Where there's a will, there's a Hue

The Imperial City of Hue, nestled on the banks of the Perfume River, has some of the most impressive architecture I saw in Vietnam.

The Citadel

The northern side of town is dominated by the Citadel, a massive moated enclosure that Emperor Gia Long built in 1804. It reminded me a little of the Forbidden City in Beijing, except that this imperial hideaway was heavily bombed by American pilots. The ruins are extremely picturesque though.

Imperial Enclosure

A little further along the river is the impressive, and iconic, Thien Mu Pagoda. It is the tallest pagoda in Vietnam, and is apparently the unofficial symbol of the imperial city.

Thien Mu Pagoda

South of town, various emperors commissioned huge tombs for their earthly remains. And none more opulent than the Tomb of Khai Dinh, one of the last emperors who ascended the throne in 1916 and ruled a scant nine years.

Tomb of Khai Dinh

Huge dragons and ornate carvings dominate the exterior while inside, the emperor's tomb is a pile of gold lavishly surrounded by murals and inlaid decoration.

Inside Khai Dinh's Tomb

The tomb is so over the top, Khai Dinh's successors had to raise the national tax to 30% just to pay for the construction.

Inlaid porcelain dragon, Khai Dinh's tomb

Far more low key, is the tomb of Emperor Tu Duc. According to Lonely Planet, this is the man we have to thank for the delicious food you can eat in Hue. He apparently demanded to be served 50 different dishes, from 50 different chefs, every single meal.

Tomb of Tu Duc

His tomb is a lot less fussy than his appetites. Surrounded by a lake and trees, it is a peaceful site isolated from the traffic and hurly-burly outside the gates.

Pavilion at Tomb of Tu Duc

And speaking of traffic, I got to the tombs by hopping on the back of a motorbike. Here's what my view looked like as we headed back into town, just as school was getting out and parents were picking up kids with their own motorbikes. Far more fun than a yellow school bus I'll bet.


Hue Bike Ride from Tina Cone on Vimeo.