The Nguyen surname is ubiquitous in Vietnam. It is estimated that 40% of its almost 100 million inhabitants have that last name. A fact for which the last reigning imperial dynasty in this Southeast Asian country is largely responsible. But not because they had a vast lineage, but because while the Nguyen held power, many subjects decided to name themselves after their rulers.
That imperial period lasted from 1802 to 1945, the date on which Bao Dai abdicated in the context of World War II and the unstoppable rise of communism. That meant the end of the Vietnamese empire, but as a legacy of the Nguyen family, the fabulous citadel they built in Hue, the city in the center of the country that was the residence of the entire family saga since Gia Long took power in the early stages, has been preserved. of the 19th century.
He promoted the construction, having as a model the Forbidden City in Beijing. And during the following decades his successors incorporated new buildings and changes in this enormous enclosure surrounded by a wall of ten kilometers in perimeter and a moat 30 meters wide. An imposing construction that was not only the official residence of the emperor, it was also used for celebrations, protocol and government acts.
Although all that splendor was declining at the same time that the French colonial power grew, until reaching the decadence with the definitive collapse of the imperial regime. However, the worst was yet to come. The 1968 bombings during the Vietnam War left the palace badly damaged.
However, this does not prevent the monument from being declared a World Heritage Site today and construction is immersed in a permanent restoration process that coexists with the many tourist visits, both by foreigners and Vietnamese who seek to discover one of the great jewels of his patrimony. Visiting the citadel on the banks of the Perfume River is the main reason to take the historic Reunification Railway that runs through Vietnam and make a stop in Hue.
The reception at the Ngo Mon portal is lavish. There, after crossing the defensive moat, five gates await. Now all of them can be used, but in the past the central one was reserved exclusively for the emperor as a demonstration of authority. And if the welcome embodied power, the visitors of yesterday and today find evidence of wealth and good taste in the next room. It is the Thai Hoa or Palace of Supreme Harmony where audiences with other dignitaries were held. These would be stunned in a space divided by dozens of columns, all of them lacquered in scarlet and gold tones representing dragons. A fantastic animal that appears on many occasions throughout the citadel.
This first part of the complex is the so-called "civic city" and it was accessed by guests or representatives from other parts of the empire and even from abroad. Everything is protocol based on a variegated decoration. But as progress is made, the "imperial city" begins. There, for example, are the hall of the Mandarins or the pavilion of the Five Phoenixes. In addition, there is a spectacular royal theater, an extensive library or the well-cared gardens of Co Ha. And even the Thai to Mieu temple was built in honor of the founders of the Nguyen dynasty.
So far the entire population could not access. Officials and members of the imperial court only. But there was an even more restricted realm at the heart of the complex: the Forbidden Purple City. Only the emperors, their wives, their concubines and a large service of eunuchs entered. Any other person who dared to pass was sentenced to death. Unfortunately, this area was the most destroyed by the bombings of 1968 and is the one that is being restored more slowly.
It is a pity that few vestiges remain of what the most intimate imperial rooms were like. But fortunately, even if you don't visit where the Nguyen rulers lived, you can discover where they rest for eternity. And it is that in the surroundings of the citadel of Hue their tombs are distributed, some of them worthy of a leisurely visit.
For example, that of Emperor Tu Duc who reigned between 1847 and 1883. He lived so long that he withdrew from the citadel to live for 16 years in his funeral complex, where he built various pavilions, a lake, and space for hunting. In addition, he moved his jewelry and possessions there, with which he buried himself in a secret place within the 12-hectare funeral complex, giving orders to subsequently execute the 200 servants who knew where he hid his body and the treasure of him.
The tomb of Minh Mang is also extensive, with several lakes and buildings arranged in perfect symmetry. You can reach this imperial tomb by navigating the Perfume River. And likewise the boats lead to the funeral monument of Khai Dinh. In the most revered part of the tomb is the statue of the emperor seated on his throne, with the sarcophagus at his feet. But to get there you have to ascend a monumental staircase protected by dragons and then you have to cross a ceremonial courtyard guarded by a menacing retinue of stone-carved mandarin soldiers.
This was the last imperial tomb raised by the Nguyen, since the last representative of the saga died in exile. And it was also the most expensive funerary monument. It took almost 12 years for its ostentatious construction and to pay for the work, the Vietnamese were suffocated with a scandalous increase in taxes. A sample of what life was like in the imperial era, which was not fair to the common people but in return it has left us a top-level artistic heritage.
The citadel of Hue is separated from the city not only by the walls and the moat that surrounds it, but also by the channel of the Perfume River that isolates it. Although several bridges save the waters to unite both shores. The most striking is the Troung Tien Bridge, whose metal structure was devised by Gustave Eiffel during the years when Vietnam was a French colony. A modern engineering that cannot contrast more with the traditional architecture of the neighboring imperial palace.
However, not all bridges are like this. On the outskirts of Hue a different good is tended. The Thanh Toan bridge now spanning a small channel between rice fields and with a style reminiscent of Japanese architecture. It is an ornate bridge almost like a colorful filigree that includes an altar dedicated to Mrs. Tran Thi Dao, adored for paying for the construction of this marvel of wooden engineering.
