The Imperial City, Hue
Trip Start
May 16, 2008
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19
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Trip End
Sep 15, 2008
Hue, Vietnam
Friday, July 11, 2008
Visited the Thien Mu Pagoda, which is a beautiful and solemn sanctuary for young monks in training (who are actually orphans). It is also the home of the car (they call a relic) of Thich Quang Duc, the monk who drove to Saigon in 1963 and self-immolated in protest against the president's (Ngo Dinh Diem) policies and how monks were being treated. You can see the pictures of him on fire sitting in Lotus position behind the car, which was never used again.
We also visited the Tomb of Minh Mang who ruled from 1820-1840 with over a hundred concubines in tow (those were the days right guys). The grounds are also quiet and tranquil, including ponds, courtyards and marble statues protecting his resting place.
Finally we visited the Thien Mu Pagoda, symbol of the Hue town, with 7 levels (7 is a lucky number in Buddhism, 9 is an imperial number) built on a hill over looking the Perfume River built in 1844. Next to the pagoda is a building containing a stele from 1715 set on the back of a massive marble turtle.
Hue`s sanctuaries are a welcome respite from the honking motorbikes in Hanoi. Its a nice start to our visit in the south. And when the sun starts to go down you actually get a breath of cooler air.
We ate pork sticks for lunch at a local joint and had to have the lady give us a how to lesson on how to eat them. I think she saw our confusion, and that I was about to eat the peanut sauce as soup! They were delicious! Sandra then enjoyed her 65 cent beer (Huda), and that is for 2 glasses of beer, at dinner in town tonight! Nice!
Next to Hoi An....we may visit some tailors. We may! Ha ha ha. Of course we will!!
For a country that has only been a country for 33 years, I am always amazed at how easy they make it to be a tourist here.
