiest religious buildings in the country. Among the many interesting artifacts housed at the complex is the car that took the monk Thich Quang Duc to his self-immolation in 1963 Saigon.

The Thien Mu Pagoda has its roots in a local legend: an old woman once appeared on the hill and said that a Lord would come and build a Buddhist pagoda for the country's prosperity. Hearing of this, Lord Nguyen Hoang ordered the construction of the pagoda of the "Heavenly Lady" (Thien Mu).

Construction began in 1601 under Lord Nguyen Hoang, and it was renovated by Lord Nguyen Phuc Tan in 1665. Lord Nguyen Phuc Chu contributed a great bell in 1710 and and a stele erected on the back of a marble tortoise in 1715. The Phuoc Dien Tower in front was added in 1864 by Emperor Thieu Tri.

Imperial City

The main reason to visit Hue is the citadel of the old capital, along with the royal tombs scattered around the countryside. In the early 19th century the Emperor Gia Long chose the present site at Hue. The Emperor wished to recreate, in abbreviated form, a replica of the Forbidden City in Beijing. This vast structure is an unusual hybrid, built according to the notions of Chinese geomancy but in the style of the noted French military architect Sebastien de Vauban.


Imperial city

The lower part of the gate is stone, while on top is the “Belvedere of the Five Phoenixes” where the emperor appeared on important occasions, and where the last emperor abdicated to Ho Chi Minh’s Revolutionary Government in 1945.

Thai Hoa Palace : (the Palace of Supreme Peace) was built in 1805 in the style of architectural designs made for the construction of the other structures like shrines, palaces and mausoleums in the imperial city of Hue in the 19th century. The size of the structure is about 1,300 sq. meters. The main hall is 43.3 meters long and 30.3 meters wide. The palace is made of two separate halls. The front hall is called ante-chamber and the other is billed as the main hall where is erected throne of the king.

This is the most significant place in the royal palace. It was used for the king's official receptions and other important court ceremonies such as anniversaries and coronations.

Thai Hoa Palace

The Royal's Tomb: The Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945) is the last of Vietnam's Royal families. In all, there were 13 kings, however, due various reasons, only seven had tombs. The seven imperial tombs were planned and constructed in a hilly region southwest of the Citadel. Gia Long, Minh Mang, Thieu Tri, Tu Duc, Duc Duc, Dong Khanh and Khai Dinh all had a tomb built. All tombs were constructed during the reign of the respective kings for which they were named. Each tomb was laid out with statues and monuments in perfect harmony with one another to form a poetically natural setting. The following elements were incorporated in all the tombs: walls, triple gate (Tam Quan Gate), Salutation Court, Stele House, temples, lakes and ponds, pavilions, gardens, and finally the tomb.

In 1957, Les Merveilles du Monde (France) published a list which included the royal tombs of Hue as part of the World's Wonders. Unfortunately, most of the artifacts in the tombs have been stolen by the French and local bandits.