This morning we left Hanoi, our required visit to Ho Cho Minh behind us, and headed for the beautiful city of Hue in central Vietnam. "Hue is the former seat of Nguyen Dynasty emperors from 1802 to 1934, and the capital of the former protectorate of Anman. A major attraction is its expansive 19th century citadel, surrounded by a moat and thick stone walls. It encompasses the Imperial City, with palaces and shrines, the Forbidden Purple City, the emperor's home, and a replica of the Royal Theater.
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Entrance to the Emperor city, Hue
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In 1802, Nguyen (later Emperor Gia Long) succeeded in establishing his control of the entire country of Vietnam, thereby making Hue the national capital. In 1945, after the abdication of Bao Dai, a communist government was established with its capital at Hanoi. Bao Dai was proclaimed Head of the State of Vietnam with the help of the returning French colonialists in 1949 and the new capital became Saigon.
During the Republic of Vietnam, Hue was vulnerable in the Vietnam War because of its proximity to the border with North Vietnam. The Tet Offensive caused serious damage to the city due to a combination of American military bombing of historic buildings and the massacre at Hue committed by Communist forces.
Our guides told us many stories about the Emperor's life at court. Apparently, he had a wife and as many as 600 concubines, all of whom lived their entire lives within the confines of the palace. The Emperor had many "mandarins," military advisors and educated scribes whom he trusted, but he used eunuchs to guard the women's quarters. This was common practice among oriental courts!
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| The garden provided Feng Shui for the building |
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| An offering of food to the Buddha |
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| The Emperor's "old" clothes |
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| The moat surrounding the Imperial city |
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| a diminutive stone mandarin at Tomb of Hu Duc in Hue |
Our guides were extremely knowledgeable about the history of the area. One of the guides was a soft spoken elderly gentleman who professed to be a Catholic and a follower of Buddhist philosophy. He spent considerable time speaking to us about the enlightenment and teachings of the Buddha and I felt drawn to his wisdom and kindness. I'd like to learn more about this philosophy that seems to work hand in hand with Christianity.
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| Cheryl in her bicycle rickshaw about to depart for Imperial City |
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| A traditional Bonsai |
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| Taking off our shoes before entering the temple |
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| Incense burns at all times in the temples to help bring us closer to the Buddha |
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| Our boat ride on the Perfume River |
Name giving is a tradition started by the royal family that soon spread throughout the society at large. Royal family members were named after a poem written by Minh Mang, the second king of Nguyen Dynasty. The poem has been set as a standard frame to name every generation of the royal family, through which people can know the family order as well as the relationship between royal members. More importantly, the names reflect the essential personality traits that the royal regime would like their offspring to uphold.
The cuisine of Hue forms the heart of central Vietnamese cuisine, but one of the most striking differences is the prominence of vegetarianism in the city. The Buddhist philosophy encourages vegetarianism as well. Buddhist monks do not eat meat.
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