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Hue Citadel:

Built in the style of the French military architect, Vauban, the royal Citadel of Hue complex has the characteristic of many strongholds and fortresses. Gia Long Emperor had it constructed in 1804, originally in earth, but additionally covered in brick later in the early 19th century.

Surrounded by a wide zigzag moat, the first layer of the royal Citadel is the defensive wall fort of 10 kilometer long, 7 meters high and 21 meters thick. The fort itself has 10 gates for pedestrians and 2 gates for water routes. Within, it also encompasses two other monarchal areas. The Imperial Enclosure, or Dai Noi, is encircled within a wall of 2.5 km long and 6 m wide. The Forbidden Purple City, within a perimeter of 1.3 km, was the reserved place for the private life of the kings and the royal members only.

Inside the complex, there is also a large cluster of smaller constructions. All of them lie around the main axis of the complex, running from north to south. Beginning with the northernmost Flag Tower, followed by the Ngo Mon (Noon) Gate, which was only reserved as a path only for the royal, and some others that show significant architectural value. Entering the Ngo Mon Gate, one will see the Belvedere of Five Phoenixes, also constructed by Emperor Gia Long in 1823 as a pavilion to list the names of successful scholars in the past. The abdication of the last Emperor Boa Dai in 1945 was announced here as well. Another remarkable building is Thai Hoa Palace or the Palace of Supreme Harmony, built 1833, and used as the reception hall and the throne room of the emperor.

Thai Hoa Palace:

Hue is one of places, which has many cultural heritages. Thai Hoa Palace, Hue or Dien Thai Hoa is one of them. However, people broadly know this palace as the Nguyen Imperial Citadel. The name of the most important building of the Hue Citadel is Thai Hoa Palace which is also known as the “Palace of Supreme Harmony“. Because of the bigness of the Imperial Citadel, you can represent this with Thai Hoa Palace.

Up to now, there are no destinations like Hue holding a lot of originally historical leftovers as in this ancient capital city.

The royal fortress called Thai Hoa Palace or Dien Thai Hoa was constructed in 1805 in the method of architectural plans made for building up the other structures like palaces, shrines and mausoleums in the imperial city of Hue. The size of the structure is about 1,300 sq. meters. The length of the main hall is 43.3 meters and this is 30.3 meters wide. The palace is consisted of two separate halls. The name of the front hall is ante-chamber and the other is recognized as the main hall where the erected throne of the king lies.

Thai Hoa Palace or Dien Thai Hoa is the most important place in the royal palace. Used for the King’s official receptions and other significant court rituals such as anniversaries and coronations, this palace is actually positioned on the Northern bank of Perfume River. The spot still has relics consisting of palaces, which were constructed as arc defensive ramparts with 11km length.

This precious building includes more than 100 architectural constructions which were tremendously depicted the life of Emperors and mandarins under Nguyen reign. Located in the mid of hills on the Southern bank of Perfume River this palace has very gorgeous burial places of Nguyen Kings. Among these tombs are the four famous ones are namely majestic Gia Long tomb, imposing Minh Mang tomb, poetic Tu Duc tomb and magnificent Khai Dinh tomb. These tombs as well as the arrangements of them reflect each Emperors perspectives, personality, and tastes.

Besides, Hue is a place where the imperial music is originated, and a place with customary renowned dishes and classy handicraft.

Ngo Mon Gate:

One of 10 entrances to the city of Hue, this southern entrance which is the most dynamic and beautiful one is called The Noon Gate (Cua Ngo Mon), Hue. In fact, it was the royal entry, and was erected and designed by Emperor Gia Long in the year 1823. The entrance was availed for significant proclamations, such as announcements of the names of successful doctoral candidates and most remarkably, the announcement of the resignation of the last emperor, Bao Dai, on August 13, 1945, to Ho Chi Minh.

Like other historical buildings and structures of this Vietnamese city of Hue, this gate was also severely damaged by the war. War in the country of Vietnam has made its effect mostly on every valuable structure which is tinted with the country’s rich historical and eventful past. However, thanks to the present authority of Vietnam, which has nicely restored many of their almost lost glory. With classic Chinese roofs covering the ritual space, complete with large drums and an altar may be a good example of the magnificent efforts of the present Vietnam in restoring the sign of its wonderful past.

