Hue

Hue was the capital of Vietnam during the last dynasty. It is located on the Perfume river. Thinking of industrial pollution and sewers? Well, in good old times the river carried scented herbs and flowers from upstream.

On the shore one may contemplate a distant colossal statue of Kuanyin, here as the protectress of seafarers.

The highest point on the road. Here everybody built forts to control the pass: French, Vietnamese, Americans.

Descending from the forts to the shore.

The flags are just for decoration. All have five colors, because five is lucky and essential: five elements: fire , water, earth, metal, wood (no air? this is why it's so stiffling) five! seasons: spring, summer, canicule, fall, winter five !! cardinal points: north, east, south, west, center         etc.

Tu Duc was the last independent emperor of Vietnam. He built this palace as a summer residence, and is also buried on the grounds.

He had the bad idea to oppress Christianity, which led to French intervention. In addition, the Emperor had caught mumps as an adult, so he sired no children, although he had more than one hundred wives and concubines. That gave France a good pretext to colonize Vietnam, as the local dynasty had ended.

Noblesse de robe et noblesse d'epee. The French terms are rather untranslatable: law and letters noblemen, and warrior noblemen, more or less. You can see them clearly as statues: some have swords, the others just long sleeves. In Europe, of course, there were originally only warrior nobles. Anyone who could read was a clerk.

Tu Duc was a very short man. Since no one was allowed to look at the emperor from above, the courtiers were crouching, or walking an bent knees. The statues in the court are also very short.

The emperor's tomb. It is certain that he was not buried there; have your guess – and dig for treasure somewhere around the palace.

A painting of the Perfume River, with the Imperial Palace on top and the city below.