Tomb of Emperor Tu Duc
We sped through the highway from the Thien Mu Pagoda following the Perfume River. Again we needed to cross the river through that chokepoint of a bridge. We then followed the highway from the bridge to the outskirts of Hue. It was already mid-morning and the sun was already quite high up. It would have been scorching hot if it we weren’t riding on motorcycles.
At one point our guides stopped by the highway for a while to let us appreciate the making of joss sticks. The joss sticks weren’t really anything worth writing home about. Probably the only interesting thing about them is how colorful they were. Additionally, they were arranged something like a bouquet of flowers. When they placed them on the rack, side by side it was quite pretty. After a few shots, we continued on our way to our destination.
We got to view a lot of the Vietnam countryside, as it passes through some relatively unpopulated areas of Vietnam. The road seemed to go higher and higher up a gentle slope. It seems that we are going up a mountain. We knew we got there when we saw all the tour buses from the city.
This is the site of Emperor Tu Duc’s tomb. It is one of the monuments of Hue inscribed into the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. After paying the entrance fee, we entered the place. Our guides will be waiting for us when we finish touring the place. What greeted us inside was a small lake filled with water lilies. A couple of Chinese style buildings and pavillions also border the lake. It really makes a very picturesque scene.
This used to be the vacation spot for the Emperor, so it was no wonder that this place feels much like a palace. The gates into the inner sections are quite impressive. As is the pavillion by the small lake. I’m sure the Emperor would have had a relaxing time just contemplating by the lake.
Further in is the royal palace itself. This royal palace feel significantly smaller than the one in Hue, this is just a vacation palace anyway. There were also some living quarters, allocated to his favored wives and concubines. Finally, behind the all this is the tomb of the Emperor himself. The tomb area itself was surprisingly modest for an emperor. However, it still has that air that someone important is buried there. It might be interesting to note that the stone tablet here is the largest in Vietnam.
Somewhere here are the tombs for an empress and another emperor though considerably less impressive. The entire complex was built in the late 1800s. Again, I find it quite fascinating that structures like this were built so close to the 20th century. I guess at this time western civilization still has hardly touched this area.
The Tomb of Tu Duc is a worthwhile visit. There weren’t too many people at the time, I guess one just needs to be there early to beat the crowds. Plus, the place is big enough to accomodate big crowds. There is no easy way to get there other than having your own transportation though.
Tags: emperor, heritage, Hue, joss, lake, palace, pavillion, tomb, Tu Duc, UNESCO, Vietnam, world
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