We all made it through the night on the train and arrived in Hue (a much smaller city than Hanoi, about 350,000) about 8:45. To the hotel (Gold Hotel), a quick shower and breakfast, and off for a city tour. Sites we saw:
- Royal Citadel and the Forbidden Purple Palace, built by the Emperor Gia Long beginning in 1804 or so, another World Heritage Site. Unfortunately, many of the 160 buildings were destroyed in the Vietnam War. Such a shame! Add to that the damage from the very humid weather and it unfortunately looks rather the worse for wear.
- Tu Duc Tomb: this tomb (it's a huge complex really, not just a tomb) was built beginning in 1864 by Tu Duc, the last emperor to rule independently. He did not have any heirs as smallpox left him impotent.
- Thien Mu Pagoda: construction of this "heavenly lady" pagoda began in 1601. The pagoda has 7 tiers, each dedicated to a human form taken by Buddha.
Somehow, we fit in between these sites a boat trip along the Perfume River, and were served a fantastic lunch of great quantities of local food.
I ended the day with a discovery walk around Hue, delighted to be able to cross the street without fearing for my life. There is a nice walk along the river but it is otherwise not a particularly appealing city. That is likely why we move on to Hoi An tomorrow.
Entrance to Royal Citadel
Entrance to Tu Duc Tomb
Boat similar to our lunch boat
Thien Mu Pagoda
