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THUA THIEN HUE
 Perfume river
Hue citadel forbidden
Thien Mu Pagoda
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Area:
5,010 sq km
Hue is
one of places, which has many cultural heritages. Up to now, there is no
places like Hue remaining a lot of originally historical vestiges as in this
ancient Capital City.On the Northern bank of Perfume River has relics
consisting of palaces, which were constructed as arc defensive ramparts with
11km length. This valuable construction includes more than 100 arichectural
works which were extremely reflected the life of Emperors and mandarins
under Nguyen’ reign. Situated in the middle of hills on the Southern bank of
Perfume River are very beautiful tombs of Nguyen Kings.
Besides,
Hue is a place where the royal music is originated, and a place with
traditional famous dishes and sophisticated handicraft. |
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Attractions
Hue’s Imperial Citadel and Antiquities Museum The garden houses are a unique feature of Hue. The houses are traditional, privately owned, and set in attractive formal gardens. Some have connections with the old Royal Imperial Court. Hue traditional architecture has long been close associated with the natural environment. The garden houses reflect this association. Each is highly individual - house and garden, people and scenery, plants, clouds and water co-exist and blend with each other in a harmonious context. Nearly all the garden houses have direct links with the Imperial Court. Some are descendents of royalty or mandarins, others received patronage from the royal family. The garden houses are an important feature in Vietnam’s cultural landscape. Not only are they old and attractive, but also invaluable resources for understanding the practical applications of the ancient sciences that governed their construction. Even in Hue, very few remain intact, and those that survive do so solely because of the Vietnamese tradition of the beliefs and rituals of ancestor worship. Tradition says that the house cannot be sold out of the family if the links to the ancestors are to be maintained, but rocketing land values have increased the value of the properties to astronomic levels. As time passes, the power of tradition grows weaker, and the temptation for succeeding generations to capitalise on the asset grows stronger. For example, the present occupant of the An Hien is the owner’s grandson and is already advanced in years. His wife is currently resident in France. Their eldest son lives in California, their daughter is an MBA and works in London, and another son lives with his mother. All return for Tet each year to worship and maintain the continuity of the ancestral line, but the bond of kinship that sustains the family is strained by distance. One or two generations hence might see them break altogether. Recently, the owner of Ty Ba Trang garden house died, and his successors decided to turn the house and garden into a large cafe. The former owner was the famous Professor Nguyen Huu Ba, a renowned musician, who made the house a museum of Hue’s traditional music, and blended the elements of song and melody with the design of the garden and the architecture of the house. Sadly, the intangible knowledge and wisdom stored in the garden house, and the insights into a past way of life, are now lost forever. The owners of the garden houses receive no extra benefits for opening up their houses and acting as guides. In each case, their motivation is to preserve the traditions and culture of the past by making their homes accessible to interested visitors. We usually include a visit to at least one garden house for all our tours in Hue, and strongly encourage our guests to make a donation to the house owner to help with maintaining his or her property. |
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Originally the residence of Emperor Duc Duc’s 18th daughter, the An Hien garden house was transferred to Pham Dang Thap at the end of the nineteenth century. He was the son of Tu Du, a high-ranking mandarin under Emperor Gia Long. Twenty-five years later, it changed hands again and was finally passed on to Nguyen Dinh Chi, a provincial leader, in 1936. When Mr. Chi died, his widow took over the ownership of the house and has been the householder ever since. Mrs Dao Thi Yen is well known in Hue city as an anti-colonial agitator in the 1920s, a teacher and school principal, and a National Assembly member who achieved high office. The entrance to An Hien is from the road that runs alongside the Perfume River. A short flight steps lead through large gateway, richly decorated with symbols and designs. From there, a path leads through the garden to a wind-screen, a white painted brick wall designed to prevent both harsh wind and deny curious eyes a view of the house from the gate. Between the wind-screen and the house is a large rectangular lily-pond. The house is an excellent example of traditional Vietnamese architecture. A large tiled roof is supported by massive pillars thus creating three large bays, the middle of which houses the family altar. Most of the timber is ironwood, but the four central pillars are of Jackfruit wood. Beams and doors are richly carved and ornamented. The house and garden take up almost five thousand square metres of land. The garden surrounds the house on all sides, and is full of flowers and fruit trees. A richly decorated gate leads into a classic garden with many varieties of flowers. Popular flowers such as jasmine, pomegranate, sunflowers and indigenous roses mingle with exotic species of