Tombs and temples in Hue

Where Hue perhaps lack famous city sights, it makes up for in temples, pagodas and tombs – it is almost impossible to see them all! We took advice from our hotel and picked three of the most interesting and elaborate of the emperors’ tombs to visit around Hue, as well as the Citadel – the city’s most important tourist attraction.

We had three and a half days in Hue and, in hindsight, that was probably one too many as we could easily have ticked off all our visits in one day, had we not slept two afternoons and until late morning on most days… Trust us. We did eventually cut our visit short by one day to spend more time in Hoi An, which ended up being a great decision.

First up on our to-see list was the Old Imperial City – a walled palace within the Citadel of the city of Hue. Up until 1945, Hue was the capital of Vietnam. It saw intense fighting during the first Indochina war and then again in 1968 during the Tet Offensive in the Vietnam war. So while the imperial palace was pretty, it was also very badly damaged and run down and today there is not much left of the original structures.

On our way to the citadel we walked along another one of Hue’s attractions – the Perfume river. It is so called because in the autumn, flowers from orchards upriver from Hue fall into the water, giving the river a perfume-like aroma.

We spent about two hours walking around the temples and structures in the citadel. While there were a few tour buses around, the complex was so large that it never felt too crowded. It was quite peaceful walking around imagine what life must have been like in the early 19th century. But the weather was looking ominous so when the first raindrops fell we took shelter in a coffee shop.

The following day was tomb-day. Since most tombs are between 7-15km from the city centre, we booked a driver to take us around the three main tombs.

First he took us to Tu Hieu Pagoda, a lovely Hindu temple set in a tranquil pine forest. 70 monks still reside here and we left just before their daily chanting – or rather, the heat convinced us it was not worth staying! It was already 10am, Derek has reached his boiling point and we basically hadn’t started yet!

The first tomb was that of Emperor Tu Duc – the most popular of the royal mausoleums. Interestingly, Emperor Tu Duc’s body was never laid to rest here; where his remains were buried (along with great treasure) is not known. To keep it secret from grave robbers, all 200 servants who buried the king were beheaded.

Surrounded by lakes and pine trees, the tomb was set in a vast estate that the Emperor used both in life and then obviously in death. For the full hour we were there, all Derek could talk about was what a great nine hole golf course this would make, set amongst the greenery. *Insert eye-rolling emoji*

Our second tomb was that of Khai Dinh – the last Vietnamese emperor who died in 1925.  His temple was more modern with distinct gothic features and a European influence. Set upon a hill overlooking the valley it looked quite dramatic with dragons as balustrades on the steps leading up to it. We reckon he picked out a good spot but this was before we had seen the last tomb.

Our final stop was at Minh Mang tomb, set in a village on the west bank of the Perfume River. Much like Goldilocks, we left the best till last. Minh Mang not only had the best name of the three, but his tomb was set in a sprawling complex (which Derek musingly noted could easily fit an 18-hole golf course) with various stairs, terraces, bridges and doors leading you through to the tomb at the far end.

His final resting place is behind high walls and a monumental staircase with dragon banisters. Great for an elevated green, of course! The gate to the tomb is opened only once a year on the anniversay of the emperor’s death so unfortunately we could not go inside.

We really enjoyed walking around and discovering the tombs today especially the more rural two. The setting was very tranquil and you quickly realised how busy everything else is in Vietnam. It was lovely to have some sun and peace and quiet in this wonderful country.

With Derek at melting point, it was definitely time to head home and seek relief in the swimming pool. After our nap I woke up hungry, as I always do, and we decided to find coffee and cake. Derek’s stomach was also still not right so we thought it would be a great idea to make a peace offering of cake. However, news hasn’t reached this town yet that coffee and cake is the bedrock of any civilised society so we weren’t spoilt for choice! We finally found a lovely spot in the main road with some of the best-looking cake around! In today’s case Derek upped the ante and went for cappuccino and cappuccino cake. A fragile peace between stomach and bug has been brokered.

While our expectations were probably low coming into Hue, we both enjoyed our times here even though it was mainly spent sleeping in the room with air con on full blast! We were also quite happy we decided to cut our visit here short and were getting ready for our motorbike tour to Hoi An the following day.