Danang/Hue/HoiAn 2025 - Hue Day Tour Hue Citadel and Imperial City (3/8)

The very Vietnamese style gate at the Hue Imperial City. It looked almost Chinese, yet uniquely Vietnamese. A marker to divide the different section of the palace ground as you enter from one section to another. The vibrant colours of yellow and blue a permanent feature on the gates, which I wonder why. In China, usually the colour yellow represent royalty, but what about blue? Does blue represent the heavens? 

Another gate, or perhaps the same one but from a different side. The wordings on top of the gate is always different. The first gate above has the word 'moon' on it, while this second one has the word "sun" on it. Told you it was related to the heavens!

 

Inside the older palace area, there was a section with red doors and red walls, and adorned with gol pains in the design. It looked rich and luxurious, yet very Chinese. Many tourist walked through this room and hall slowly to admire the decorations so there's a sort of bottleneck when you reached this part. 

Hue is part of a UNESCO site, so they do try to maintain the heritage buildings as much as possible. 

But overall, everything is rather casual. There are exhibition and photos displayed at the courtyard. Someone probably have to move them in and out daily depending on the weather. It wasn't a permanent fixture. 

The other corridors looked like like any old house or temple, bare, and without much information. It was very much an empty space, perhaps not significant enough to do much about it.

The lanterns that hung on the ceilings were ancient as well, like those found in ancient China with elaborated motives and decorations. I bet they looked pretty when it's lighted up at night. I wonder if the palace ground is opened to the public at night. Perhaps on special occasions?

In a country where the city and roads are often jammed packed with young Vietnamese, it was such a peaceful experience to be here in Hue with it's wide spaces and greeneries and very European architecture as you will soon see as we reached the big house, Vietnam's very own Forbidden City Palace.

Danang/Hue/HoiAn 2025 - Hue Day Tour Hue Citadel and Imperial City (2/8)

 

To be honest, visiting the Hue Citadel wasn't on my to-do list for this trip, but since it's included in the tour package, it was again, a nice bonus. While researching on how to visit the place and getting tickets to go in, it was also kinda confusing. So I was glad the tour covered this attraction. But knowing how it was like now, I think it's a place you could easily visit on your own, once you know the entrance. It wasn't as huge as the Forbidden City in Beijing, so it's easily manageable for a half day or at least a 2 hour self discovery tour.

Here is our group walking in towards the imperial city.

I found these gate post very unique here in Hue. There are often found in royal venue marking a boundary from one area to the next one. I don't recall seeing these in China although they looked rather Chinese. The wordings on them are in fact, Chinese. Ancient Vietnam was very close to China and it's culture I guess. Often in temples, you could also see Chinese character there.

There are different characters on the front and the back of the gate. These are similar to those in Chinese gates too. But the colours of the gate in Vietnam is more interesting, showing blue green, white and yellow. I like these colour combination better.

Inside there are sculptures of mystical creatures, just like those in China. I am not sure what creature this is, a Kirin perhaps? Or a Lion? Phoenix?

Pretty Vietnamese lady posing for a photo with their signature hat on the balcony of one of the building.

The area inside was rather wide, first greeted by the large space area where kids were seen running around. It looked like a stage area, or maybe just a square for parades to take place? A common ground. We walked pass this area and into more intimate venue.

Danang/Hue/HoiAn 2025 - Hue Day Tour Hue Citadel and Imperial City (1/8)

 

Back to the city, our bus was there waiting for us, and soon we were back joining the busy traffic of the city Hue. Compared to Ho Chi Minh, it was nothing :D

Interestingly, no heavy vehicle was allowed inside the imperial city area, so we had to walk in. It was a short walk in, and our guide went ahead to get us our admission tickets into the city. We followed slower behind, busy taking photographs of the sceneries and view. It gates leading in kinda reminded me of Cambodia.

The Hue Imperial City was built similar to the Forbidden City of China. That meant they have many rings of area around it, going further and further into the center were the palace would be located. So the first view we got was the gates leading into the city.  It was also surrounded by a moat. 

Even here, you could see ladies dressed up in costume taking photograph. But instead of the Vietnamese costume, here they were dressed in imperial costume, and looked rather Chinese actually. It felt very similar to Beijing's Forbidden City vibe, but with less crowd, and at a smaller, less grander scale. 

Outside the palace gate, there was a sign that says "Get Down from Horse". I guess this is where ancient people used to get down from their horse before making their way into the palace. I remember we saw a similar place in the castle of Kumamoto too. But here in Hue, it was just a sign, and I wasn't sure do you park your horses here? Or can you bring them in? In Kumamoto, there was like a stable where you could leave your horses and walked up to the castle. 

