Hue

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Leaving Hoi An for Hue on the midday seater bus, and guss what? Its almost empty so we are all able to take up 2 seats as they can be a little bit squeezy, As we head further north the weather is getting cooler and it looks like we will need to buy some jackets.

Our trip to Hue has gone quickly and the sceanery has changed from beaches, sand and some mountains to very steep winding roads carved in the side of mountains covered in mist, small villages, rice farms and water buffulos. Arrival time 6pm, just enough time to have a quick look around and purchase 3 warm jackets.

Our hotel is stituated 70 metres in from the well known Vietnamese Perfume River (perfumed Hmmm...????) we quickly find out what is to see and do in Hue and book a 1 day full tour of the main attractions. A smallest size bus will take us to see Tomb of Emperors past, Pagodas, ride down the Perfume River on Dragon boat.

Day 2 - Breakfast 7 am ready for 8 am bus pick up. Breakfast has been provided at each hostel so far, this mainly consists of a beautifully fresh crusty baguette with a choice for jam or egg (scrambled, omalet, or poached) and tea or coffee.

(a) Tu Duc Tomb is located in a narrow valley 8 km from Hue (Duong Xuan Thuong village), beautifully designed complex among the tombs of the Nguyen dynasty. The Emperor started planning and constructing his tomb long before he died in 1883. He use the tomb as a palatial retreat together with his 100 wives and concubines. He did not have any children, so lacking a son to write his biography and merits, the task fell to himself, a circumstance he considered to be a bad omen. His modest self-composed epitaph can now be found inscribed on the pavilion, to the east of the tomb.

In the Honour Courtyard, you walk past two rows of carved stone statues of high-rank military and civil mandarins, which are deliberately made shorter than the emperor.

A mystery still keeps many historians busy as to the real tomb of Emperor Tu Duc as he was never layed to rest in this beautifully made tomb.

(b) Emperor Khai Dinh came to the throne in 1916 and he chose the slope of Chau Chu mountain, 10 km from Hue, as the location to build his tomb. The construction of the tomb was started in 1920 and lasted for 11 years.

Khai Dinh’s tomb is much smaller, but it is very elaborate. It is the result of the interminglement of many architectural trends: European and Asian, as well as ancient and modern. Entering the tomb area, climb steps to a gate with the biggest dragons forming the side walls. On both sides of the courtyard, two rows of statues are facing towards the court centre and six more couples representing bodyguard soldiers.

(c) Minh Mang Tomb is 12km form Hue, on the west bank of the Perfume River. Behind Dai Hong Mon (big gate) is the Honour Courtyard with its two rows of mandarins, elephants and horses’ statues. Bi Dinh (Stele Pavilion) is on Mount Phung Than. The Emperor's biography and merits written by his son Thieu Tri.

(d) The Thien Mụ Pagoda tower with the seven floors symbolizing different reincarnations of Buddha. Looking toward the hillside and to the Perfume River is spectacular; the pagoda behind the tower.

According to legend, the people around this area used to see a vision of an old lady appearing on the hill where the pagoda now sits. Upon seeing people, she always said that someday a great leader would build a pagoda at this site to bring peace to the country. One day, when Lord Nguyen Hoang passed by this area, upon hearing the story, he ordered the construction of the pagoda in 1601. He named it Chua Thien Mu - Heavenly Lady Pagoda.

(e) The Imperial City at Hue is the best-preserved remnant of a vast citidel and royal quarters that once existed on the site. The Emperor wish to recreate a replica of the Forbidden City in Beijing. Built in 1804, the city suffered from frequent termite and typhoon damage and badly damaged 1968 by American bombs which blasted the majority of the city into rubble, sparing only a handful of buildings.

Nowadays the city has been declared a UNESCO site and the remaining buildings have been are being restored.

Totally tomb out it's declared beer time. The Vietnam beer is very refreshing and is the preferred drink when taking a short break from our trips and discussing the next days adventures.

Day 3 - Today is our last day in Hue and leave at 10.30pm by air to Hanoi, with a whole day to fill in we decide to hire 3 scootes and once again join the chaos on the streets of Vietnam. We are becoming very accustom to riding in the traffic and it no longer seems so scarey, with a rough area map in hand we head to Thanh Toan bridge located about 7 kilometers to the east of Hue in Thuy Thanh Commune, Huong Thuy district.

As we continue in our search of the Thanh Toan bridge, stopping to get directions form the locals we stop at an impressive two storey Pagoda in its final stages of completion, small fragments of colourful tiles are very carefully placed in designs of flowers and shaped into dragons leading up to the entrance of the main hall. There are devoted followers putting finishing touches to the entrance walls and interior. The pagoda seems out of place in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by rice fields.

Finally we find the Thanh Toan bridge Constructed around the 18th century, and initiated by Tran Thi Dao, the wife of a high-ranking Mandarin in Le Hien Tong's court. When the Emperor heard of her charitable act, he exempted the village from taxation as a reminder for them to live up to her example and ordered the villagers to set up an altar on the bridge to worship her.

The bridge was damaged many times by storms, floods and wars. However, after the bridge was destroyed, the villagers always contributed to the repairs, renovatation and preservation.

Its here we stop for photos and lunch, a small 4 post shelter beside a canal, where long skinny boats gently pass by as they lay long box like tube nets. Lunch consists of rice, fish marinated in seasoned spices, green vegetables, Vietnames tea and a rice mince soup. Feeling refreshed and back on our scooters we head back to Hue, and once again come across a some people burning and throwing what appears to be American money, thinking this is very srange we stop and have a closer look. The paper is only a photocopy of money used as an offering to the gods.

Only a few hours remain before we need to pack and head to the airport, so its our last chance to the see the Imperial Palace, only this time by scooter and ride around the outer edge, take more photos then back to our hotel to shower and pack ready for transfer to the airport.

Hanoi here we come!

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