Hue Citadel was chosen as the capital of the Nguyen Dynasty during the 143 years from the first king Gia Long in 1802, to the last king Khai Dinh abdicated in 1945 – including Hoang Thanh and Tu Cam Thanh, collectively referred to as the Citadel. This work began construction in 1805 and was completed in 1832 – taking a total 27 years to complete and an estimated 20 thousand workers were mobilized to build this great place.

Hue Citadel  was recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage in 1993 and also the first World Cultural Heritage of Vietnam with more than 147 works.

The Citadel is symbolizes the authority of the Nguyen Dynasty in Dang Trong, which is also the residence and working place of the king and the royal family. it spent 5 times of large-scale restoration but it still retains the ancient and unique features from the old days.

The Architecture of Hue Citadel

Surrounding the citadel is a wall system with a perimeter of nearly 10 km, 6.6m high and 21m thick built with fortresses, cannons and ammunition. Previously, the wall system was built with soil until the end of Emperor Gia Long, which it then  began to be rebuilt with bricks.

Outside the wall is a system of moats surrounding it – 16m wide, 4m deep with 2 sides of the bank made of stone, named Ngoai Kim Thuy. Between the wall system and moat system is vacant land called the defense area (in case of being attacked and the wall has fallen, the bricks will fall down here, not pouring into the ditch, making enemy infantry not easily penetrated). There are a total of 10 bridges built of stone bricks across the Ngoai Kim Thuy moat to connect Hue Citadel to the outside.

Hue Citadel’s  architecture is greatly influenced by Feng Shui and I Jing. The overall work is a series of symmetrical architectural forms with Ngo Mon Gate and Thai Hoa Palace as the center. The successive works are arranged in a right-to-left concentric axis, applied according to the rule “harmonious interactions – opposition ” in harmony with yin and yang in a large-scale structure.

The Citadel’s architecture was created thinking the worship of King, and Thai Hoa temple and Can Thanh temple created the central axis where the king reigned.

Hue Citadel has 4 main doors to entrance:

– The south door is Ngo Mon Gate

– The north door is Hoa Binh gate

– The east door is Hien Nhon door

– The western door is Chuong Duc

Thing to see in Hue Citadel

Hue Citadel is located on the northern bank of the poetic Huong River in the heart of Hue City, a place you simply must visit when coming to Hue.

The Citadel is an architecture with a very large area, It’s take you about 3-4h to be able to visit all of its internal works.

Now, Let’s visit some of the main buildings in Hue Citadel:

1, Ngo Mon Gate :

– Ngo Mon Gate is the main gate of Hue Citadel, facing to the south

– Ngo Mon is not just a gate, but it is also a massive architecture with 2 floors: the platform with the gate below and Ngu Phung floor above. The platform is nearly 5m high, with a U-shaped ligature with the wall system. There were a total of 5 entrances to the Citadel, all built of bar stone. The main entrance is called Ngo Mon, reserved only for the king – Ta Giap Mon and Huu Giap Mon for Mandarin literature and Mandarin martials . Furthermore, two more entrance are Ta Dich Mon và Huu Dich Mon for soldiers, horses and elephants.

– The upper is Ngu Phung floor with a frame consisting of 100 ironwood pillar, with two floors and 9 sets of roofs. The lower roofs are interconnected, running around covering the corridors in a U-shape. The roof of the upper is divided into 9 different sets of small, big, high and low – on the top of the roofs decorated with many phoenix shapes. The biggest middle roof set is roofed with royal yellow tiles  because this is the place for the king to attend ceremony. On the two sides are eight smaller roof sets roofed with blue tiles, which is the place for officials. In the past, this place was used to organize some most important festivals of the Nguyen Dynasty such as Ban Soc (new calendar from king), Truyen Lo (announced new the Ph.D).

– The left side of Ngu Phung has a large bronze-bell, cast in 1822 (the 3rd year of Minh Mang). The bell is beautifully crafted and  carved in the shape of dragon’s head. On the right side of Ngu Phung floor is a large drum, put on the shelf where it was painted red and overlaid by gold.

-The Ngu Phung floor was previously used to organize some great annual ceremonies of the old Nguyen Dynasty

– Today, Ngo Mon Gate is still open daily to welcome visitors to the Citadel.

2, Thai Hoa Palace and Dai Trieu Nghi yard:

2.1. Dai Trieu Nghi yard is connected to Ngo Mon Gate by a bridge called Trung Dao bridge across Thai Dich lake. This is the place used for important meetings of the court, such as the king’s official coronation, the birthday of the king,  receiving the official emissaries and the great meeting held twice on the 1st and the 15th monthly lunar calendar.

