Hue, Vietnam (21 Mar 2006 - 23 Mar 2006)

One of the great things about tourism in Vietnam is the Open Tour Bus Pass. Every tourist agency seems to have one. Essentially, you book a pass that is valid for one whole month, during which time you can travel from Hanoi to Saigon (or vice versa) and stop at different cities along the way at your leisure. Joe and I booked open tour passes with stops in Hue, Hoi An, Nha Trang, and Saigon.

The night bus from Hanoi to Hue (15 hours) was terribly uncomfortable. The guy in front of me leaned his reclining seat all of the way back, so that his head was practically in my lap. Meanwhile, the girl sitting behind me has her feet kicked up so that they are resting on my headrest and literally pulling my hair. 15 hours of that would be sufficient to drive anyone crazy.

My guidebook claims that Hue is the spiritual, artistic, and cultural center of Vietnam; although I wouldn't have guessed that from seeing the city, I do have to admit that I found Hue to be very inviting. I also happened to eat the best Indian food of my life at a small restaurant called Omar Khayyam's.

Hue is home to an incredible concentration of ruins inside the city and in the surrounding area. Exploring all of Hue's ruins would take several days, which we unfortunately didn't have. We were able, however, to see some of the best that Hue has to offer.

The Citadel - Imperial City

Inside the city of Hue is the Citadel, a massive square with a 10km perimeter that is protected by a massive brick wall and a 23m wide moat. Inside the Citadel lie the remains of the Imperial City, which was modelled after the Forbidden City in Beijing.

Flagpole of Hue - Pavillion of Edicts

Noon Gate and Five Phoenix Pavillion

View of wall and moat from the Five-Phoenix Pavillion

Thien Mu Pagoda

Thien Mu Pagoda is situated on a hill overlooking the Perfume River. We arrived by "Dragon" boat, which was a small tourist boat with the bow and stern carved and painted to look like the head and tail of a dragon. This pagoda was constructed in 1601. Another interesting fact to note is that the first monk to publicly immolate himself in protest of the Diem regime came from this temple.

Tomb of Tu Duc

The countryside surrounding Hue is also the final resting place of seven emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty. Each of these emperors designed their own tombs, which blended Vietnamese and French architecture.

The tomb of Tu Duc is much more than just the emperor's final resting place; the site is an expansive area filled with lakes and forest.

The tomb also included the ruins of the houses where the Emperor's concubines used to live. If you look closely, you can see one peering through the window.

Tomb of Khai Din

The tomb of Khai Din was my favorite--the pictures don't really do it much justice. The tomb's construction was completed in 1931, and its grandiose design is heavily influenced by European architecture. The tomb also incorporates materials from all over the world, including French tiles and Chinese and Japanese glass.

Tomb of Minh Mang

The tomb of Minh Mang is believed to have the greatest architectural poise and balance of all the tombs in Hue. The structures of the tomb seem to blend in with the surrounding forest and lakes.