First impressions: The tourist landmarks of the Imperial City of Hue

imperial city hue citadel entrance
The entrance – it’s quite majestic I must say – in Chinese terms.

If you have come to this page looking for a list of the tourist landmarks of the Imperial City of Hue, I think you might be disappointed. I for one, have neither the time nor energy to document where I visited in the Imperial City. I just thought that the Citadel was charming and elegant in a way, especially when devoid of large tour groups. It took us awhile before we could appreciate the place. That only happened when we managed to avoid buggies of middle-aged Korean and Chinese tourists.

The Palaces and Temples

I don’t know the specific names –  there’s a palace map which is quite comprehensive. We just decided to head in the general broad direction. Here are some pictures which caught my eye.

imperial city hue citadel temple
The first palace we visited. Looks like a Chinese palace of the Forbidden City in Beijing.
imperial city hue citadel temple
I quite liked the wide spaces and ornate lamp-posts.
imperial city hue citadel promenade
Wide pavements for a relaxing stroll. Also built to buggy tourists around. 
imperial city hue citadel palace
I felt like a member of royalty lording over the neatly trimmed gardens. 
imperial city hue citadel temple
Notice the carvings in grey stone. They were really intricate – unfortunately they were hidden from one’s natural line of sight.

The Doorways

I do admit – I have a penchant for doorways. The more rustic with peeling paint, the better.

imperial city hue citadel door
Despite the mould and dirt, I really liked the aesthetics of this door and the entrance. Just don’t ask me to touch it.
imperial city hue citadel facade
This didn’t have that much mould but I liked its rustic look.
imperial city hue citadel entrance
There’s something about me and passageways.

Giving offerings at the temples

I’ve seen several tourists giving offerings at the temples too.

imperial city hue citadel palaces
One of the many palaces which we saw there.
imperial city hue citadel prayer hall
This guy is not local by the way. He’s just wearing a Vietnamese hat he bought.
imperial city hue citadel prayer hall
I really liked this building because there was no one around. And I could enter despite being only decked in a sleeveless shirt and shorts.

The Travelling Squid’s Take

If you’re left feel disappointed by the pictures. Don’t be. There are actually many other picturesque sights. They have been saved in  an upcoming post. This post just serves to highlight several of the uninteresting tourist landmarks of the Imperial City of Hue. Which you may wish to avoid, but it’s all part of the experience I guess. Your priority should be to escape from the invasion of a 40-pax tour group. Always be a step ahead, and be ready to evacuate just before they block the exits.

Stay tune for more.

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