Ancient capital in a young city

Khai Dinh King's mausoleum

Hue preserves an over all combination of structures reflecting the architecture of Vietnam's royal palaces and citadels, complete with temples, royal mausoleums, parks and gardens. These structures represent architecture typical of Vietnamese imperial cities and are the embodiment of national traditions.

Visitors to Hue may recognize the characteristics of the Oriental "feng shui" (literally "wind water") system but they don't usually guess at the influence of Cham architecture on the arch shape of the gates of some royal buildings in Hue, or European architecture in the fortifications of Hue and some of its royal palaces and tombs. The imported elements have been mixed with the local characters into a unique system. Assimilation, harmonization and "reinvention" were a special trait of Hue's culture.

The culture of Hue harmoniously combines elements that seem to be antagonistic at first but they actually interact and become interrelated. So Hue is a beautiful and elegant city but it was also regarded as a tough and distant place. It is a combination of heaven and earth, an "ancient capital within a youthful city", according to A. M. M'Bow, former director general of UNESCO, which recognized it as a world heritage site.

The royal citadel and palaces in Hue are not grandiose or lacking in inspiration like their counterparts in many world capitals. On the contrary, they represent the finest architecture as all structures are linked to the natural landscape of hills and rivers and contain the finest carving among their decorations. They depict a high level of skill in the plastic arts, which show an impressive harmony and aesthetic sense. The skill of human hands is hidden behind the natural beauty but can be perceived with every sophisticated detail of the decorations.

It is interesting to note that the ancient citadel of Hue was built on marshland with the labor of tens of thousands of conscripts who, under Gia Long, the founding emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1819), filled up marshes of Phu Xuan and the Kim Long water course, but dug a series of rivers to balance the water flow in the Huong (Perfume) River. The landscape harmonization is so natural that people find it hard to tell it is made with human labor.

 

"Cuu dinh"- incense bowl.

The stylishness in the designs of the royal palaces of Hue is also reflected by the imperial mausoleums built among the hilly areas adjacent to the Huong River, southwest of the Imperial Citadel. They are grandiose, built according to the rules for royal tombs at the time. They all have a court yard, a temple, a mourning hall and protecting walls but at the same time they include a lotus pond, a house built on stilts over the water, paths and a reception hall. Some mausoleums even have a reading hall, a theater and a shooting range for the king, as in the case of the Mausoleum of Emperor Tu Duc (1847-1883).

Each royal tomb has its own structure reflecting the philosophy, the spirit and aesthetic character of the monarch. But the most striking feature of these royal tombs is that they do not express sorrow at death; on the contrary, they are elegant resorts for humans to stroll for leisure or contemplation.

Aside from the royal citadel, palaces and mausoleums, Hue is also famous for its temples, especially the Nam Giao Praying Court, the Hon Chen Temple, Linh Mu and Thuy Van pagodas.

The people of the city are proud that they are associated with all the traditions and customs peculiar to a Vietnamese city of the utmost importance.

Hue has inherited a special art of decorations that originated from Chinese models but still conserve the national spirit in the characters peculiar to Hue, such as the pictures of two dragons fighting for a pearl, or two dragons kneeing before the moon, the Three Abundances (Happiness, Wealth, and Longevity), Four Sacred Animals (Dragon, Kylin, Tortoise, and Phoenix), Four Seasons, and several character types.

The kings Nguyen, as well as encouraging improvement of applied arts typical of Vietnam, also promoted research into the traditional artworks and crafts of Hue. As had the kings Le and lords Trinh, they sent delegations to China to learn about ceramics using the Nom letters (Vietnamese script) to write down poems, the names of the kings, and describe beautiful scenery of the country on ceramics. These royal artworks are known as the "Blues of Hue", and such items are much sought after by world antique collectors.

(Source: SGT)