Entering the hall for the Gods with the dark clouds looking gloomy above us. What a great day to visit mausoleums! It does add to the atmosphere. But best of all, there were hardly anyone else at this site, a UNESCO site too!
Entering the temple-like structure, you are instantly greeted by the altar and the offering table. It was quite a wide area, with smaller altar along it. Clearly someone do upkeep this place, as the flowers were fresh and incense and candles were lighted. I love the tiled floorings. Something about the colour yellow in Vietnam really strikes you, perhaps a reminder of the French?
But as this is a prayer hall, everything was super bright red! Auspicious colour for the Gods and ancesters.
Here is a different view, showing the multiple section of the altar. Visitors are not permitted to enter the place, but you could get closed enough to look inside.
One of my favourite photo, a local Vietnamese in traditional clothing with a hat stood there praying in front of the altar. The red doors were the entrance where one enters, and it looked so beautiful with the lights shinning in from them, reflecting on to the filed flooring.
Hmmm, I can't remember if this is the next section, or the previous one.... lol.
But what you can see inside here are the royal symbols, like the yellow coloured cloth here with two yellow/golden dragon. Just like in China, the colour yellow was reserved for the Emperor.
Actually, everything looked very Chinese from here. The view of the gardens and the courtyard reflects the influence of the Chinese.
In my fantasy, I would love to live in a country house with doors like these. Like those traditional Japanese houses where you could looked out, or even sit outside looking out to your garden. I thought it would feel so free and bright instead of having walls.
And the corridors here were lovely as well. Very Japanese too! I think wood is such a nice building material when its well maintained and shines like this.
This is actually what it looked like from outside. It looked rather old really.
Here is another corridor shot. I like lights and darkness kind of photographs.
Lastly, it was time to move on into the final section, the tomb of the emperor.
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