On these great occasions, the King will sit on the throne in Thai Hoa Palace and only the great Mandarins and royal family will be allowed to enter the palace. Other Mandarins were in full presence and stood in line at Dai Trieu Nghi yard according to their rank. The Mandarins literature stood on the left, and the Mandarin martial  stood on the right.

It can be said that the Dai Trieu Nghi yard is the place to witness the prosperity and decline of 13 Nguyen Dynasty kings. Now, this place is an outdoor stage to perform Hue royal court music in the “Hoang Cung by night” program and also the place where cultural activities of  Citadel are held.

2.2. Thai Hoa palace:

This palace was built by King Gia Long in 1805, with the first meeting of king and Mandarins in 1806. Compared to all other palaces in Hue, Thai Hoa Palace is the most important architectural structure because this is the place where the throne is located – symbolizing the power of the feudal state.

– Thai Hoa palace is built on a 1m high ground and 1360 m² wide, designed in the form of twin houses and “Thua Luu”roofs. Inside, there are 80 columns of Lim wood support, decorated with dragon in the clouds.

– The palace roof is covered with royal tiles, decored 9 dragons in many different postures.

– Inside the palace is the place where the king sits, the throne is placed on the third pedestal and above is “Buu Tan” that was paintedred and overlaid by gold.

3, Can Chanh Palace:

Can Chanh temple was built in 1804 and is the place where the king held a meeting ceremony on the 5th, 10th, 20th and 25th day of the lunar month. In addition, palace is also the place where Nguyen king welcomed important emissaries , where parties are held.

In the palace, in the middle of the main house, the throne was placed, with the two sides hung paintings about the beauty of the country and the map of the provinces . Can Chanh Palace is also a place to display many treasures of the Nguyen Dynasty such as Chinese rare and precious porcelain, golden statues, jade stamp of the dynasty.

It can be said that Can Chanh palace is the most beautiful palace shrine in Dai Noi, showing technical and artistic qualifications at the peak stage of Vietnamese traditional architecture in the 19th century.

In 1947, palace was destroyed and now reconstruction is still underway

4, Can Thanh palace :

Place where the king sleeps

Can Thanh palace before 1811 named Trung Hoa Palace was located in the Forbidden City, this is the place to eat and sleep of King Nguyen Dynasty.

5, Dien Tho palace:

This is the residence and guest reception of King’s mother. Dien Tho palace was built in 1804 with more than 20 works and underwent many restoration, but so far the only works are:

– Main hall of Dien Tho palace : The place of receiving guests of King’s mother

– Tho Ninh  palace: the residence of other King’s mothers

– Ta Truong Du palace: The relaxing place of the King’s Mother

– Phuoc Tho Am palace : a place of worshiping the Buddha and pray of the King’s Mother

6, Trường Sanh Palace:

Truong Sanh Palace(Truong Sinh Palace) is located right behind the Dien Tho Palace. It was built in 1821. At first, this place was a garden where the royal womans excursions. At the end of the Nguyen dynasty, this place became a place to live for them.

Truong Sanh Palace is one of the 20 most beautiful scenes of Hue (ranked 7th) under the reign of King Thieu Tri.

7, Hung To Mieu:

This is the area of worship of Gia Long’s parents , his father is Mr. Nguyen Phuc Luan (or Nguyen Phuc Con) and his mother is Mrs. Nguyen Thi Hoan.

This place was burnt in 1947 and then rebuilt by Doan Huy Hoang Thai Hau (King Bao Dai’s mother) in the old platform of the main temple. The most recent restoration took place in 1995.

8, The To Mieu:

This is the place to worship the Nguyen kings and where the court came to sacrifice the late kings, women in the court (including the queen) were not allowed to attend these ceremonies.

The shrine was built over 2 years (1821-1822), originally devoted to worshipping Emperor Gia Long  (hence the name The To Mieu), but later became a place to worship all kings of the dynasty Nguyen.

9, Trieu To Mieu:

Trieu To Mieu was built under Gia Long King (1804) and is one of the five important shrines of the Nguyen Dynasty.

Trieu To Mieu Temple worshiped the Emperor Nguyen Kim – Triệu Tổ Tĩnh – grandfather of 9 Nguyen lords and Emperor Nguyen later

Over 200 years, this work was rarely remodeled. The last time was more than 30 years ago

10, Thai To Mieu:

This place was built in 1804 under Gia Long King was a shrine to the Nguyen lords in Vietnamese history.

This Temple worshiped from the first Lord Nguyen Hoang to the last is Nguyen Phuc Thuan

During the war period of 1947,Thai To Mieu was completely destroyed. In 1972, it was restored on the old platform of the main palace.

In addition, this palace also has two additional areas is Ta Vu where worshiping the Mandarins literature and Huu Vu worshiping mandarins martial

11, Hien Lam Cac Palace:

Hien Lam Cac was built in 1821 and completed in 1822. It is 13m high and is the tallest building in the Citadel. It is also a place to remember the merits of the Nguyen kings and the great mandarins

This is also the most beautiful and outstanding art work in the Royal Palace with a 3-storey building, connected by a small wooden staircase is the main highlight of this work.

