Vietnam North to South – Day 6: The Imperial City of Huế

We woke up at 5:15 in the morning and left our hotel half an hour later. Checking in for our flight to Huế was simple enough, and although the ride was a little bumpy, we made it to the city in good time. All of us, however, were quite hungry by the time we had left our luggage at the hotel, so our guide arranged for us to order some bánh mì. We did this from the bus, as it could not enter the road of the bakery due to holiday closures. Instead, the food was delivered to us on motorbike. Mine was underwhelming. I had asked for a vegetarian version, and what I got was a baguette filled with peanut butter and sugar.

Our tour of the imperial city was quite an experience. Modelled on the Forbidden City in Beijing, the complex in Huế is huge, with the surrounding moat measuring 10 kilometres. We began at the southeastern gate, continuing to the Throne Palace and the Palace of the Queen Mother in the southwest. We were also able to visit the Kiến Trung Palace, which was only reconstructed last year after its destruction by the Viet Minh in 1947. I am not sure whether its original décor was as gaudy as the present version, but either way it is quite a spectacle to behold, with glazed dragons guarding the entryways and colourful mouldings of birds emerging from the walls.

There are truly many things to see at the Imperial City, from the shrine to the Nguyễn emperors to the theatre house. Recognisable from a 3D model above the main gate, one can also find an entire array of pavilions in the shape of a swastika. Some of the buildings are better kept than others, and many are quite literally crumbling before our eyes. The city was built in 1803 by Gia Long, founder of the Nguyễn dynasty, when he moved the capital from modern-day Hanoi. The Nguyens continued to inhabit the palace even during French and Japanese occupation, when the rulers played a ceremonial role in the governance of Vietnam.  

I really enjoyed tonight’s dinner. It has been my aim to try a few different Vietnamese dishes, and having tried pho, pho chien phong, and various types of steamed and fried spring rolls, I am happy to say that I have now also had rice paper rolls and bun chay with peanut sauce. I’ll see if I ever find a good vegetarian bánh mì though.


The main gate of the Imperial City in Hue
A full view of the same
Tourists dressed up in historicising costumes
The view from the main gate
A golden seal
The interior of the main gate
A guardian statue
Dragons on the roof of the Imperial City of Hue
More of the same
Another courtyard
A minor gate
The imperial throne
Carved pillars
A massive gate at Hue
Another gate
A gate with wisteria paintings
A big fish mouth
A frontal view of the same
A guardian statue in what looks like a phone box
An altar in Hue
A bonsai
Another view of the altar
A temple at the Imperial City of Hue
A triple gate
A caretaker
The same view without the caretaker
A gate at Hue
The colourful lintel above a gate
The same
Phoenixes on a gate
The inside of Kiến Trung Palace
The same
The view from the palace
Details on the palace exterior
A sideview of the palace
The same
A dragon statue on the steps
A full view of Kiến Trung Palace
A view of a courtyard
A smaller building at the complex
Minh Thành Lâu
A phoenix on a roof
An ornate wall with traditional Chinese symbols
Musicians at the Imperial City
Parked boats with golden roofs
The lake at the Imperial City
A gate in the gardens
A carved window
A minor gate in front of the Royal Theatre
The same
Masks at the Royal Theatre
The interior of the theatre
The same
A small dragon statue
Another dragon statue
A multi-tiered gate
The same

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