AYoung Girl in Hue

There are undoubtedly thousands of children like her in Viet Nam. Too poor to be sent to school, so parents most likely urge them to beg for money. You don't really see many beggars in the large cities; but you will see children peddling just about anything from postcards, to chewing gum, to books, to roses and they will haggle with you with the seriousness and impetuosity of a child.

The scene on the other side of the Truong Tien Bridge where the Imperial City lies

For some reason, her face struck me with its quiet beauty and innocence. We had just arrived from the other side of the Perfume River, and had not yet gone on our adventure with the cyclo drivers. We knew that we were not anywhere near the entrance to the Forbidden City, but it is my nature to make the best of any situation. 

a street divider with impeccably trimmed lawn with flowers

We passed a large gate; it's hard to keep track of how many of these there are. Then a great expanse of green grass, and some beautifully manicured lawn with bright red flowers in its center. Those are the things that hint that this city had a glorious and esthetically beautiful past. But then, modern signs of poverty intertwine with this beauty. On the side of the road was a half covered basket of something that looked like beans, or huge peanuts. 



We started walking, and I saw a girl selling fruit and other snacks near the road. To my great delight, I found out she was selling guavas on a stick. As I approached to get two of them, a man suddenly appeared behind me, and tried his hand at brokering a deal with the price. Under no uncertain terms, I told him to get lost, and that my business was with the girl.



One of the interesting things they do with guava here is dip it in chili which is so hot, I personally couldn't handle it. So I ordered them plain, and we went to sit down to enjoy our fruit on two marble benches. No sooner had we sat down, that I saw two girls making their way toward us. At moments like these, you do realize that speaking the same language is really not necessary. The gesturing, the eyes, the body language,-all of these things come into play. I had brought some New York souvenirs with me, and offered her one of them. She showed no interest. I motioned her to sit next to me, and she did. She then rubbed her belly to indicate hunger. She had no interest in the guava,- she wanted money. She rubbed her thumb and forefinger together several times, which is indicative of $$, or in her case, dong.


Even though I knew she would not understand me, I was telling her that she ought to be in school.  I was torn between giving in to her demands, and taking her home with me (which of course, would have been totally illegal). I found an American coin and gave it to her...at which point, our cyclo drivers were making their pitch to us for a ride. One of them showed me a notebook he had been carrying around, which was a "portfolio" of his work. Testimonials of folks he had taken around the city, coupled with "thank you's", most of them in English. We took leave of the girls, and each one of us sat comfortably in a cyclo, and I had my camera in hand. Thankfully, the pictures were not disappointing.  Below is another example of the disparity between what was and what is.

there's always laundry hanging somewhere

As we were being taken away from the Imperial grounds, I wanted a snapshot of everyday life which I found on one of the side streets with some shops. As you can notice, there are no choking crowds as there might have been on a similar street in Ha Noi, or Sai Gon. All of two motorcycles are parked, and two men are engaged in conversation. 
It would take about an hour for us to return to the perimeter of the Forbidden City, and even if you've never been there, the grounds tell you immediately that you have arrived. It's impossible not to know.

A side view of the main gate, called the Ngo Mon Gate

Getting Inside the Forbidden City

No visit to Viet Nam should exclude the ancient Imperial capital city of Hue. Its splendor is still obvious in many areas, despite some destruction which occurred during the American War. Yes, there is heartbreaking disrepair, and not enough funds are going towards restoration, but Viet Nam is a country growing at break neck speed. They should not neglect their natural treasures, and Hue is one of them. 

Hue City was built in the very early 1800's alongside the banks of the Perfume River (Huong Giang). The architecture combines the influence of French military architect Vauban, often referred to as Louis XIV’s architect, and Oriental/Chinese palatial structures. There are several layers of the city one must cross in order to reach Tu Cam Thanh , or the Forbidden Purple City. The outermost boundary is called the "Defensive Fort", and has all of 10 gates. Hoang Thanh, on the Imperial Enclosure, is the second fortification around the city, and has 4 gates. Finally, one reaches the heart of the royal complex which is where the dynasty lived with their families, isolated from the rest of the world. 


Within the city itself is a palace as well as shrines and temples. Two of the things we unfortunately missed because of time constraints were those very temples, as well as the dynastic urns which are deemed to be the country's greatest achievement in bronze casting. It's on the agenda for the next trip, for sure. 


Now remember that we are being wheeled around by two Viet Namese cyclo drivers, who just took us to visit one of the Imperial Heritage Houses , which we felt was time very well spent. Now, we are very eager to see what we came for, and though it's mid afternoon, the sun is still very hot. It's very unfortunate that we find ourselves in front of the wrong gate, and I can see how they constructed this fortress to make access difficult. Though it is not the entrance, I can't help but admire the joy of the colors. It is definitely different from all other gates I have seen anywhere, with bright blue hues and splashy yellows and reds. 

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One of the many gates of the Imperial City, though not the entrance

As we begin to make a U turn, I sense we are finally going in the right direction. I don't think we could have done this by walking. In fact, I urge anyone who is coming to Hue to ensure transportation because it's a huge distance, and the heat is unbearable.  We are getting closer to the entrance, which is the Ngo Mon Gate, and this time, it's unmistakable. You are in the right place. You will purchase your tickets at a modest looking table and chair "booth". The cost is approximately US$3.50, where you'll see more treasures for your money than MOMA will ever give you. On the reverse side of the ticket is an inscription by a UNESCO official:

stunning workmanship

"The cultural heritage and the natural heritage are among the priceless and irreplaceable possessions, not only of each nation, but of mankind as a whole. The loss, through deterioration or disappearance, of any of these most priced (sic) possessions constitutes an impoverishment of the heritage of all the peoples in the world. Hue must be saved for Vietnam, as one of the shrine (sic) of its cultural identity and for the rest of the world, as an integral part of the indivisible heritage of mankind"

Take time to admire the gate in all its splendor and workmanship. The Ngo Mon gate is in the form of a phoenix swooping down with his wings spread. It is an impressive and beautiful sight.
Though I have never been to China's Forbidden City, I can immediately sense the tremendous influence it had on the architecture of this structure. UNESCO has put together a brief video of the capital city which is worthwhile. See it here .

angle view of the Ngo Mon gate

Also most interesting is the mosaic and glass relief work you will see just about everywhere in the Imperial City. This combination of materials, tile from China and glass from the bottom of French wine bottles makes it uniquely  Viet Namese. Between the gate and the Thai Hoa, which is the palace that holds the golden throne (no pictures are allowed here) where the Emperor sat, is this huge concrete space where ordinary folk would gather to see and prostrate themselves to him. The wall that surrounds the city is 6 miles long and took 20 years to build.


There is something very soothing about watching the moat with its lily pads and its hundred of koi fish. Of course, this is meant as yet another rampart between the visitor and the heart of the Imperial City. It is kept clean and free from algae, unlike some other waters which we had seen surrounding a pagoda. I'll be taking you there shortly. 

There are actually two moats which protect the city; I recall looking onto one from one of the vast open chambers which are mostly emptied of furnishings. In the Palace building, one cannot enter or see the original throne room; it was recreated for tourists and looks quite tacky actually. I didn't care for it. The building itself seems to have withstood two wars and is in fairly good shape. The Hall of the Mandarins  is vibrant with polished woods with subtle gilded decorations on the 80 carved columns which support its ornate timber roof.

Thai Hoa Palace

Thai Hoa Palace translates into "palace of supreme peace". The palace was used for most official functions like ceremonies and coronations. It was moved in 1833 from its former site on the grounds to where it stands now, 30 years after its completion. We will next take a slow walk around the grounds.