Because it is a place to record the merits of kings and great mandarins, all that is built in the royal City must be lower than Hien Lam Cac.

12, Nine Peaks:

In front of The Mieu, there is a large yard with 9 of the largest bronze-peaks in Vietnam is called the “Cuu Dinh”(9 peaks). This was also considered a work and the Nine Peaks were cast in 1836 and completed after 8 months.

Nine Peaks was inspired from the Nine Peaks of China – King Minh Mang gave the casting of 9 bronze-peaks with the dream of the eternal longevity of the Nguyen court and the richness of the country.

Nine Peaks is associated with the number 9, a sacred number according to the Eastern concept that symbolizes Gods,  in absolute perfection, for the power of the king.

On each peak is engraved a proper name in Chinese characters – the name is taken from the name for worship of a Nguyen Dynasty and is considered the symbol of that king. For example: “Cao Dinh” – King Gia Long, “Nhon Dinh” – King Minh Mang, “Chuong Dinh” – King Thieu Tri, “Anh Dinh” – King Tu Duc, “Nghi Đinh” – King Kien Phuc, ” Thuan Dinh “- King Dong Khanh,” Tuyen Dinh “- King Khai Dinh, and for some reason, “Du Dinh “and” Huyen Dinh “did not become the symbol of any king. The peak in the middle is the only peak placed 3 meters in front of. It has the purpose of honoring the founding king.

 

At first glance 9 peaks seem to be the same, but in reality they are very different: different in weight, the sole is different  and also the straps above. However, the most distinctive difference is the 17 carvings surrounding each peak that are typical of the country and are attributable to the theme: stars, mountains, seas, boats, vehicles, rare things in the forest and into the sea. They are gathered into a panorama of the reunification of the Nguyen Dynasty. A total of 153 meticulous and elaborate carved scenes on the hips of 9 peaks.

13, Phung Tien palace :

The temple used to worship the emperors and the Queen of the Nguyen Dynasty. Unlike The Mieu, this palace also worships the Emperors and Queen of the Nguyen Dynasty, but women in the Court are allowed to come here to sacrifice.

Previously, this temple was made of Wood with named Hoang Nhan, then King Minh Mang renamed Phung Tien palace.

Phung Tien Palace was a place to store many treasures of the Nguyen Dynasty, but unfortunately by February 1947, all were burned. Currently only Tam Quan gate and the wall remain relatively intact.

How to go to Hue Citadel

The beautiful and dreamy city of Hue is famous for the Trang Tien Bridge across the poetic Huong River, but it will be very lacking if you come to Hue without ever visiting Dai Noi.

Located on the northern bank of the Perfume River, it is very easy for you to visit the Citadel from the Hue city center.

– Opening hours: from 7:00 am to 5:30 pm daily.

– Ticket price: 150,000 VND / person

– Tip: Because the Citadel is very large, we recommend you to visit in the morning

1, Walking:

It sounds like a pretty good choice for travelers visiting Citadel, due to it being quite near the tourist center (20m by walk). Many tourists choose this way to both admire the Perfume River and enjoy the extremely gentle atmosphere of Hue.

2, motorbike or bicycle:

About 10 minute away from the the tourist center, traveling by motorbike or bicycle is an extremely convenient option for you – the rental price is quite cheap and also gives you freedome to explore on your own terms

Motorbike rental prices range from: VND 120,000 – VND 150,000 / motorbike / day and bicycle from VND 40,000 – VND 50,000 / bicycle / day

3, Cyclo:

This is a truly local experience. A great way to sit back and relax, to take in the scenery at a slower pace.

However, one thing that you must always be aware of is that you have to ask in advance for prices for certain road segment, if you don’t want to get in trouble for your trip.

If you really want to feel secure, you should go to a travel agent to rent a cyclo and they will ensure that you will not have to pay any extra costs for the road agreed in advance except for gratuities.

4, Taxi:

Taxis from the Travel Center to the Citadel are also cheap and you can choose any time that suits you to depart. Most taxi drivers can’t speak English, so if you want him to wait for you to visit and take your time, remember to pay an extra fee:

Some reliable taxi firms in Hue are:

Mai Linh Taxi: 0234.3.89.89.89

Taxi Thanh Cong: 0234 3575 757

Yellow taxi: 0234.3.79.79.79

Taxi Hoang Sa: 0234.3.75.75.75

Taxi Gili: 0234.3.82.82.82

Huong Giang Taxi: 0234.3.78.78.78

5,  Private cars :

We recommend that when traveling to another country, it is best to take a private car. This option is worth the small extra amount of money you will pay to depart at your own time, have an experiecned English speaking driver and also a modern vehicle with air-conditioning to escape the extreme heat or rain. There is also no time limit on how long you spend – the driver is always willing to cater to your needs. The cars are also equipped with Wi-Fi for your convenience. If satisfied with the service by the end, you can tip the driver a small amount to thank him for his service.

