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Y
ou may think Hue people are
conservative as they strongly
opposed a project to build a
high-end hotel on Vong Canh
Hill and the Da Vien Islet. But those who
have been to Hue can easily understand
why its citizens are allergic to modernity
- they take pride in their long-lasting his-
tory. Generation by generation, Hue peo-
ple have strived to maintain and preserve
its ancient royal palaces, temples, pago-
das, royal tombs and garden houses.
Thanks to its long history, Hue has
its own unique culture and its citadel
was honoured with UNESCO World Cul-
tural Heritage status in 1993.
The Perfume River flows romanti-
cally through peaceful villages, passing
by the Literature, Martial Arts and Hon
Chen temples and the royal Hue Citadel.
Situated on the north bank, the
royal citadel includes more than 100
architectural works which reflect the
lives of past emperors and mandarins of
the Nguyen reign. It is a huge complex,
covering an area of 520ha including
Kinh Thanh Hue (Hue Capital Citadel),
Hoang Thanh (Royal Citadel) and Tu
Cam Thanh (Forbidden Citadel).
There is also a temple to worship
10 Kings of the Nguyen dynasty in the
west of the citadel area, with the high-
light being 9 bronze cauldrons.
The tombs of the ancient kings are
situated in the hills on the southern
bank of the Perfume River. The four
most famous examples are the tombs
of Gia Long, Minh Mang, Tu Duc and
the magnificent Khai Dinh.
Elsewhere, Hue’s garden houses
may not be as sophisticated and mag-
nificent as the royal palaces, nonethe-
less they represent the unique culture
and lifestyle of Hue people. They were
once home to descendents of royalty or
mandarins who had a direct connection
with the royal court.
Hue’s traditional architecture has
long been closely associated with the
natural environment and the garden
houses reflect this association. Each is
highly individual and house and garden,
co-exist in a harmony. Today, many of
them are dilapidated, but some remain
intact, such as Lac Tinh Vien, An Hien,
Princess Ngoc Son and Kim Long-Phu
Mong garden houses.
MASTER PLAN FOR TOURISM
The People’s Committee of Thua
Thien-Hue province has approved the
master plan for the province’s tourism
development up to 2025. Accordingly,
the chairman of the Provincial People’s
Committee, Nguyen Van Cao, agreed to
contract Singaporean firm, Akitek Teng-
Purely Hue
Thua Thien Hue province aims to become the first-
class city in Vietnam and is focusing on developing
its cultural heritage sites and villages in a bid to boost
visitor numbers to this former royal powerhouse
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