Vietnam: A bygone era at the Imperial City of Huế.

 Vietnam's Ancient Capital- Huế

It was late October 2024. I was coming towards the end of my trip to Da Nang and my online meetings for the week were done. I decided to join a mini-bus tour heading to the ancient capital Huế which is about 2.5 to 3 hours from Da Nang. My co-travellers were Japanese and non-local Vietnamese folk. The outward journey was relaxed, accompanied by some pleasant scenery. Mid-way our mini-bus stopped by the beautiful Lap An Lagoon. 

We barely had time to admire the view before the tour guide whisked us into a large shop selling pearls. Everyone politely resisted this marketing ploy and we continued on our way. Finally we arrived at the outskirts of the city and spent some time at this impressive seven-storey Thien Mu pagoda.

Soon it was time for lunch, which was included in the package. The restaurant had been informed of my dietary preference (vegetarian). Being the only one, I was assigned a separate table with a massive spread of veggie dishes. I did as much justice as I could to each dish. The table below was followed by a beautiful platter. I attempted to finish just over half of everything, apologised profusely and thanked the staff for everything.

Finally we arrived at the Imperial City of Huế. Vietnam's history is fascinating in many ways. This is just another layer that adds to the intrigue. Over a 1000 years ago, the Champa Kingdom or Cham Civilisation in Central Vietnam had a shared culture with Indian Hinduism. Its people were largely Shaivites (praying to Shiva) but also devotees of Vishnu and Krishna. The Cham script found in this region is believed to be the first discovery of written script in Southeast Asia. It evolved from the Brahmi script of ancient India. In 1471, the Cham Civilisation was overthrown. Predictably this central region too came under the influence of the Chinese Empire, much like rest of the country.

The Imperial Capital is also called the Forbidden Purple City and sits on the Perfume River. In the golden olden days fragrant flowers fell into the river from orchards upstream, their aroma lending the river its name. 

Inside the walled compound are deep-red corridors with panels of Chinese script. These lead to the sunflower-yellow palace with ornate carvings. 

I did wonder if 'The Forbidden Canary Yellow City' might have been a more apt name. Or perhaps something like the The 'Red Corridor City'.  So why purple? By some accounts, historically the site of the palace was screened by a flat-top mountain range lined with pine trees. The unique landscape, mist, lighting and weather patterns of the day caused the sky to display beautiful, deep coloured shades. Aha, so the purple hue is what made Huế the Forbidden Purple City.

Our final stop was one of the several magnificent Royal Tombs outside the city. This is King Khai Dinh's  tomb below. It is one of those places, where you expect something a tad interesting and then arrive to find yourself absolutely enthralled. The tomb offered a complete contrast between the sombre (and slightly formidable) exterior and the fancy interiors with carvings and chandeliers. 

The journey back led me to ponder and reflect on the past (well we had some peace as the guide ran out of steam and was finally silent!) 

Every few decades, the human population believes that the worst wars, invasions and violence are behind them. Sadly, each time we are proven wrong. Standing at the crossroads of ancient cultures, there is some comfort that despite the strife someone, somewhere will build a monument, introduce a custom or create a new dish that leaves a lasting memory. 

While Huế cannot claim to go back as far as the pyramids of Egypt, the rock-cut caves at Ellora or the Acropolis in Athens, it is still a worthy time-stamp of a unique period in Vietnam's history.  More importantly, it has (thus far) escaped the plague of social-media driven tourists and retains its character as a small town.

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