Extra tip: If you are taking the time to rent a private car, it is best to plan 2-3 destinations so that you can enjoy the service whilst visiting all of the most notable places in Hue city that cannot be missed.

4, Take a city tour:

Another great option is to take a specialised local city tour with a small group. As well as it being affordable, the tour is all inclusive: Tour guide, entrance fees, lunch, transportation, dragon cruise boat ride and bottled water. It is becoming one of the most popular ways to discover Hue city in a single day, whilst learning about the fascinating history.

Hue city tour offers 2 types: A big group and Deluxe group (small group), but we recommend that you choose small group for the following reasons:

– Due to there being less guests, the guide will have more time to take care of you and answer your questions

– You will hear the explanation clearly and be asked more when you select small group

– Time to visit each destination on the tour will be longer

– Cost of sightseeing tickets will be reduced to the minimum price (combo ticket)

– Lunch at the restaurant with local and clean dishes

– And especially because that is a small group, you will always enjoy the best services

Now, you are ready to visit Hue Citadel, right!

Let’s Go !!!

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Thien Mu Pagoda

Minh Mang Tomb – The Revival

Thanh Toan Bridge – The most unique bridge in Hue

Khai Dinh Tomb – The Pinnacle of Art

Thien Mu pagoda is the oldest temple in Hue, constructed in an astonishing 1601 and is also labeled the unofficial symbol of Hue city.

Legend has it that when Lord Nguyen Hoang was entrusted to rule Dang Trong by King Le (during this period, Vietnam was named Dai Viet and divided into 2 parts: Dang Ngoai had Trinh Lord and Dang Trong with Lord Nguyen). He intended to build his own dynasty for the Nguyen family. On one special occasion, riding a horse along the Perfume River towards the watershed, he found a small hill beside the Huong River, shaped like a dragon, with the name is Ha Khe Hill.

People here told Lord Nguyen Hoang that at nights there was usually an old lady wearing a red shirt with green pants appeared on the hill, telling people: “latterly, there will be a lord who will set up a pagoda to gather the spirit aura, with good density, in order to make Dai Nam strong “. For this reason, Ha Khe hill is also called Thien Mu hill.

As an arrangement, Lord Nguyen realized that this was a prophecy for him. The lord immediately chose this hill to build a pagoda toward the Perfume River named Thien Mu which means “Lady of the Sky “. This is why this temple is called Thien Mu.

Things to see in in Thien Mu Pagoda

Opening hours:   daily 

Thien Mu Pagoda contains ancient Buddhist architecture that can be said to be the most beautiful pagoda in Hue, with several works and stories surrounding it:

At the front of Thien Mu pagoda is the famous poetic Huong river of Hue and a boat station where the name was given according to the famous pagoda, Thien Mu Boat Station.

Upon entering the temple up the steep staircase, you will pass 4 pillars as the pagoda gate –  you have now reached Thien Mu Pagoda.

Phuoc Duyen Tower

It can be said that Phuoc Duyen Tower is a famous symbol when associated with Thien Mu Pagoda.  Standing at 21 meters, it consists of 7 floors (No. 7 is the spiritual number of Buddhism) and was built in front of the pagoda in 1844. Each tower floor has worshiped Buddha statue. Inside there is a spiral staircase leading up to the top floor, where it used to worship a golden Buddha statue.

In front of the tower is Huong Nguyen temple (the Huong Nguyen temple collapsed completely due to the Storm of 1904) on the roof of temple is a Buddha Dharma wheel (Buddha dharma wheel is a Buddhist symbol which will turn as the wind blows)

On the two sides of the tower are two quadrilateral temples, placed are two steles to record the architectural history of the tower as well as the poems composed by King Thieu Tri.

Once entering is two hexagonal houses:

– a hexagonal house places a stele on the back of a huge stone turtle symbolizing longevity, which is simple but a very beautiful decoration that talks about merit and the construction of architectural works here

– The other house called is “The Bell-House” places a big bell which name “Dai Hong Chung” was casted by Lord Nguyen Phuc Chu. It is a sophisticated and sharp carved bell that is a combination of Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism with the purpose of praying for a better life, prosperity.

Dai Hung temple

Next is the Dai Hung temple, which is the main temple in the pagoda. It is also a magnificent architectural work that has been restored since 1957. Inside are Buddha statues cast in bronze – in particular,  a big bronze picture of Tran Dinh An – a Quang Tri mandarin – who offered it to the pagoda in 1677. It was carved as the moon, sun and stars. There is also a wooden lettering picture painted red and overlaid by gold which was writen by the hand of Lord Nguyen Phuc Chu in 1714.

