Boh Heng Journey: Vietnam Dec 2023 Day 7

Day 7

16 Dec 2023

Hue

Hue Imperial Palace was built in 1802 for the unified Vietnam. It was the political, cultural, and religious capital under the Nguyen Dynasty until 1945. It's a huge citadel protected by mountains, moats, and walls. Today, it's a world UNESCO heritage site.

This place is also called the Purple Forbidden City and holds a fascinating history steeped in imperial grandeur.

This place is enchanting steeped in cultural significance, and this timeless Palace complex stands as a testament to Vietnam's rich heritage. Certainly, it offers a window to nation's past.

Walking on this large Palace ground, it seems like it was endless, one cannot help but imagine the opulence and the way Emperor lived. There are residence and court for the Queen and all the concubines. The emperor also had exclusive temple, reading rooms, and official court.

The many beautiful gardens add grandeur to this Palace, and it is comparable to even the best of European palaces in size and opulence.

Due to the wide expanse of the palace structures and so many sub plots, there are dozens of colourful gates and each was given a name.

It seem trendy for local Vietnamese, young and old, to come here dressed up in their national costume and have their portrait taken. For volunteering to help this group of women, I earned this souvenir photo.

Outside the walled citadel but still within the outer wall, there are moats, lakes, canals, garden and temples for the ordinary folk. However the outer wall has crumbled or in disrepair state and some had disappeared.