We are now finishing up two days in Hue here in Vietnam. As I write this post from our very comfortable, $10.00 per night hotel room (including free WiFi), there is a fantastic rain storm coming down outside. Thankfully yesterday, when we walked to visit the city's main tourism attraction, Hue's Citadel (Kinh Thanh), located on the Northern bank of the Song Huong (Perfume River), it wasn't raining at all. The short history of the Citadel is that emperor Gia Long began construction of it in 1804. Inside the 6 meter high, 2.5km long wall was where he carried out his functions. Included within the citadel walls was the Forbidden Purple City. It is a beautiful and interesting site despite much of it having been destroyed in wars with both the French in 1947, and then again by American bombs during the Vietnam war.
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| By the Song Huong on the way to the Citadel. |
While it may not look like it, the heat during the middle of the day here is oppressive and very humid. Actually, it doesn't cool off that much at night either. Having said that, the day was really fun, relaxing and interesting as we walked around (I in a new version of a "sweat-shirt.")
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| Bridge over the moat to the Citadel walls. |
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| Citadel entrance. |
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| Some of the beautiful grounds just outside. |
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| Wearing that "sweat-shirt" I just mentioned. |
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| One of the many buildings inside the walls. |
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| Elephants are always photogenic! |
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| One of the original walls (some parts were reconstructed) |
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| Beautiful structures inside... |
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| ...and beautiful gardens. |
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| Guess who's in the water?... | | | | | |
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| We are and we're hungry! Feed us! |
How do all of those fish survive in a pool of Chanel No. 5?????
ReplyDelete-Andy