Huong Nguyen Temple, the old temple which was built  as a “quadrilateral house” with special architecture. Therefore,  it was placed in front of Phuoc Duyen Tower and after the storm in 1904, it was badly damaged and now moved to Di Lac Temple.

Located in the middle of the pagoda is a flower garden, with a rockery of Mr. Dao Tan – the grandfather of Vietnamese traditional singing – ” Hat Tuong”.

One of the most noteworthy things is the old car, which was a devise of the Buddhist monk Thich Quang Duc has left before himself-embroidery in fire in 1963 was also put in the area of the pagoda.

At the end of the garden is the mausoleum of the late Monk Thich Don Hau, the famous abbot of Thien Mu pagoda.

How to go to Thien Mu Pagoda

Thien Mu Pagoda is located 5km from Hue city center (10p ride) and there are a lot of options for you to get here:

1, Motorbikes and bicycles:

Because the distance is close to the city center, many people choose a motorbike or a bicycle to visit Thien Mu Pagoda. With the beautiful scenery and the Perfume River along the way, you can enjoy the nice view both enjoy the fresh air and scenery at a slower pace. A highlight is also on this road that is An Hien Garden House, which is also a beautiful and famous destination that you should stop to visit whilst having the chance.

Located in front of Thien Mu Pagoda is a safe and secure parking lot, where you will pay no more than 5.000VND to park your vehicle there.

Motorbike rental prices range from: VND 120,000 – VND 150,000 / motorbike / day (without gasoline) and bicycle from VND 40,000 – VND 50,000 / bicycle / day

2, Taxi:

Because this road is short, the cost for taxi is not expensive – but you will have to pay extra for the driver to wait for you to visit – one more thing to note that you should to use the map for the driver, so that they can’t take you further afield for a higher fee. Please also note that very few drivers can speak English

Some reliable taxi firms in Hue like:

Mai Linh Taxi: 0234.3.89.89.89

Thanh Cong Taxi : 0234 3575 757

Yellow taxi: 0234.3.79.79.79

Hoang Sa Taxi : 0234.3.75.75.75

Gili Taxi : 0234.3.82.82.82

Huong Giang Taxi: 0234.3.78.78.78

3, Private cars :

We recommend that when traveling to another country, it is best to take a private car. This option is worth the small extra amount of money you will pay to depart at your own time, have an experiecned English speaking driver and also a modern vehicle with air-conditioning to escape the extreme heat or rain. There is also no time limit on how long you spend, the driver is always willing to cater to your needs. The cars are also equipped with Wi-Fi for your convenience. If satisfied with the service by the end, you can tip the driver a small amount to thank him for his service.

Extra tip: If you are taking the time to rent a private car, it is best to plan 2-3 destinations so that you can enjoy the service whilst visiting all of the most notable places in Hue city that cannot be missed.

4, Dragon boat:

A special and interesting thing that not everyone knows is you can visit Thien Mu Pagoda by Dragon boat along the Perfume River.

From Thien Mu Boat station , you only need 1 minute to reach Thien Mu Pagoda. Usually, you will start from Toa Kham boat station, and take about 45 minutes to reach Thien Mu Pagoda. You will then surely surprise because 45p for 5km is quite a lot, but Dragon Boat is always slower than car.

You can hire a dragon boat with a fairly cheap fee, where someone will pick you up to the boat station – it is a really unique way to see the peaceful beauty of Hue city along the 2 banks of Huong river.

On the boat, they offer souvenirs for tourists that are all representing Hue city.

5, Take the Hue City tour:

Traveling by tour is a very interesting combination between Dragon boat  and Car to visit all the beautiful and famous places in Hue city. With a cost that is very affordable, it also includes lunch, transfer, dragon boat, tickets and the tour guides.

Hue city tour has 2 options: Deluxe Group and Big Group, but we recommend that you choose deluxe group for the following reasons:

– Deluxe group is limited to 12pax per group, which is a small group tour

– Because it is a small group, the guide has more time to dedicate to the guests

– They will explain clearly and you can be ask more  questions when you choose the small group

– Time to visit each place will also be longer

– The price for tickets will be minimum (combo ticket)

Please also remember to dress politely and formally when visiting Thien Mu Pagoda!

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Khai Dinh Tomb – The Pinnacle of Art

Thanh Toan Bridge – The most unique bridge in Hue

Minh Mang Tomb – The Revival

Hue Citadel

 

Minh Mang Tomb (Hieu Mausoleum) is one of the Imperial City of Hue’s most famous destinations. itis the tomb of Minh Mang King, who had the real name of Nguyen Phuc Dam and was the second king of the Nguyen dynasty in Hue many years ago.

