Hue, Vietnam

After a few days in the north, we jumped on a sleeper train bound south for the imperial city of Hue on the banks of the aromatically named Perfume River. This time we had our guesthouse man arrange us a taxi (thankfully we got to the Hanoi train station without incident) and all was well again with the world. We elected to splash out on a sleeper compartment on the train, and had a pleasant night of rest, waking up in Hue.

Here is some lovely background information on Hue, courtesy of asiarooms.com:

Hue was the capital of Vietnam during the feudal rule from 1802 to 1945 under the Nguyen dynasty and subsequently the centre of architectural evolution of the era. Not surprisingly, it is known for the magnificent architecture of its citadels, palaces, royal tombs, pagodas and temples juxtaposed against a lush scenic background of greenery on the banks of the Perfume River, inspiring many poetries and eulogies for their spellbinding beauty.
The various structures that are a hallmark of the ancient architecture of the land are laid out in harmony with nature and in accordance with the principles of geomancy (feng shui). Apart from its splendid monuments that are a fond reminder of the past glory of the city, the ancient traditions and practices of the people of Hue are still an innate part of the modern day life today. One can get a vivid glimpse of the cultural traditions of Hue, as passed down from generations, in their daily routines and activities in religion, gastronomy, handicraft, music, the performing arts and traditional festivals.

It is due to these cultural treasures and vestiges that Hue became Vietnam's first World Cultural Heritage site recognized by UNESCO in 1993.

As described above, Hue turned out to be an incredibly preserved showcase of all things imperial and ornate. We took a $7 all day tour of the main sights (including lunch... how do they DO it?!) and visited the Imperial Citadel, several emperors' tombs, and the Thien Mu Pagoda on the banks of the Perfume River. Our day ended with a boat trip back up the river to the central part of the city. Enroute, we met a great New Zealander couple, too, Jenni and Graeme. Here are some pictures:

View of modern section of Hue from our guesthouse

Incense for sale in Hue

Making a conical hat in Hue... apparently, the city is most famous as a conical-hat making center for Vietnam

trees at the Emperor Tu Duc's tomb

Emperor Tu Duc's tomb

Emperor Minh Mang's tomb... apparently this guy had over 500 concubines! Their cemetary for THEM was in the back. No kidding.

interior of Minh Mang's tomb

schoolboy riding a bike in Hue, Vietnam

entry to the Citadel, or walled city within Hue

The largest flagpole in Vietnam (I don't know if the flag is the largest; they just said flagpole

within the Citadel in Hue, and our guide

After visiting the Citadel and the tombs of Emperors Tu Duc and Minh Mang, we headed over to the subdued and pretty banks of the Perfume River to visit Thien Mu Pagoda. The pagoda is situated on Ha Khe hill a few miles southwest of central Hue city. The temple complex stretches north from the river banks in seven successive tiers, each of which is dedicated to a human form taken by the Buddha or a step to enlightenment.

A complex of monastic buildings lies in the center of the temple complex, where the monks are usually involved in their daily routines of cooking, stacking wood, and whacking weeds, as well as the recitation of prayers at 5:00 PM, daily (catch our pictures, below).

Perhaps the most notoriously fascinating (and gruesome) event associated with Thien Mu is the protest self-immolation that took place next to a car housed here in the '60s. A building near the rear of the complex houses the car in which the monk Thich Quang Duc rode from his temple to Saigon on June 11, 1963. He stepped out of the car in a busy intersection, sat down on the pavement in the lotus position, and burned himself to death in protest against the then regime's violations of religious freedom. Below is a picture of the car, as well as the monk on fire. You may recognize the picture, too, as the cover of the self-titled 1992 Rage Against the Machine debut album.

Thien Mu Pagoda on the banks of the Perfume River

Car next to which Thich Quang Duc set himself on fire in protest to religious intolerance

For more on this story, check out this link at wikipedia. Very interesting, sobering stuff: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thich_Quang_Duc

...and here are some pictures of the young monks at Thien Mu Pagoda:

monks at Thien Mu Pagoda

Next stop, Hoi An!