Just go, C!
I'm Charity, a proud auntie, wine lover, semi-nerd, and dreamer who can't stay in one place for too long.
History enthusiasts would have an absolute field day exploring the city of Hue, Vietnam. Hue is situated along the central coast of Vietnam, and initially rose to fame as the imperial capital of the Nguyen dynasty which ruled much of central and southern Vietnam for about 150 years between the 17th and 19th centuries. Hue later became well-known to the rest of the world as the site of one of the most devastating battles of the Vietnam War during the Tet Offensive of 1968. Knowing there were several places I wanted to visit during my stay in Hue, I hired a private motorbike taxi driver through my guesthouse to take me around the city for the day. (For those interested, I paid 500k VND, or about $22, for a full day of transport, which included lunch, fuel, and a tip for the driver. It did not include entrance fees to the various sites.) In hindsight, I probably paid a bit more than average for what I got. I would have been willing to pay more to have someone give me some historical narrative behind the places I was visiting, but due to language barriers at my guesthouse, I wasn't able to properly communicate what I really wanted. Oh well. Speaking of entrance fees, for anyone who might be planning a trip: You can opt to pay on a per-attraction basis, or what I did is pay 360k VND for a pass that grants access for up to four sites which includes the Imperial Palace, Minh Mang tomb, Tu Duc tomb, and Khai Dinh tomb. Visiting those four sites plus a free visit to the Thien Mu Pagoda as suggested by my moto-taxi driver took the full day for me, so if you are thinking about doing the same thing, this is probably the best way to go. They also have a 3-site pass for 280k VND, just FYI. You can purchase either of these passes at any of the entrances to the main sites. My first stop was the Khai Dinh tomb. I remember us pulling up on the bike and feeling that wonderful, fluttery, "this is gonna be awesome" excitement when I took my first look at the place. Khai Dinh was the 12th emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty. He was the first Vietnamese monarch to visit Europe, and he developed a special affinity and admiration for France. His political philosophies strongly reflected this, much to the chagrin of the Vietnamese people, who saw his interest in the French ways as a betrayal to the people of Vietnam. Many blew him off as another spoiled, rich monarch. Most likely, he was just ahead of his time and his ideas just weren't ready to be received by a very stubborn population. However, it would seem that Emperor Khai Dinh had the final laugh as is evident in the construction of his tomb. The emperors of that time would plan and construct their tombs while they were still alive. Khai Dinh used mainly French materials during the construction, and he took care to ensure that people would have to work to pay their respects by carving the tomb site into the side of a mountain and building well over 100 steps to reach it. And as what would seem like a final "F you" to the naysayers, he designed the tomb itself to be a spectacular fanfare of porcelain and glass displays, complete with a majestic bronze statue of the emperor himself, which was cast in France. Khai Dinh actually passed away from tuberculosis while the tomb was still under construction, so his son finished the job and the result is jaw-droppingly beautiful. The next stop on the tour was the tomb of Minh Mang. Minh Mang was the 2nd ruler of the Nguyen dynasty, his reign lasting from 1820-1841. Like his father, Minh Mang was a strict conservative Confucian who described Christianity as "perverse" and "corrupt". He had several Christian missionaries executed during his reign. He was also a staunch isolationist, opposing any kind of European involvement in Vietnam, keeping a wary side-eye on France, who renewed their interest in Vietnam following the Napoleonic Wars. In stark contrast to his rigid character, the tomb grounds he chose are quite lovely and peaceful, surrounded by lots of trees and small ponds. He requested several pavilions to be constructed, each with a special purpose in mind, like fishing, reading books, and even just getting some fresh air. Next, we visited the tomb of Tu Duc, otherwise known as the Khiem Tomb. Tu Duc was the fourth emperor of the Nguyen dynasty, and he also claims the longest reign of all thirteen Nguyen emperors at 36 years. Tu Duc rise to the throne is an interesting story. His eldest brother was supposed to become the emperor following his father's death, but his father instead had the law of succession changed while he was alive so that he could choose his successor. His father felt that Tu Duc would be better suited to keeping strict Confucianism alive and well, and would be better adept at keeping foreign powers at bay. This choice actually angered many of the strict Confucian leaders, as well as the eldest son, understandably so. Rebellions ensued, but were quickly suppressed and the eldest brother, Hong Dao, was arrested and tried for treason. His mother intervened which prevented his punishment, but Hong Dao committed suicide while imprisoned nonetheless. Ironically, it was Tu Duc's opposition to Christianity that beckoned France under the guise of "intervention" and ultimately led to the invasion and colonization by France. The Vietnamese laud this tomb as a romantic second Imperial City of sorts, as a nod to the "poetic" nature of Tu Duc. After a delicious lunch, the driver took me to the Thien Mu Pagoda, recommending highly that it was worth a visit. And I have to admit, he was right. The pagoda itself is remarkable with a nice view of the Perfume River from the top of the steps. What was also very enjoyable was walking around the grounds behind the pagoda. I also didn't realize, but later discovered, that this place houses the car that was driven by Thich Quang Duc, the Buddhist monk who martyred himself by setting himself on fire in a busy Saigon intersection in 1963. This was the car he drove to Saigon. Our final stop for the day was the Imperial City itself, also known as the Citadel. If you look at Hue on Google maps, you'll see various square-shaped water canals marking off the Citadel, which encloses the Imperial City. The Imperial City was home to the emperors of the Nguyen dynasty and was the political, cultural, and religious epicenter of Vietnam during Hue's capital period. You can't go through the main entrance without passing by and noticing the massive Flag Tower, which is a three-tiered structure proudly waving the nation's flag, flanked by cannons. It's quite intimidating with a thunderstorm brewing in the background. The Imperial City of Hue is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it's bound to be a fascinating exploration for anyone with an interest in Vietnamese history, or in Vietnam War history. You could easily spend hours wandering through the various pavilions, temples, hallways and corridors, exploring nooks and crannies. It's hard to believe that relentless battle occurred on this site not all that long ago. Hue was incredibly vulnerable during the Tet Offensive due to its location only about 50 km from the DMZ and its purpose as a U.S. Navy supplies base. Local officials pleaded with the U.S. Marines to hold off on any kind of destruction of the Imperial City due to its significant historical importance to the Vietnamese. However, the fighting and losses became too intense and the Americans had no choice but to fight back. Restoration efforts have obviously paid off, with very little indication that bloody battles were fought here, other than an occasional ruin and the bullet holes you can still see in the walls of the Citadel, and the eerie feeling I experienced by just being there, most likely fueled by the looming thunderstorm nearby. I believe a visit to the Imperial City is important to understand Hue's (and Vietnam's) long and storied history. While the locals seem more focused on the future of their country, foreigners and other visitors could benefit greatly by learning about the rulers of the distant past and the hard-fought battles of the not-so-distant past.
I really enjoyed spending time in Hue to learn more about this city's very important role in Vietnamese history, and indeed in American history, as well. Thank you for taking time to read more about my journey and some of what I learned during my time here!
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AuthorHi! I'm Charity. I'm from Omaha, Nebraska, USA. I quit my job in October 2016 to travel the world. Archives
June 2022
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