Hue Vietnam |
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After Hanoi we flew to Hue and spent a day touring Hue. Hue was the capital of
Vietnam from 1802 to 1945. The first thing we did in Hue was a Sampan ride on
the Perfume River. In the autumn, flowers from orchards upriver from Hue fall
into the water, giving the river a perfume-like aroma, hence the name. During
the ride on the Perfume River the marine layer, or fog, started to lift and we
saw a little bit of blue sky for the first time. The Sampan took us up river
to the Thien Mu Pagoda.
Next we visited the Citadel, or Imperial City in Hue. The Imperial City was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1993 and is currently undergoing restoration. The area has been heavily damaged by termites, cyclones and also during the war. Bullet holes can still be observed in the walls from the Tet Offensive. |
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We also visited the Dong Ba market which sells a large array of goods, meats, produce and vegetables. Some of the pictures will show the fruits and also you will see how the meats are displayed along with the lack of refrigeration. The market sees 5,000 to 7,000 people per day. You also need to watch where you are walking in particular in the area of the market where they sell fish as there may be blood or other things strewn on the ground from cleaning the fish. Phew stinky…. And slippery. |
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We also visited the tomb of Khai Dinh, the emperor of Vietnam from 1916 until his death in 1925. Like many emperors, Khai Dinh became obsessed with his tomb in anticipation of his death and construction of the tomb began in 1920 and concluded in 1931, with the Emperor increasing tax by 30 per cent to fund the lavish mausoleum. Finally we visited Minh Mang’s mausoleum on the bank of the perfume river. Our guide in Hue had been a history teacher and left that job to lead tours. She decided it was more interesting to talk to and teach tourists about the history of the area then the school children. Because she had been a history teacher she was extremely knowledgeable while showing us this old capital city. |
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