orchids. Jasmine, pergularia, pomegranate, sunflowers, climbing roses and wild indigenous roses jostle for attention with exotic species of orchids. A feature of An Hien garden is a large camellia presented by a Japanese Flower Association. The garden contains many precious fruit trees characteristic of all three of Vietnam’s regions: lychees, persimmon and pears from the north, mangosteen and durian from the south and pomelo, jackfruit and oranges from the south, and many others. Several have been brought from afar, and some are rare, particularly a Tien Dien persimmon renown for its delicious seedless fruits every July. Sitting in the shade overlooking the pond, one senses the essence of the carefully planned and executed complementary elements of the house, the garden, the use of water and the other traditional features. The overall impression is of elegance, tranquillity and harmony, and a deep sense of a continuous link to the past as a guide to the future. |
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Princess Ngoc Son was a daughter of Emperor Dong Khanh - when she married, her father granted her the land to build a home. Today, it is one of the best garden houses and has been maintained largely in its original form. The present owner, Phan Thuan An, is a direct descendent of the Imperial Court. His grandfather was Emperor Khai Dinh’s senior Mandarin, a post he also held under Emperor Bao Dai. Mr. An is a tall, urbane, elegant, cultured man devoted to his house and the culture of Hue and Vietnam. An ex-History Professor, he has written several books including the seminal work on Hue’s culture and architecture. Mr An is a mine of information, which he dispenses in measured amounts in the manner of a committed teacher. He dresses in the male version of the ‘au dai’, Vietnam’s traditional costume, and his erect posture and calm manner clearly identifies his royal lineage. The house is a classic Vietnamese house with three bays and two wings. In the middle of the central bay stands an altar to Buddha, and behind it is the altar used for ancestor worship. Mr. An has a fascinating collection of artefacts and mementos from the days of Empire. A valuable collection of ceramics, including a Ming Dynasty bowl, medals, photos and personal items once owned by his ancestors is a window to the past. One of his treasured items is an ancient copy of National Geographic with an article and many photographs of the Hue Royal Court. He’ll show you the picture of his ancestor alongside the Emperor and point out the rectangular medallion pinned to his chest as his badge of office. Proudly, he then reaches into his cabinet to place the heavy silver medallion in your hand to examine the Chinese characters denoting his rank. Both garden and house have been planned methodically in accordance with the rules of geomancy and the principles of feng-shui. The house faces in the correct direction to minimise the influence of malevolent spirits. The rear of the house backs on to a busy road: the consequent muffling of the traffic noise was an unforeseen benefit at the time it was built. There is a screen to deter ‘bad’ winds, a pond with symbols and plants representing the elements of Vietnam, the attendant dragon and lying tiger, guardian lions, and all the other elements to balance the ying and yang of the garden house, and thus its inhabitants. The overall effect is a pleasing harmony of architecture, humanity and the nature, another world away from the noisy, effervescent atmosphere of modern urban life in Hue. The integrity of the elements of the Ngoc Son garden house makes it a priceless cultural treasure and a compelling destination for anyone interested in Chinese and Vietnamese traditional culture. |
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Just under two thousand square metres in area, the Lac Tinh garden was created in 1889 by the poet Hong Khang. It has a cool, calm ambiance. A symmetrical arrangement of two rows of hibiscuses, roses, laurel and ochna atropurpurea run alongside the path leading to the house. Under the trees are small tables and chairs for enjoying the view and drinking tea and at the end of the path, a stylised book-shaped latticework wind-screen reduces the separation between the house and its surrounding as well as shielding it from prying eyes and ‘bad’ winds. There are actually four houses adjacent to each other in the Lac Tinh garden, each with its own name connected to the owner. The Nhan Hau (Benevolent) house is used for receiving guests, enjoying the moon and flowers and distributing relief for the poor. It uses an open design of parterres and bonsais to define the area around the house instead of walls. The Hy Tran Trai house is located in the middle of the garden and maintains the conventions of classic Vietnamese architecture. The main bay has fifty-nine iron wood columns supporting the flat tiled roof, and the rafters are carved with images of dragons, Chinese characters and so on. The Van Trai house is a place for working and relaxing, and the Di Tam Thich The Duong house is for studying and accommodation for the families’ children. The architecture and arrangement of the decoration and features give all four houses an ancient appearance and a strong impression of elegance and refinement. They seem to encourage lightness of step and softness of voice, and a desire for a gentler, more cultured lifestyle. |