While visiting Hue or taking a trip to the top most attractions of this Vietnamese city, you will surely step into The Noon Gate which in the local language termed as Cua Ngo Mon. And during your visit to this royal and gigantic entrance you will see a list still hangs on the wall on the upper floor naming the successful doctoral candidates of the past during the Emperor’s time.

The entrance has found a prominent place in Vietnam’s modern history because of being the venue of the event in which from monarchy Vietnam shifted to communism with the contribution of none other than one of the greatest communist Ho Chi Minh.

The previous capital of the emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty, the royal city of Hué is located on the country’s central coast, midway between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Despite a turbulent history it retains much of its artistic identity and has been recognized as a Cultural World Heritage Site.

Royal Tombs:

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.

Minh Mang

The height of the Nguyen Dynasty was reached during the reign of Emperor Minh Mang (1820-1840). His tomb was built 12km from Hue in four years (1840-1843). The king had the plans drawn and the location chosen by the royal advisor, the mandarin Le Van Duc. The king passed away as construction commenced. His successor, the Emperor Thieu Tri sought the completion of the project.

It took ten thousand soldiers and artisans to complete the project. The tomb consists of about 40 monuments of various sizes; all lie within an oval shaped wall with a circumference of 2000m. A walk of about 700m in length bisects the interior of the complex into two equal halves. Along it are the Salutation Court, Stele House, Sung An Temple, Minh Lau Pavilion, and the tomb itself being at the very back of the complex.

Tu Duc

Born in 1829, Emperor Tu Duc had the longest reign of all in the Nguyen Dynasty. The King died in 1883 after 35 years on the throne. Built between 1864-1867, his tomb includes 50 monuments surrounded by a 1500m wall.

Emperor Tu Duc was an expert in eastern philosophy, history, and literature. He left 4,000 verses and 600 proses, yet during his reign he the king failed to gain the respect of the citizens. It was during the construction of his tomb that the soldiers and artisans rebeled and joined Ung Dao (a distant cousin of the king) in the attempt to overthrow the king

Being a romantic, the king immersed himself in the world he created at the site of his tomb. The king ordered the construction of his tomb to be a fairyland with poetical features, making it a lifetime dream and a world for his eternal life after death.

Architectural features of Tu Duc Tomb include poetry elements in free form. It was designed to blend with the natural setting of the landscape. Man-made elements were built and placed in strategic areas to achieve perfect harmony.

Khai Dinh

Emperor Khai Dinh (1885-1925) ruled Vietnam for 9 years. His tomb took 11 years to complete. Construction began in 1920 and was completed in 1931. Under Khai Dinh, Western culture and influence began to seep into Vietnam. The king himself visited France in 1922. As a result, his tomb has many elements of Western architecture. In fact, of all the tombs, Khai Dinh’s probably least resembles oriental architecture.

Emperor Khai Dinh’s tomb is built using concrete, its roof with slates and the gate is made of wrought iron. The builder made use of the lighting rod and electricity is used to light the place. Beyond these modern building materials and designs, the tomb had elements of eastern art mixed with western designs.

Throughout the interior of the tomb, colored glass and ceramic chips were used to form mosaics of oriental design. The ceilings were hand painted much like the ceilings of western churches, but the designs were of dragons and clouds. In the book, ‘Art Vietnamien’, Emperor Khai Dinh’s tomb was cited as an example of Vietnamese “neo-classicism”.

Thien Mu Pagoda:

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.

Overlooking the southwest bank of the Perfume river, the Pagoda has two sections. The front of the Pagoda can be accessed from the Perfume river and has the Phuoc Duyen tower which can be seen from many points in Hue. This area also houses the great bell which was cast in 1710. It also has the turtoise bearing a great stele carved in 1715.

The rear of the pagoda is the main hall where Buddha is enshrined. It is also an area where the monks of the temple live and practice Buddhism. The Pagoda was the center of Buddhism in central Vietnam. In 1963, in a defying act against the Diem regime, Thich Quang Duc burned himself in downtown Saigon. Today, the car that took him to Saigon is stored in the rear of Thien Mu Pagoda.

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