Wednesday, November 26th, 2003 – Day 281
I booked a tour for today. It seems the weather is meant to be dry but cool tomorrow. It is only 25,000 Dong (1.30 Euro) for a trip on the Perfume river to visit the royal tombs. I was up at 7.00am and had breakfast in a local cafe. Lots of competition keeps the prices down.
A group of us (maybe a dozen) were led down to the river at 8.00am and off we went. The weather was good.
)
Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Hue – On the River (26-11-2003)
The Imperial TombsAs befits its history as an Imperial City, Hue’s environs are studded with tombs of past emperors. They are spread out over a distance, so the best way to see them is to hire a car for a half day or take one of the many organized boat tours up the Perfume River. Altogether, there were 13 kings of the Nguyen Dynasty, although only 7 reigned until their death. As befits an emperor, each had tombs of stature, some as large as a small town. Most tomb complexes usually consist of a courtyard, a stele (a large stone tablet with a biography of the emperor), a temple for worship, and a pond.
If you take the boat trip to see the tombs, note that I only paid a measly 25,000 Dong which INCLUDES lunch. I am using Mafia Sinh Cafe. Its great value although they have a deal. They get a cut of the 55,000 Dong (US$3.66) entrance fee for each of the three tombs we are visiting.
Be prepared for when the boat pulls to shore at two tombs; you’ll have to hire one of the motorcycle taxis at the bank to shuttle you to and from the site. You will not have enough time to walk there and back, so you’re basically at their mercy. I paid 15,000 Dong for one but decided to walk to the other. It was 15 minutes there.
Thien Mu Pagoda
This was our first stop, It was free entry.
Often called the symbol of Hue, Thien Mu is one of the oldest and loveliest religious structures in Vietnam. It was constructed beginning in 1601. The Phuoc Dien Tower in front was added in 1864 by Emperor Thieu Tri. Each of its seven tiers is dedicated to either one of the human forms taken by Buddha or the seven steps to enlightenment, depending upon whom you ask. There are also two buildings housing a bell reportedly weighing 2 tons, and a stele inscribed with a biography of Lord Nguyen Hoang, founder of the temple.
Once past the front gate, observe the 12 huge wooden sculptures of fearsome temple “guardians” — note the real facial hair. A complex of monastic buildings lies in the center, offering glimpses of the monks’ daily routines: cooking, stacking wood, and whacking weeds. Stroll all the way to the rear of the complex to look at the large graveyard at the base of the Truong Son mountains, and wander through the well-kept garden of pine trees.
What was interesting is at the back in a garage, they have the car that brought Thich Quang Duc to Saigon in 1963. You can see this car in my pictures and the real pictures i have found of the said event. A Buddhist monk, Thich Quang Duc, (now immotalised) immolated himself in a busy intersection. He poured gasoline all over his body and set himself alight. He maintained a calm and meditative posture as his body burned, and then he simply toppled over. It was because he was against the policies of the then president, Ngo Dinh Diem. You may not know the story, but you know the picture.
The background to why the monk did it can be found here. Others monks followed his route some days after.
)
Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Hue – The car (Which can be seen in the documentary archive pictures above) that brought Thich Quang Duc to his self immolation (26-11-2003)
)
Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Hue – Thien Mu Pagoda (26-11-2003)
Tomb of Tu Duc
This was the first tomb we visited and the one I took a motorbike to from the river shore. It was 55,000 Dong in.
With the longest reign of any Nguyen Dynasty emperor, from 1848 to 1883, Tun Duc was a philosopher and scholar of history and literature. His reign was unfortunate: His kingdom unsuccessfully struggled against French colonialism, he fought a coup detat by members of his own family, and although he had 104 wives, he left no heir. The “tomb” was constructed from 1864 to 1867 and also served as recreation grounds for the king, having been completed 16 years before his death. He actually engraved his own stele, in fact. The largest in Vietnam, at 20 tons, it has its own pavilion in the tomb. The highlight of the grounds is the lotus-filled lake ringed by frangipani trees, with a large pavilion in the center. The main cluster of buildings includes Hoa Khiem (Harmony Modesty) Pavilion, where the king worked, which still contains items of furniture and ornaments. Minh Khiem Duong, constructed in 1866, is said to be the country’s oldest surviving theater. It’s great fun to poke around in the wings. There are also pieces of original furniture lying here and there, as well as a cabinet with household objects: the queen’s slippers, ornate chests, and bronze and silver books. The raised box on the wall is for the actors who played emperors; the real emperor was at the platform to the left.
)
Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Hue – Tomb of Tu Duc (26-11-2003)
Khai Dinh’s Tomb
Completed in 1931, the tomb is one of the world’s wonders. The emperor himself wasn’t particularly revered, being overly extravagant and flamboyant (reportedly he wore a belt studded with lights that he flicked on at opportune public moments). His tomb, a gaudy mix of Gothic, baroque, Hindu, and Chinese Qing Dynasty architecture at the top of 127 steep steps, is a reflection of the man. Inside, the two main rooms are completely covered with fabulous, intricate glass and ceramic mosaics in designs reminiscent of Tiffany and Art Deco. The workmanship is astounding. The outer room’s ceiling was done by a fellow who used both his feet and his hands to paint, in what some say was a sly mark of disrespect for the emperor. While in most tombs the location of the emperor’s actual remains are a secret, Khai Minh boldly placed his under his de facto tomb itself.
)
Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Hue – Khai Dinh’s Tomb (26-11-2003)
)
Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Hue – Khai Dinh’s Tomb (26-11-2003)
)
Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Hue – Khai Dinh’s Tomb ceiling (26-11-2003)
)
Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Hue – Khai Dinh’s Tomb (26-11-2003)
Yeah, this was the nicest of the three tombs. The ceramic mosaics were excellent as were the stone statues of scholars and guards. Cool. We walked to this one despite the digust of the motor drivers who warned us against it.
Tomb of Minh Mang
One of the most popular Nguyen emperors and the father of last emperor Bao Dai built a restrained, serene, classical temple, much like Hue’s Imperial City, located at the confluence of two Perfume River tributaries. Stone sculptures surround a long walkway, lined with flowers, leading up to the main buildings.
)
Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Hue – Tomb of Minh Mang (26-11-2003)
)
Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Hue – Tomb of Minh Mang (26-11-2003)
While under restoration, I would skip this one. for 55,000 Dong, its not worth it.
So it was a good day. It was with a good bunch and the lunch was good even though we had it on the move. It was lucky we were the first boat to leave the hue dock this morning. There were half a dozen boats behind us and it stayed that way for the day. We have each tomb to ourselves and they started arriving when we were leaving.
We arrived back at 3.30pm. I did little the rest of the day. I explored the streets around my hotel. There are some nice shops, cafe’s and bars. Its funny as it one Guide book recommends a cafe, 7 new cafes with the same name pop up. There are about 5 DMZ cafes now!!
I read a disturbing report on the BBC website about the different parasites that people pick up while on holidays. As we travel to ever more exotic holiday destinations, we are at the mercy of a whole range of bizarre parasites just waiting to colonise us.
One lady was enjoying her holiday but a mosquito had delivered a tiny botfly egg onto the surface of her scalp. The egg hatched into a maggot and burrowed deep inside. Incredibly, this happens to thousands of people every year. Another guy had a ten inch leech living in his nose. He had been invaded by an aquatic leech. It made its move while he was drinking from a mountain stream.
I watched the unsatisfying Save the Last Dance . Very much a chick flick.