Tam Coc to Hue: Inside The Imperial City
The climb to the dual peaks of Hang Mua is a hefty ascent of over 500 steps which are so irregular and uneven that coming back down is almost as tricky as going up, but the magnificent views from the top make every bit of the effort worthwhile. Sweeping panoramas across the lush green paddy fields, towering karst limestone hulks and twisting rivers lead the eye eventually to the urban sprawl of Ninh Binh city. These views hammer home just how much water there is here: villages are islands and roads are causeways.
At Hang Mua, gardens have been laid at the foot of the hills and a few cafes erected, but its joy is its natural wonder, showing how nature itself creates the best theme parks with minimal human input. Waterfalls cascade down rocks, pools form to support lilies and lotus flowers, fish swim amongst the rice plants, all before we climb those steps and soak in the classic and famous views of the rivers and peaks of Ninh Binh province.
Our last sortie from Tam Coc is to the temple and pagodas of Bich Dong, magnificently hewn into the rock face with small shrines and carvings concealed deep within the winding caves. This complex of three pagodas was constructed somewhere around 1428 and was historically a ceremonial site for Buddhist monks and followers – indeed the site still carries many mantras presented in a rather odd “cause and effect” style. In other words, advice along the lines of “do this, and these will be the consequences”. Reading them leaves us a bit nonplussed, as for every one which is sensible and logical, there is one which is downright ridiculous. Be jealous of the achievements of others and you will end up a hollow individual? Yep, get that. Fail to pray earnestly and you will end up with a physical disability? I don’t think so.
And so we move on. The night train from Ninh Binh to Hue takes a full eleven hours but we sleep surprisingly well in our small couchette shared with two girls from Germany, arriving in the city of Hue just in time for breakfast. Hue is just about the midpoint of Vietnam, being pretty much halfway between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in this long narrow country.
Sitting astride the wonderfully named Perfume River, Hue was once Vietnam’s capital, formed in 1601 when the Nguyen Lords turned up here in order to build a city to use as a base to rival their opponents the Trinh Lords. After much squabbling both internally and with others, the 10th Lord eventually founded the Nguyen dynasty in 1802 – a dynasty which would rule the area right up until 1945, although much of it as a puppet Government controlled by the French.
Hue’s Imperial City, a grand affair buried within formidable city walls, was used as a fortress by the Viet Cong during sustained attacks by America in the Vietnam War and Hue suffered extensive damage as a result. Historical monuments and relics were destroyed in large numbers and the Imperial City was hugely impacted: this, coupled with its propensity to suffer typhoons and flooding, leads Vietnamese to refer to Hue as the “sad city”.
Yet as we wander along the neat riverbank gardens, through the busy thoroughfares and around the “night walking streets”, “sad” is not an adjective we would choose to describe this bustling, businesslike city. The Perfume River – so called because orchids shed their fragrant petals into its autumn waters – and its tributaries and canals crisscross Hue and provide numerous locations for boat trips, riverside cafes and the like, not to mention the bridges of various styles.
Entering the Imperial City through the Ngo Mon Gate and across the Golden Water Bridge gives just a hint of the majesty which awaits inside the citadel, another UNESCO World Heritage site. What remains of the ancient city walls is a clue to its level of fortification – these walls are 8 metres high and a crazy 20 metres thick. Since its devastation during American bombing in the Vietnam War, much restoration work has been completed within the citadel – one (tiny) benefit of being destroyed in recent times is that there were plentiful photographic records on which to base the reconstruction. Small compensation but compensation nonetheless.
It’s the vastness of the Imperial City which takes us by surprise, covering an enormous 1,285 acres of city centre land. The mix of original and restored buildings, the extensive gardens, the dramatic and ornate pagodas, all add up to a magnificent site, this was one huge royal family setting. The central section is known as “The Forbidden Purple City” – they seem pretty good with names here!
Having been the seat of Nguyen rule for so long, Hue inevitably saw a whole host of royal deaths, and consequently the city has more than its fair share of tombs and memorials. Even the girl in the mysteriously named “Cafe On The Wheels” tells us not to do too many…”maybe just the best two”, she says. We take her advice, and soon see what she means – these tombs are not exactly modest.
The two we choose are those of Khai Dinh and Tu Duc (stop it, it’s not funny to laugh at foreign names), both huge, rambling complexes which seem to grow in size the more gateways we pass through. The former, in its splendid steepness looking across the verdant hillsides, boasts statues of philosophers and the military alongside those of elephants; the latter is an endlessly rambling series of structures deep in the pine forests where the grating sound of the cicadas is a constant backdrop.
These tombs are not ancient places, dating from the 19th and 20th centuries, but the level of detail throughout these giant complexes is probably the most memorable feature: the ceramic-and-glass artwork at Khai Dinh took eleven years to complete. We can tell them it was worth the effort.
