Hue

--> Previous
--> Next
--> Home
--> More Adventures
--> vietnam Index

Left & Below: Two of the gates to the Hue palace. It was the palace of the Vietnamese Nguyen kings who ruled on and off up until the last one was deposed in the late 60's.

April 22nd, 2005:
After a very interesting bus trip from Hoi An to Hue which including crossing a treacherous mountain pass with sheer cliffs looking out over the ocean and huge trucks driving in both directions but in the middle of the road... I had learned how to find that inner peace which allowed me to stop clenching my teeth and gripping the edge of the seat.

Journal Continued:
Still, as the driver used a widely accepted technique for rounding blind corners here in Vietnam (passing a giant truck while honking aggressively), I had to close my eyes and hope for the best. All turned out fine in the end.

Journal Continued:
We arrived in Hue which is a much larger city than Hoi An and I have noticed, much poorer than the south. The people are also a lot pushier, but still very friendly. Yesterday, we took a bicycle rickshaw around the citadel where the emporer lived. Actually the citadel is like a walled surrounded by a moat that is 12 feet deep and 30 feet wide. Inside there is another walled city (which was closed when we arrived) with yet another moat.

Journal Continued:
So we took the tour around the inner citadel. We saw the tallest flagpole in Vietnam from which the Vietnamese flag hangs ever so proudly, we saw the 9 holy cannons which were made of bronze by one of the Nguyen Kings from the weapons of the defeated Tay Son Rebels in... well a long time ago.

Journal Continued:
We went to a man made lake where the emporer used to hang out and play games and read and write poetry, there were two little islands in the center that I suppose were once reserved exclusively for him. Now, however, it the playground of all the Vietnamese. Many people were reading in the shade, children were playing badminton and soccer, and a few people were fishing or something in the pond. :

Left: The entrance to the royal enclosure.

Above: One of the 9 royal cannons which were made at the victory of the Nguyen kings over the Nguyen lords (The Tay Son rebels)... Lots of Nguyens in the country.

Journal Continued:
Most of the citadel buildings and palaces were destroyed in the Franco-Vietminh war, but a few survived so that you could get a sense of the scale and grandeur. The Nguyen Kings were very influenced by Chinese culture and even described themselves as Mandarin.

Left & Below: Inside the king's mothers palace. One of the only buildings that survived the wars. :

Journal Continued:
Thus the buildings and palaces and temples and tombs, (the tombs which we had seen the day before) are very reminiscent of Chinese architecture. Cristel, having visited the forbidden city, mentioned that the forbidden purple city of the Hue Citadel was like a smaller & more gaudy version of the Chinese Forbidden City.

All over the buildings that remained were detailed mosaics and dragons, inside the walls and columns provided all the decoration one place could need. Already by ten in the morning it was sweltering. But we pushed on and visited the kings mother's houses which were left unharmed during the war and the emperor's beautiful reading room which was open and windowed on all sides to let in the maximum amount of light I guess. :

Journal Continued:
As we rounded the far edge of the inner citadel, we sat and watched as the entire city it seemed had come out to enjoy the twilight in the citadel gardens along the moat. People were practing martial arts, playing soccer, walking, running, so on and so forth.at I am thinking about and definitely want to find out more about. :

Journal Continued:
At the moment, I am speculating on some of the themes that should be considered. The first observation to consider is the difference in gender roles between the east and the west. Here I see women doing the kind of work usually reserved for men in the wests... road building, construction, business & more. The women seem very much in charge here. Another observation is that the people really live outdoors here.

Journal Continued:
Every evening they are outside, enjoying the cool hours, active, doing exercises, walking, everyone both young and old! It is so nice to see how much the people here enjoy their evenings in the parks. I am not sure that words can describe a spirit, but to me, they seem comfortable, warm, relaxed, and happy.

Another thing to consider is that I have decided that based on what I have seen, this is NOT a third world country. Their GDP may be low, but the standard of living here is quite good-- at least looking at education, health, leisure time, so on and so forth. AND finally, the emergence of capitalism in a country that is still "communist". This is definitely a changing country with A large middle class population that is driving the progress.

Journal Continued:
Anyway, at the end of the day, we spent a few hours sitting by the perfume river drinking and watching the river pass by. We were surrounded by couples cuddling, groups playing cards, older couples doing their evening exercises, and more.

There is something very peaceful and contemplative about the Vietnamese culture. In the citadel I spied a young man peeping through a window. I was curious about what he was staring at. So Cristel & I peeped

Journal Continued:
too. He was watching a male bird courting a female bird (that was caged in a tree). He spent the greater part of a half hour to watch this. I think that it is more than that he had time on his hands, I think that the Buddhist culture also brings a contemplative and nature-loving influence to the people here. :

--> Previous
--> Next
--> Home
--> More Adventures
--> vietnam Index