Where is Minh Mang Tomb

Located just 12km from Hue city center, this mystical destination took up to 14 years to plan out, and after 20 years from the day of the throne, this Tomb was began to be built.

The Tomb is located in the middle of the surrounding mountains like and is said to have the view of  ( “Dragon is adoration – Tiger is kneeling, the left is Blue Dragon and right is White Tiger, River ahead , Mountain behind” ? )

In September of 1840,  Minh Mang built a tomb with more than 3,000 laborious workers, but in January of 1841, after just 5 months of construction, Minh Mang passed away. His son, Thieu Tri continued the work with a total of 10,000 workers and the tomb was completed in 1943.

This tomb has a balanced symmetrical architectural layout that means that the two-sided architecture will be symmetrically built through a path called “Than Dao”, which means the unique architectural style influenced by Confucianism.

Things to see in Minh Mang Tomb

Minh Mang Tomb with a total area of ​​1,750 m is a very famous sightseeing spot when visiting Hue
Although it is a burial place, when coming to Tomb of Minh Mang, we still receive the harmonious beauty, tranquility and peace of the incredible landscape and cultural architecture here. With the meaning of revival between life and death

Minh Mang Tomb features 40 large and small separate developments, such as the following:

1, The main entrance, which is called Dai Hong Mon – in total there are 3 entrances, but the main entrance is only opened once when the king’s corpse entered and then closed, making it particularly special. Currently, we are only able to just open 2 extra entrances:

2, Bi Dinh: located behind Dai Hong Mon, it is a large yard and two rows of mandarins, elephants and horses carefully carved. Next to it is a steel, recording the history and merits of Minh Mang King called “Thanh Đuc Than Cong”

3, Main Temple: the main place to worship the King, and the Queen is Mrs La Thien Nhan

4, Minh Lau Temple: is considered the place of return for the king’s soul

5, Buu Thanh: A place only reserved to bury the King’s corpse

How to get to Minh Mang Tomb

The Tomb of Minh is located approximately  30 minutes from the Hue city center and there are many options for you to travel here:

1,  Motorbike:

With a motorbike or bicycle, it is a fantastic way to travel at a slower pace whilst taking in the stunning scenery along the winding roads leading towards Minh Mang’s Tomb

Motorbike rental prices range from: VND 120,000 – VND 150,000 / Motor / day (exclusive gasoline)
Bicycle from VND 40,000 – VND 50,000 / bicycle / day

2, Taxi:

This option is for those who have not prepared beforehand, you can call a taxi, any time you want, but one thing to note is that you will pay a slightly higher fare in kilometers and pay an extra fee. Wait for the taxi driver, but very few drivers can speak English

Some reliable taxi firms in Hue are:
Mai Linh Taxi: 0234.3.89.89.89
Taxi Thanh Cong: 0234 3575 757
Yellow taxi: 0234.3.79.79.79
Taxi Hoang Sa: 0234.3.75.75.75
Taxi Gili: 0234.3.82.82.82
Huong Giang Taxi: 0234.3.78.78.78

3,  Private cars :

We recommend that when traveling to another country, it is best to take a private car. This option is worth the small extra amount of money you will pay to depart at your own time, have an experiecned English speaking driver and also a modern vehicle with air-conditioning to escape the extreme heat or rain. There is also no time limit on how long you spend, the driver is always willing to cater to your needs. The cars are also equipped with Wi-Fi for your convenience. If satisfied with the service by the end, you can tip the driver a small amount to thank him for his service.

Extra tip: If you are taking the time to rent a private car, it is best to plan 2-3 destinations so that you can enjoy the service whilst visiting all of the most notable places in Hue city that cannot be missed.

Maybe you interesting :

Thanh Toan Bridge – The most unique bridge in Hue

Khai Dinh Tomb – The Pinnacle of Art

Hue Citadel

Thien Mu Pagoda

 

Thanh Toan bridge is the only bridge in Hue and is one of the 5 most famous bridges in Vietnam with the extremely unique architecture “Thuong Gia Ha Kieu” which means that on the lower house is a bridge. With the ancient beauty of Vietnamese village style, Thanh Toan Bridge is a beautiful and interesting destination that you should not miss when visiting Hue.

Thanh Toan tile bridge was built in 1776, nearly 18m long. The whole bridge is made of wood, inside there is a worshiping shrine – worshiping Mrs. Tran Thi Dao who is credited with building this bridge and in 1990 was recognized as a national cultural relic

Things to see in Thanh Toan Bridge?

Beside of the ancient tile bridge is a small market that sells all specialties in Thanh Toan with dishes of rustic nature. Here, you have the opportunity to admire all the idyllic features of the countryside market through the shops, enjoy the rustic food or buy some fruit to bring back.