After so many temples, tombs and relics we briefly indulge in a more modern culture: football. When I spot that FC Hue (a second tier club) have a home National Cup tie against top Division opposition it’s just too tempting, so we wander down to the Tu Do Stadium where, much to the disappointment of the locals, class tells and the amusingly named Becamex Binh Duong FC cruise to a 0-4 victory.
Evenings are alive in Hue. As twilight merges into darkness, the neons and the LEDs splash colour into the streets, cafes morph into music joints, roller shutters open to reveal inviting bars, and large numbers of people take to the “walking streets”. One such is clearly the family area as everyone from toddlers to grandparents enjoy the atmosphere; the other closer to a “Pub Street” where the music is loud and the cheap alcohol flows freely.
If this place earned its sobriquet “sad city” in the aftermath of its devastation in the Vietnam War, then it has long since shaken off its sadness with a panache, style and joie-de-vivre which in its evenings is impossible to miss. It feels more like “happy city” to us.
23 Comments
Image Earth Travel
Great photos and write-up. I loved Hue. Your post brought back lovely memories, thank you for sharing.
Phil & Michaela
We were surprised by what a great and picturesque city this is…loved it!
Toonsarah
You’re definitely increasing my desire to return to Vietnam and see more. Hue looks absolutely stunning and we missed it completely! We did however come across some of those ’cause and effect’ mantras at the Tran Quoc Pagoda by Hanoi’s West Lake. The one that struck me most, for obvious reasons, was that ‘wasting time on travelling for fun’ would bring ‘mobility problems’ 😆
Phil & Michaela
Hue is an absorbing mix of contemporary city, intriguing (and bad) history, and indulgent nightlife: it was a huge surprise as we were looking at it really as a city stopover….it’s so much more. I can see why you would remember that mantra in particular Sarah, and some of them were truly laughable, yet many were just as sound. And also…I thought you might be amused by the fact that I couldn’t resist the call of a football match on our doorstep!
Toonsarah
Indeed, I meant to mention that too!
normareadtalktalknet
Fascinating and beautiful, photography is amazing as always
Mike and Kellye Hefner
Hue certainly looks happy to me. Who wouldn’t be happy with all that beauty in and around the city? Add all the vibrant “life” happening in its streets, and it looks like a perfect destination. I loved the post and your always-wonderful photos.
Phil & Michaela
Cheers Kellye… Hue was so much more than we expected..
Mike and Kellye Hefner
I would love to follow in your footsteps.
Monkey's Tale
Hang Mua reminds me of parts of Laos with the small karst pinnacles above the green paddys. We just took a day trip to Hue, nice to see it has a lively nightlife too. Maggie
Phil & Michaela
It’s a very surprising city Maggie…not what we expected at all…
WanderingCanadians
The views from Hung Mua are stunning. The Imperial City looks impressive and extensive. Why am I not surprised that between visiting a bunch of temples and tombs, you find a football match to watch!
Phil & Michaela
Ha ha yes….every type of culture huh…
leightontravels
I very much enjoyed reading about Hang Mua, as I didn’t get there during my month in Vietnam. I guess I should await some awful disability in the near future as I have managed to amass a lifetime of non-praying, earnest or otherwise. Loved seeing the Imperial city too, a lovely trip down Memory Lane. I know it’s not amusing to laugh at foreign names, but Bich Dong did cause a smirk, I’m sorry. I did the Tu Duc Tomb but not Khao Dinh, it looks every bit as beautiful and peaceful. The local football game must’ve been a great experience.
Phil & Michaela
Oh mate, there are so many shops here called Phuc this or Phuc that….I’m just waiting for a perfectly hilarious one to casually stick a photo of into a future post. I’m similarly doomed when it comes to praying but I’ve almost reached 66 so….well, no I won’t tempt fate! I’ve actually written another piece on the football match which we’ll probably publish shortly….you were one of my “target readers” as I compiled it so I really hope it works!
leightontravels
Looking forward to that Phil.
wetanddustyroads
Lovely views at Hung Mua and how beautiful is the Imperial City Gate! The tombs are … well, enormous! It’s almost like a small museum. And you’re right, I just wanted to say that Hue looks like a very happy city to me too … where a happy Englishman can watch his favourite sport as well it seems!
Phil & Michaela
Absolutely…on every level. Hue wasn’t at all what we expected.
grandmisadventures
500 uneven steps sounds treacherous, but my goodness you were certainly rewarded for your effort with those incredible views! And the imperial city just blows my mind with that stunning architecture and interesting history. Great piece! 🙂
Phil & Michaela
Cheers Meg, yes Hue was so much more than we expected….it delivered on a number of different levels.
Latitude Adjustment: A Tale of Two Wanderers
What a fascinating place. Great post!
Annie Berger
Great advice you were given about only concentrating on one or two tombs among the masses you could have seen. I’m often tempted to see more but need to remember that less is often absolutely more when we hope to tour Taiwan and Japan in the fall for six weeks.
Phil & Michaela
Less is definitely more, not least because if you overdo it, you stop looking properly at these places.