The city of Hue is home to a Unesco world heritage listed ancient citadel and many tombs and pagodas of historical interest. After fending off numerous cyclo drivers who followed me around pointing me in the wrong direction and telling me the citadel was closed for lunch (it wasn't) I begin my exploring at the citadel, including the imperial city with the royal accommodations, and the king's private forbidden purple city. It is encircled by a tall imposing wall the entrance of which is a grand structure with a viewing platform from which the royals used to watch outside festivities and entertainment. It's a relatively sizable area and I spend most of an afternoon exploring it's mostly restored (though some entirely destroyed by war) pagodas, palaces, and living quarters of the royal family.
I take a city tour to discover the rest of the city's ancient and more distributed sights. After viewing a disappointing mandarin house we struggle through a sea of school children to see Thien Mu Pagoda which is quite a beautiful structure set in tree lined gardens overlooking the river. Unfortunately the cheap tour has rendered me with a useless guide who feels little need to tell us anything about the sights we are visiting so I learn very little about our next stop; Khai Dinh Tomb.
I find it to be a beautifully dark and Gothic structure. The inside of the main building is decorated with the most elaborate and stunning ceramic mosaics and bass-reliefs, where emperor Khai Dinh combined European and Oriental influences. Tu Doc tomb is the largest in Hue and is the last stop on the tour. The site encompasses many beautiful archways, columns and buildings which are showing the years that have passed and beginning to sag and crumble. Unlike many of Hue's ancient site's it seems to be mainly un-renovated and therefore maintains more of it's original charm.
Hue is a city well worth spending a couple of days exploring to learn a little of it's ancient history and imagine yourself transported into the past.
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