After our guide got us our tickets, we walked towards the main entrance gate. It looked like it was made of wood and surrounded by greens. It was a few storey in height, the upper level probably a security guard post to view all that is approaching the gate.

Here is a closer look of the entrance. I bet they put a drum up there too as a form of a signalling tool.

After entering the wooden looking gate, we were greeted with a bridge across a large pond. I guess this is where we officially enter the palace ground! It looked really pretty!

Here is a selfie of me of the entrance gate behind me as I crosses the bridge. 

Danang/Hue/HoiAn 2025 - Hue Day Tour Perfume River Dragon Boat Ride

 

I usually would not pay for river cruise or boat rides on my holiday, not even a gondola in Venice cause I don't really know how to appreciate a boat ride. But in our one day tour package, a dragon boat ride down the Perfume River was included, so that was a bonus for me! Side note, I always thought what a lovely name Perfume River was, imagining that it would be filled with fragrance of flowers by the river side or something. In real life, it's just a yellow water looking river. No perfume scent at all. The dragon boat, however, was pretty neat!

Our boat coming into the jetty just across the pier at the pagoda entrance. Would you be worried about safety looking at this boat? Can I swim? Are there life jackets on board? Many a times when I am travelling, I often wondered about the risk I put myself in, from the money I purchase a flight ticket, to the hotels I stayed in, and the tours I take and every transit..... All the worst scenarios ran through my head. But I still always take the trip, because if we live in fear, we will never leave our home, would we?

It was such a pretty rustic sight to see the simple boat floating on the yellow river. Simple, and quite calming. A simple way of life.

Our guide waved us to the pier where she was waiting for us. And slowly, one by one we went abroad the wooden boat. We were going to take the boat back up to where the Imperial City was, perhaps around a 30minute boat ride. 

Here is what the interior looked like. As you can see, no life jacket was required. The plastic chairs we sat on were probably placed there for our convenience. The locals would probably just sat on the floor of the boat. There was no air con, but the breeze blowing in was cool enough.

As the boat pulls out from the pier, we could see the wider view of the pagoda, which I thought, looked a lot prettier from this angle. It was as if built specifically for people to visit it by boat instead of by road. 

If we zoomed in, we could see many people taking photographs outside the pagoda. Some where standing on the stairs from the pier area.

Vietnamese ladies love dressing up and taking photographs. And they are proud to wear their traditional clothes out too. Here was a striking bright red lady sitting by the river having her photos taken. If you go to Vietnam city on a weekend, or other instagram-able location, it would be filled with ladies all dressed up, some even with flowers in their hand, all ready to pose and take photos. Usually a boyfriend with a handphone, or a professional photographers would be following them around. 

As the boat left the pagoda area, we soon see villages along the river, some with fisherman's boat, or netting hung around the area. We could also see some of the people just hanging out by the river. It was a very relaxing scene, and the warm air adds to the sleepy atmosphere. 

Here is a photo of fishing boats or nets? I can't really tell as they looked so small a far. 

Local people just relaxing by the river as our boat passes by. What a simple life. I wonder if I was ever like that when I was younger and living in a small town in Malaysia?

But all too soon, a massive concrete bridge came into sight, and we more or less knew we were back at the city area. 

The boat actually went under the bridge! No wonder all the boats were built so short in height. I guess no big ships can come near the imperial city then, unless the bridge can be open up!

The sight of the yellow bridge once we went pass it. It was massive! And wide. 

Danang/Hue/HoiAn 2025 - Hue Day Tour Tien Mu Pagoda (3/3)

Leading us into the last section of the Tian Mu Pagoda ground was our tour guide with the red flag, along with some of our tour group people. The last section was so green! 

Going through the last door way....

It opens up to a wide green space. The breeze was really strong here and it felt like you were at the beach. Actually just behind the field was the river side, so it was very cooling here. And it was kinda darker and cooler than the other section too. And quieter. Maybe that's why I like this section the best.

The gardens here were also simple and minimal.

There are so many tress here. I love such places. It's just so peaceful here. And guess what. This section is actually the grave area of the monk who build this place :)

And here stood a smaller pagodo that was dedicated to him, for he was quite well loved by the people. A very fitting resting place for a monk. All these nature surrounding it. 

Lovely lotus flowers bloom here in the garden pond :) 

I can't help but take a selfie here. Sometimes it's the feeling you get when you visit a place that stays with you the most, and not the aesthetic of the area. Even a simple area like this, can let me feel so peaceful and welcomed :)