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The 1,300-square-metre garden of the Y Thao garden house was constructed fifty years ago, but the house is comparatively modern. The owner has maintained the integrity of most of the garden and added some distinctive elements, notably a traditional dining room and two interesting antique collections. The centrepiece of the garden is a large stone rockwork serving the dual purpose of a symbolic mountain and acting as a wind-screen. On the left-hand side of the garden, a smaller rockwork is arranged on a theme of the Green Dragon, the Chinese symbol, and to the right, the White Tiger rockwork symbolises the East. The latter has been recently subsumed into a new development including a small water garden, (complete with an invisible, but highly voluble, frog) and a small dining room designed as a triple bay traditional house. Elsewhere five more rockworks on and around the lawn symbolise the five famous mountains of the East. They are surrounded by a carefully chosen collection of trees, carefully nurtured by the owner. Inside the Y Thao garden house are two collections including good examples of Hue’s fine artwork. One contains around two hundred blue ceramics produced during the reign of Le-Trinh King, a Nguyen Lord who lived over three hundred years ago. The various plates, bowls and other utensils are arranged in two sections, those used by the Royal Family, and those used by the mandarins. Their antique appearance and dynastic titles written in Chinese characters and demotic Vietnamese script are impressive. The second collection displays traditional Hue mirror painting. The artworks include paintings inlaid with nacre, portraits of princesses, scenes from classical drama, and many more. However, for most of our guests, the main attraction Y Thao garden house is the vegetarian and non-vegetarian Hue speciality dishes. The owner is a skilled cook, so the food is very good, and her recipes have ben handed down through the family. She includes at least one of the Hue ‘Royal’ dishes in the menu. The quality of service matches that of the food. There are two dining areas, a covered patio area next to the lawn, and the new dining room on the other side of the house. For us, there was no contest. The small dining room, elevated above garden level is a joy. Elegantly fashioned in ironwood and other traditional materials, it overlooks the garden, and a small balcony stands just above the water garden. The quiet, broken only by the gentle trickle of water and the occasional frog croak, made us want to hold our breath and hope that the meal would take a long time to arrive. Towards the end of the meal, a small vase of shiny plastic miniature fruits on stalks appeared – a lapse of good taste, we thought. Wrong! They were a work of art fashioned in green bean paste, very sweet, but definitely more-ish. The Y Thao is an ideal place for lunch or dinner: good food, a congenial host, and an unhurried meal in an attractive setting. Include the garden, ceramics and artworks, and you can see why we add it to our Hue itineraries. |
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The first owner of Tinh Gia was a princess who lived four generations ago. In 1979, it became the property of Nguyen Huu Van, a musician and a nephew of Mr Nguyen Huu Ba, the owner of Ty Ba Trang. Mr Huu Van is an avid collector of bonsai. He has amassed over three hundred different species, most of which surround a spectacular rockwork construction with a waterfall and small clouds of mist. Some of his specimens could be classified as unique works of art, such as a 150-year-old apricot bonsai, and a cycad bonsai begun more than two centuries ago. However, Ton Nu Thi Ha, the owner’s wife, began offering meals based upon the complicated cuisine of the Hue Imperial Court a few years ago. As she is a famous Vietnamese chef with many Vietnamese and international medals and awards for culinary excellence, she was successful in attracting a sizeable clientele. Consequently, the dining function has now swallowed up most of rooms in the house, but unlike the unfortunate Ty Ba Trang garden house (the garden transformed into a standard Vietnamese restaurant and the house empty and deserted), Mrs. Ha has stayed true to the combined cultural traditions of bonsai and Hue’s Imperial cuisine. The Tinh Gia garden house lacks many of the distinct features of garden houses, and Mrs. Ha lacks the time to explain the intricacies and symbolism of the large rockwork that dominates the garden or the bonsais. Cooking is close to her heart, however, so guests can explore the complexities of Royal food and dining. You’ll need a guide to interpret for you, though. Many of Hue’s larger restaurants and hotels offer tourists meals in Royal dining rooms or large-scale banquets, complete with full sets of robes and uniforms for dressing up to play at being members of the Imperial Court. At Haivenu, we frown upon such obvious fakery. However, if trying a Royal meal interests you, you might find Mrs. Ha’s garden house a better bet – probably cheaper, more authentic and better prepared, and you’re not expected to play silly games. |
| HUE ATTRATIONS | |
