Day 13: Hue

We spend the day in Hue, which was once the imperial capital of the Nguyen Dynasty which ruled from 1802-1945. We meet our guide Thy and start our day with a visit to the tomb of emperor Khai Dinh who reigned from 1916 - 1925. Not a very good leader, he raised taxes 30% in order to finance the building of his lavish tomb.

Stone body guards and googly-eyed dragon carvings stand watch.

The palace at the top of the steps housing the tomb is influenced by French architecture. It contains statues of the emperor, a ceiling mural of 9 dragons, intricate porcelain wall decorations and other artifacts.

Next we vist the tomb of Emperor Ming Mang, the 2nd ruler of the Nguyen Dynasty from 1820 - 1841. A very peaceful and picturesque site.

The Perfume River flows through Hue and in the autumn, flowers from orchards fall into the river giving it its aromatic name.

We visit the Thien Mu Pagoda, the tallest religious structure in Vietnam.

We start to notice many woman are deathly afraid of sun exposure. Even with +30°C temperatures, lots of woman, especially the guides, wear straw hats, carry umbrellas, wear masks and even long sleeved gloves to protect themselves. They'll even pull a jacket over their heads to run through a patch of sunlight.

The Imperial Citadel

The Citadel was built between 1804 - 1833 and houses many complexes within its walls, including temples, gardens and the residence for the emperor's family.

Beyond the blackened walls is the Forbidden Purple City, an area solely for the emperor and his family. Only eunachs were allowed beyond these walls to serve the family. Most of the structures have been rebuilt as the area was heavily bombed during the French and American wars.

We stop for lunch at Les Jardins de la Carambole Colonial Villa Restaurant. It's a renovated colonial French house. (Clockwise) We have crab soup, Hue spring rolls, sauteed squid and vegetables, and grilled chicken with chili and lemongrass. (Below) We also have Banh Nam - flat rice dumplings with pork and shrimp wrapped in banana leaves. We finish off with banana fritters. Everything is tasty and refreshing, sitting in a lovely yellow house.

We end the day at the Dong Ba market before getting dropped off at the airport to fly to Ho Chi Minh City. It's a typical covered market with food and knick knacks. We stop for a drink and rest in the shade of a noodle bar.

© Amy Lee 2013