In addition, when you come back to Thanh Toan, you also have the opportunity to visit the agricultural tool museum(ticket 20,000vnd/pax).Through these farming tools, the stories of village life with the main occupation of wet rice cultivation, and extra jobs like cone hats. , making cakes, forging farm tools … will be reproduced most vividly

Thanh Toan bridge on Festival season

On the 15th of August of the lunar calendar every year, the people here will organize a festival to commemorate Mrs. Tran Thi Dao who has built this bridge and prayed for a full and full life in next year.

In addition, in Hue Festival (every 2 years), Thanh Toan will become more beautiful with lanterns, flowers, flags and many interesting activities such as play cards in the hut, boat racing, rural marketand with a lot of special culture of Vietnamese rural

Coming to Thanh Toan in festival days will surely leave a lot of beautiful and interesting impressions on your trip to Vietnam this time.

 How we go there?

Thanh Toan Brigde so special because it is not only a bridge but it also a place to avoid rain, to avoid the sun, and it also is a relax place when someone passing here.
Thanh Toan tile bridge is about 10 km (20m) from Hue city to the southeast belong Thuy Thanh commune, Huong Thuy district. Along the roads are long rice fields  , you will see the rustic beauty, simplicity of the countryside of Vietnam. There are many ways to get to Thanh Toan:

1, Taxi

If you have not prepared yourself for a service before going to Hue, Taxi is the most popular option. It’s convenient, fast, but the price is quite high, plus you have to pay extra for waiting time

Some famous taxi firms in Hue like:

1. Thanh Cong Taxi: 0234.3.89.89.89
2. Thanh Cong Taxi : 0234 3575 757
3. Yellow taxi: 0234.3.79.79.79
4. Hoang Sa Taxi : 0234.3.75.75.75
5. Gili Taxi : 0234.3.82.82.82
6. Huong Giang Taxi: 0234.3.78.78.78

2, Motorcycles:

– Truly an interesting experience for you when coming to a country famous for many motorcycles like Vietnam. With just a motorbike and a map you can spend a lot of time exploring Thanh Toan tile bridge
– Motorbike rental price ranges from 100,ooovnd -150,000 vnd /motor / day excluding gasoline

3, Bicycle:

Bicycles are also a choice of many tourists when coming to Vietnam, you can go and watch and enjoy the fresh air in the Vietnamese countryside.
The rental price varies from 40-50k /bicycle/ day

4, Private cars:

Another good option for you is cars, it’s really convenient, cars will pick you up from the hotel to visit and take you back to the hotel, with the driver career, English speaking, new cars, free wifi, drinking water is a great thing for your trip. Especially, the price for a car with such a journey is not high, only from $ 15 / 4 seats car
But we recommend that if you decide to choose a car, you should combine sightseeing with other points to save costs and time. You can see more here

5, Take the Tour:

If you don’t have a lot of time and want to save money, then the tour is really right for you, the tour will include transportation, tour guides, sightseeing and dining tickets, and you will spend pay much lower fees but you will not have much time to visit yourself as a private tour and do not tip is something very polite for drivers and tour guide after the tour ends.

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Khai Dinh Tomb – The Pinnacle of art

Hue Citadel

Thien Mu Pagoda

Minh Mang Tomb – The Revival

 

 

 

Khai Dinh Tomb , also known as Ung Lang, is a unique cultural and artistic work with an architecture that can be crowned the most special of all tombs and also the last architecture of the dynasty Nguyen in Hue

The Khai Dinh King, whose real name is Nguyen Phuc Buu Dao, began to build his grand tomb on September 4, 1920 – it required 11 years of construction and can be said that is an elaborately constructed project and the most expensive with a lot of workers and artists all over the country. Materials used to build were are imported from China, Japan and France. Furthermore, they are combination of many different of architectural styles such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Roman and Gothique. This is the result of the Eastern-Western cultural interference received of the new beauty with an extremely delicate and skillful selection to harmonize Vietnamese architecture.

Where is Khai Dinh Tomb ?

The Khai Dinh Tomb is located on the Chau E Mountain in Hue. As well as other tombs, Khai Dinh Tomb also has river ahead, Chop Vung Mountain as a green dragon adorating, and on the right is the Kim Son Mountain which forms like a white tiger kneeling. To the front is the “Chau E Spring” flowing through and the name of the title “Ung tomb” is named after the mountain here – Ung Son Mountain

Things to see in in Khai Dinh Tomb

The tomb has very a modest area of ​​5,674m2 and is considered an extremely attractive destination for tourists whenever they come to Hue.