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The Citadel The outer court within the massive brick walls, ten metres thick in places, is mainly open space and gardens. The Imperial City, built along the same lines as the Forbidden Palace in Beijing, was the country's administrative centre. Senior mandarins, court officers and civil servants would have entered by the ‘Ngo Mon’ (noon gate). Directly behind were the Dai Trieu Nghi (great rites courtyard) and the Thai Hoa Palace (throne hall) where the Emperor would meet foreign rulers and emissaries, high-ranking ministers and other dignitaries. At the heart of the Imperial City was the ‘Tu Cam Thanh’ (Forbidden Purple City). Only members of the royal family, the Emperor’s concubines, and trusted senior mandarins and officers such as the royal doctor were allowed through the sole entry gate. Inside were various palaces and the Emperor’s private apartments. Less than a third of the structures inside the citadel remain. The French army shelled the building, and removed or destroyed nearly all the treasures it contained. Most of the buildings in the Forbidden City were destroyed by fire in 1947. Further destruction occurred when Hue’s Citadel became the symbolic epicentre of the 1968 Tet Offensive. Major artillery battles were fought when the Viet Cong overran Hue and when the US forces finally recaptured the citadel 25 days later. Despite more than fifty years of decay and attrition, the Citadel is still imposing, and recent renovation work has restored several of its buildings to their previous glory. In front of the Hien Cam Lac, an elegant three-storey pavilion, are nine large bronze urns, each dedicated to one of the Nguyen Emperors, the largest being that of Gia Long, builder of the citadel and founder of the empire. Nearby is the Thé Temple. It contains altars commemorating ten of the Nguyen rulers. Of the remaining three, two reigned only briefly and were considered too friendly with the French, and the last Emperor, Bao Dai, was a puppet ruler under the French and died in exile in Paris. The
Museum of Antiquities It contains an interesting collection of assorted memorabilia from the days of Empire. The trivial function and poor quality of many of the exhibits reflects the extent of looting by the French – a few pieces hint to the former opulence of life in the Forbidden City. Although the building is attractive and spacious, the Museum has a run-down feel. When we last inspected it, admittedly some months ago, the staff seemed bored and indifferent, the display cabinets were dirty, and the lighting was inadequate. There was hardly any attempt to describe the exhibits, let alone interpret their significance, and no-one appeared interested in enlightening us. Things may have improved by now, so we would welcome feedback from anyone who has visited recently. |
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 Minh mang tomb
Tu Duc tomb
Khai Dinh tomb
Gia Long tomb
Thieu Tri tomb
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Six royal tombs are scattered across land to the south east of the citadel on the other side of the Perfume River and one on the same side. They are monuments to nine of the thirteen rulers of the Nguyen Dynasty, mostly built during the Emperor’s lifetime. Although designed individually, sometimes by the intended occupant himself, they share certain design conventions. All were built according to strict rules of geomancy, which often involved making substantial modifications to the landscape to ensure that the sight lines and orientation of the constituent elements complied with celestial and supernatural forces. These were
Minh
Mang With the possible exception of Khai Dinh’s monument, no other tomb approaches the level of unity of the elements of Minh Mang's tomb. Its layout and symmetry draws the eye naturally towards the main features, and the architectural balance blends the elements into a pleasing whole. Tu
Duc Despite his cultural pursuits and desire to achieve a humble lifestyle, it was under Tu Duc that the Nguyen court reached its zenith of lavish opulence. Tu Duc withdrew into court life, seemingly indifferent to the people he ruled, and the brutal treatment of the three thousand artisans and workers pressed into service to build his tomb.
Khai Dinh Nevertheless, Khai Dinh’s tomb is of great interest as an architectural watershed, the cusp between the influences of a Chinese past and a Western oriented future. The lavish embellishments inside the tomb come as a shock after the grimy and rather sombre façade and courtyard. A golden effigy of the Emperor seated on his throne under a magnificent cement canopy extravagantly decorated with ceramic fragments could be regarded as a masterpiece. The other four tombs are less-visited, but all have interesting features Gia
Long Thieu
Tri Duc
Duc, Thanh Thai and Duy Tan Legend has it that he was taken to be buried tied up in a rush mat. However, halfway to the intended burial site, the rope broke and the two men carrying the body decided to bury him there and then. Six years later, his son Thanh Thai built a tomb for his father around the makeshift grave. Ironically, both his son and grandson that ruled after Duc Duc, and are buried with him were strongly anti-French and were deported to Africa by the colonialists. Thanh Thai was eventually allowed to return to Vietnam but died shortly afterwards in Vung Tau, a year before the French were finally expelled. His son, Duy Tan, was sent to join his father in exile, but died in an aeroplane crash. The tomb complex tomb is only two kilometres from Hue, and is in three parts, the Long An temple, Duc Duc's tomb and the tombs of his son and grandson. Dong
Khanh His successor, Thanh Thai, lacking funds, converted the temple that Dong Khanh has built to worship his father into his tomb. It marks an interesting turning point in the evolution of Vietnam’s architecture as it was built at a time when European culture was entering Vietnam. The interaction between oriental and occidental styles can be seen in the use of stained glass, terra-cotta relief and French artworks among traditional Chinese and Vietnamese features. Later, this development would be taken to an extreme in the uneasy fusion of these disparate elements in Emperor Khai Dinh’s bizarre concrete edifice. |
