the citadel at hue
HUE IS A UNIQUE CITY that is unmatched in Indochina. It has everything to please the most demanding visitor, from royal palaces and mausoleums to old residential areas, both Vietnamese and French. The Perfume River offers a constantly changing landscape, while everyday life takes place on its sampans. As the capital of Vietnamese Buddhism, Hue has more temples than any other town in Vietnam; these, along with its garden houses, contribute to its considerable charm.
It also has an extremely serene atmosphere, probably because the city is strictly laid out according to phuong thuy or geomancy rules. One of these rules calls for the respect of geological veins or lines, the main ones being likened to the bodies of the dragon and the tiger. Geomancy thus organizes architecture and urbanism in respect to these veins. The core of Hue city, the Imperial City, is precisely situated at the crossroads of two axes, thus allowing the “White Tiger to be seated” and the “Azure Dragon to curl up.” From the main esplanade in front of the Supreme Concord Palace starts a northwest to southeast oriented axis. It links the palace with Ngo Môn Gate, then Ngu Binh Hill (which acts likes a natural screen protecting the city from evil influences) and, 43 miles (70 km) away, with Nui Ke sacred mountain. There, the emperor performed an annual sacrifice to the gods to ensure the fertility of the land, the source of all wealth. The other axis follows the river’s route up to Con Da Vien and Con Hen islands.
Although the city was first created as a Cham outpost at the beginning of our era, Hue rose to prominence when, under the name of Phu Xuan, it became the capital of the Nguyen lords in 1687. When Gia Long, the heir of the Nguyen lords, defeated all his foes and created the Nguyen Dynasty in 1802, he quite naturally decided to establish his capital in his ancestors’ main town. It was renamed Hue.
The city remained the capital until 1945 when the Democratic Republic of Vietnam chose to move the capital back to Hanoi. Although fierce combat during the war severely damaged the Citadel, massive restoration projects under the auspices of UNESCO are improving matters. Recognized in 1993 as a “Heritage of Humanity” site, the Citadel and its mausoleums are slowly regaining their original magnificence.
Hue’s Citadel (Kinh Thanh) is the only extant citadel in Indochina. Erected between 1804 and 1819, it was admired by foreign visitors from the first days of its completion. It is certainly an impressive sight, if only for its 6 mile (10 km) long, 66 ft (20 m) wide and 23 ft (7 m) high surrounding stone walls, which are punctuated by ten gates.
The Ngo Môn Gate (Moon Gate) is the most impressive of the four main gates piercing the 6 mile (10 km) defensive wall of the moated Citadel. Today, it is the main entrance for visitors into the city. In Imperial times, only the emperor was permitted to enter through its central doors. On top of the gate is the Ngu Phung, the Belvedere of the Five Phoenixes, where the emperor would appear during ceremonies. The tiles in the center of the roof are in imperial yellow, while the roofs to either side are green.
The other three main gates leading into the Citadel are simpler two-story stone structures, each symbolizing the characteristic of a human being. The East Gate shown here is known as the Gate of Humanity.
Within these walls stands the Imperial City (Hoang Thanh), with its administrative buildings and high-ranking civil servants’ houses. A second enclosure is devoted to the palaces and temples that made up the Forbidden City (Tu Cam Thanh or Purple City), where the emperor and his family lived. That part of the Citadel was almost entirely destroyed in 1968 during the Tet offensive, although some of its buildings have since been restored.
Except for the outside walls and gates, the Citadel is made entirely of wood and tiles. The styles of the various buildings are distinctive, each being constructed according to its function, although at first glance they look the same as any other wooden Vietnamese buildings. Religious buildings have a relatively low, rectangular shape, and thus look more like long galleries than Buddhist or Taoist temples. The administrative buildings, including the Throne Hall, are higher and squarer, a design rarely employed in traditional Vietnamese architecture. Domestic buildings, such as pavilions, are either built in the French style, having been constructed under French rule, or are more impressive one- or two-story houses designed according to the tastes and ideas of the emperors responsible for their construction. While the Forbidden City was painted in yellow, the color reserved for the emperor, most of the Imperial City’s buildings are decorated in red. This is considered the most auspicious color in Vietnamese tradition.
Today, one enters the Citadel through the North Gate (Ngo Môn), which is actually in the south since it led to the north and stands behind the Flag Tower. Built in 1836 by King Minh Mang, the North Gate gives access to the Imperial City. Only the emperor was allowed to enter through its central doors, which led to a bridge across a lotus pond. Mandarins and visitors were required to go through the lateral doors and around the pond. The Five-Phoenix Belvedere also had restricted access. It was here that the emperor addressed the court and watched feasts and parades. This is where the last emperor, Bao Dai, abdicated on August 30, 1945. The South Gate is the most sophisticated of the four main Citadel gates, while the other three are simpler two-story stone structures that were used on less important occasions. Since the Nguyen Dynasty strictly followed Confucian rules, the three simpler gates symbolized the characteristic of a human being, the East Gate being the Humanity Gate, the West Gate the Virtue Gate, and the South Gate the Peace Gate. The bridge over the pond leads to the Bai Dinh esplanade, used by mandarins during major ceremonies held in the main building of the Imperial City, the Thai Hoa Palace or Palace of the Supreme Concord. Erected in 1803, then moved to its current position in 1833, the palace houses the Throne Hall, distinguished by its eighty red-and-gold lacquered columns. It was here that the emperor held official audiences. The Left (Huu) and Right (Ta) Service pavilions, where civilian and military mandarins respectively worked, flank the palace. From the Throne Hall and through the Golden Gate (Dai Cung), the emperor and his eunuchs could enter the Forbidden City.
In the west of the Imperial City stand several buildings of great spiritual importance. The three-story Hien Lam Pavilion (Glory Pavilion) is the highest building in the Citadel. Built in 1821, it is part of a complex of three temples devoted to the Nguyen Dynasty official cult, and is probably the most elegant structure of the entire Citadel. It was built in honor of those who had helped the Nguyen to establish their dynasty, which explains why it stands in front of the Dynastic Temple (Thê Mieu) dedicated to ten Nguyen emperors, from Gia Long to Khai Dinh, the father of the last emperor. Also built in 1821, this temple houses a wooden lacquered altar for each emperor: on each stands his portrait and the usual liturgical objects: incense burner, vase and candlestick. Since women could not enter this temple, another dynastic temple was specially built for them.
Just behind stands the Queen Mother’s Palace, an interesting mix of traditional and colonial styles. It is almost the only palace that is furnished. There is a typical French sitting room suite and a more traditional chest of drawers set in the middle of columns ornamented with calligraphic panels. It provides some idea of life in such palaces, as does the nearby Longevity Temple, which was used as a place of relaxation by the emperors. In addition to beautiful carved lacquered panels, it is noteworthy for its colored windows that offer a refreshing contrast to the omnipresent wood, stones and bricks found elsewhere.
The main building of the Citadel, the Thai Hoa Palace, houses the magnificent Throne Hall, where the emperor would meet foreign rulers and emissaries, high-ranking ministers and other dignitaries. Recent renovation work has restored