HUE, THE LAST ROYAL CAPITAL AND THE ROYAL TOMBS

HUE, THE LAST ROYAL CAPITAL

The Hue Imperial City was built in accordance with Eastern traditional designs with 3 layers of ramparts: Phong Thanh, Hoang Thanh, and Tu Cam. The Ngu mountain seves as the “front defence” (Tien an), while the Hen and Da Vien mounts serve as “left and right dragon and tiger” (Ta long huu ho). The Northern, Esthern and Western sides are barred by Ho Thanh ha Canal, while the Southern side is barred by the Perfume River (Song Huong). Thus, the Capital is defended on four sides by rivers (Tu thuy trieu quy), and its play-out has all the advantages as laid down in the old classical rules. Choose the best Vietnam Travel Deals for your vacations.

One can detect some influence of the Vauban style in the Citabel, but the general architecrtural design is predominantly eastern. The whole Phong Thanh rampart area, which is also commonly called as the Imperial City has a square plance and a land area of over 5 km2. It has a 11 km long perimetre. a 7m-height and a 21m-thickness (the uoter and inteior surface of the rampart are covered by overbaked bricks, while the in-between earthen layer is 18 m-thick). Its defence is boostted by the presence on the North Eastern side of an additional and smaller fortress, Tran Binh Dai (commontly called Mang Ca fortress) equiped with 21 artillery emplacement and many defence works.

The construction of the whole Inperial City with all its interior structures started in 1805 and was completed in 1832. This involed a huge manpower some 80,000 persons per day at the maximum, including soldiers, labourers and, in particular, skilled workers-and an enormous quantilt of wood and stones supplied by all parts of the country. Also, importan materials and architectural compoments were brought in from Thang Long, the former royal capital.

In ganeral, the architecture of the Hue Inperial City has a harmonious, balanced and sober beauty, to which are added the charm of flower gardens anf lotus ponds. Its imposing buildings do not produce the usual coldness and impression of overwhelming power for the common people.

THE ROYAL TOMBS

Together with the network of impressive ramparts, and the sumptuous palaces along the romantic Huong River, the royal tombs quietly lying under the have contributed to make Hue. the old royal capital, a pictoresque city.
The Nguyen Dynasty has 13 Emperos, but due to historical upheavals, oth complex and tragic, there are now oly 8 tombs each with its specific features and beauty.

All the royal tombs are localted on the South West of the imperial city, the farthest is the tomb of Emperor Gia Long (16 km from Hue) and the nearest is that of Emperor Duc Duc (3km from Hue). The setes were carefully seleted in accordance with oplimum criteria which require the presence of protetive mountains, greeting mountains, a lake which keeps water,a brook withwith flowing waters. Also, on accordance with  time-honoured concept, most of the tombs were built while the Monarch was still riegning.

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