Looking from the outside, Khai Dinh Tomb has 127 steps which divide the tomb’s space into 5 parts as a castlebetween modern elements but still retains the traditional features like “Bi Dinh”, with rows statues of  Mandarins , elephants and horses with large steles for the king’s merit

But the most special and important place in the Tomb of Tu Duc is the Thien Dinh temple

Thien Dinh temple in Khai Dinh Tomb

That is the most special and important place in the Tomb of Khai Dinh

Thien Dinh temple is the main architectural structure of the mausoleum, which is also the place where artisans can fulfill their own talents. This place consists of 5 main parts:

– Left and Right guard room :  The place for soldiers to guard

– To the front is the Khai Thanh temple: a shrine and portrait of King Khai Dinh

– Located in the middle is a place where the King statue and a lower tomb can be seen

– To the rear is the temple of the post of the late king

The entire interior of the 3 middle spaces in Thien Dinh Palace is decorated with relics made from porcelain and glassware – Four-season paintings, tea trays, crowns, alarm clocks, tennis rackets, kerosene lamps, etc. are all made of porcelain and glassware, through the skillful hands of the artisans.

Buu Tan and The statue of Khai Dinh king

More specifically, The Buu Tan symbol weighs nearly 1 ton, with smooth and soft lines that make viewers believe it is completely made from silk.

The statue of Khai Dinh king is made from two French artisans “P.Ducing” and “F. Barbedienne” at the request of the king. Below is the king’s corpse, brought in by a nearly 30-meter tunnel.

One more interesting thing but also hidden many secrets in the King’s tomb Khai is 3 paintings “Nine Dragon hidden clouds” by artist Phan Van Tanh. It is a painting that has been painted with legs and has not been repaired for 80 years but remains the same, and never had a spider web attached to it even though there are many around and until now it is still unreasonable for explain

In Thien Dinh Palace, there are a total of 2 statues of Khai Dinh king:

– Firstly, the King Khai Dinh dressed in French soldiers. This statue was cast in Vietnam

– Secondly, the main statue in Thien Dinh palace – a statue made in France by two French artisans, transported to Vietnam by waterway and covered with gold by a notable Hue artisan with ratio as true as the real person and the king’s corpse is located right below this statue

How to get to Khai Dinh Tomb ?

Khai Dinh Tomb is located approximately 9km away from Hue City, roughly a 20 minute journey  by car with very nice roads. There are still many ways to travel to the tomb however:

1, Motorbike or Bicycle:

With an easy road, low traffic density and fresh scenery to enjoy, motorcycles and bicycles are an extremely suitable choice for you to both admire and bask in the scenery of Hue city.

Motorbike rental prices range from: VND 120,000 – VND 150,000 / motor / day (no gasoline) and bicycle from VND 40,000 – VND 50,000 / bicycle / day

2, Taxi:

If you have very little time or simply you just want to visit one place, taking a  taxi will be very suitable for you. However, one thing to note is that you will pay the cost per kilometer and that is not really cheap in comparison to other options – if you want the driver to wait while you visit, you will to pay an extra fee but very few taxi drivers can speak English. Therefore it is best to book a private English speaking driver through a company if you require that

Some reliable taxi firms in Hue like:

Mai Linh Taxi: 0234.3.89.89.89

Thanh Cong Taxi: 0234 3575 757

Yellow taxi: 0234.3.79.79.79

Hoang Sa Taxi : 0234.3.75.75.75

Gili Taxi : 0234.3.82.82.82

Huong Giang Taxi: 0234.3.78.78.78

3, Private cars:

We recommend that when traveling to another country, it is best to take a private car. This option is worth the small extra amount of money you will pay to depart at your own time, have an experiecned English speaking driver and also a modern vehicle with air-conditioning to escape the extreme heat or rain. There is also no time limit on how long you spend, the driver is always willing to cater to your needs. The cars are also equipped with Wi-Fi for your convenience. If satisfied with the service by the end, you can tip the driver a small amount to thank him for his service.

Extra tip: If you are taking the time to rent a private car, it is best to plan 2-3 destinations so that you can enjoy the service whilst visiting all of the most notable places in Hue city that cannot be missed.

4, Take a city tour:

Another great option is to take a specialised local city tour with a small group. As well as it being affordable, the tour is all inclusive: Tour guide, entrance fees, lunch, transportation, dragon cruise boat ride and bottled water. It is becoming one of the most popular ways to discover Hue city in a single day, whilst learning about the fascinating history.

Hue city tour offers 2 types: A big group and Deluxe group (small group), but we recommend that you choose small group for the following reasons:

– Due to there being less guests, the guide will have more time to take care of you and answer your questions

– You will hear the explanation clearly and be asked more when you select small group

– Time to visit each destination on the tour will be longer

– Cost of sightseeing tickets will be reduced to the minimum price (combo ticket)

Don’t miss the unforgettable oppurtunity to visit Khai Dinh Tomb when you come to Hue!

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Thanh Toan Bridge – The most unique bridge in Hue

Minh Mang Tomb – The Revival

Thien Mu Pagoda

Hue Citadel