Hue and the Citadel

The imperial city of the 13 feudal regimes under the Nguyen dynasty, lasting 143 years (1802 – 1945), Hue is now the capital of Thua Thien – Hue province. The name evokes an architectural style characteristic of the Nguyen kings, considered by most art scholars to be the best of Vietnam’s ancient architecture.

Hue is actually a system of citadels consisting of three fortified walls viz. Phong Thanh (Outer Wall), Hoang Thanh (Royal City) and Tu Cam Thanh (Forbidden City).

Phong Thanh

This is a brick wall 10km in perimeter, 20m thick and 6m high, forming a real fortress with 24 bastions and 10 fortified gates. It is surrounded by a moat 4m deep and 22m wide.

Hoang Thanh – Imperial Citadel

Hoang Thanh is the middle wall housing the imperial city, usually called “Dai Noi” by the Hue population. It was rectangular in shape with a perimeter of 2,356m. The wall is more than 4m high and 1m thick with four gates facing four directions. The main gate to the south is called Ngo Mon (Noon Gate) which was built from granite in 1833. There are five footpaths, the middle one of which was traditionally reserved for the King and foreign ambassador. Ngo Min is surmounted by a construction called the Lau Ngu Phung (Five Phoenix watch – tower). This is the place where the King used to sit during grand royal rituals.

Dien Thai Hoa (Palace of Supreme Harmony)

This is the most important place in the Royal City, where the royal court organized solemn ceremonies (The coronation, birth anniversaries, Lunar New Year’s festivals and military parades) in the presence of the King, the queen and the high-ranking officials. Within Hoang Thanh lie 5 Mieu (Shrines) are the places for worship for the Kings and the royal family.

Cuu Dinh (Nine Urns)

Cuu Dinh are nine big bronze urns places on the Mieu’s yard, each symbolizing a King of the Nguyen Dynasty (The Nguyen Dynasty fell before urns for other kings were made). Made during the 1835-37 period, each urn stands 1.2m high and weighs 2,755kg. Hundreds of artisans selected from all parts of the country took part in the casting. Their value also lies in the elaborate and vivid engravings on them; each with 18 relieves depicting natural landscapes, historic events or the daily life of the king.

Tu Cam Thanh

Tu Cam Thanh is the innermost wall built of brick. It is a square citadel measuring 300m on each side with a total of 7 gates. Within Tu Cam Thanh are nearly 50 constructions typical of the royal palace such as palace where the king worked, the king’s private residence, the place exclusively reserved for the Queen…

Mausoleum and Royal Tombs

The Mausoleum and Royal Tombs in Hue constitute an important part of the cultural relics of Hue. The Nguyen Dynasty comprised 13 kings from Gia Long to Bao Dai, but only seven of them reigned right up until they died. These were Gia Long, Minh Mang, Thieu Tri, Tu Duc, Kien Phuc, Dong Khanh and Khai Dinh. Each built for himself a mausoleum. The construction of most of which started during their lifetime. Each mausoleum houses dozens of architectural works covering a vast area. Despite being burial sites they donor convey a sepulchral atmosphere, instead being quiet gardens adorned with steal temples and other monuments in a distinctly oriental style.

Each Royal mausoleum reflects the personality of the Emperor it commemorates. The most majestic is that of Emperor Minh Mang, a staunch follower of Confucianism with many wives, concubines and a small army of children. Planned by the Emperor and built shortly after his death in formal Chinese style, it’s opulent and exotic, and a good example of classic Sino-Vietnamese architecture.

The tomb of Tu Duc, the ‘poet Emperor’, is set in an elegant garden with a magnificent lake and pavilion complex. The simplest of the actual tomb (a monument – he was buried elsewhere to thwart grave robbers) is at odds with the lavish opulence of his reign.

In complete contrast to Emperor Tu Duc’s stylish creation, the tomb of Emperor Khai Dinh is an unprepossessing concrete construction on the side of a wide valley. Its interest lies in the uneasy combination of Vietnamese and European features, the use of fragments of ceramics and glass for decoration, and the striking views from the courtyard in front of the mausoleum.