Hue, Vietnam
Hue,the Imperial City
The Imperial City is a walled enclosure (10km perimeter, 6m high, 21m thick, and 10 entrances) within the citadel of the city of Huế, the former Imperial Capital of Vietnam, and lies along the Perfume River.
It is composed of three circles of ramparts: the Forbidden Purple City, once the residence of the royal family and badly damaged during the Vietnam War, the Imperial City, the royal tombs, the flag tower, as well as pagodas, temples, a library and museum.
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Capital of the Nguyá»…n, the lords of the South, in the sixteenth century, Hue became the capital of the whole of Vietnam after its reunification in 1802 and held its position for nine Nguyen dynasties until 1945.
At the time of French Indochina, Hue was the capital of the Protectorate of Annam, one of the five subdivisions of the territory. The monarchy was maintained but did go under supervision.
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Since the end of Vietnam War in 1975, the citadel has been open to the public and has received millions of tourists every year.
In 1993, all the monuments of Hue have been classified by Unesco as a cultural heritage of humanity.
Thien Mu Pagoda (Pagoda of the Celestial Lady)
Built in 1601, The Pagoda of the Celestial Lady is a historic temple in the city of Huế in Vietnam. Its iconic seven-story pagoda is regarded as the unofficial symbol of the city, and the temple has often been the subject of folk rhymes.
According to the royal annals, the local legend says that an old lady, known as Thiên Mụ (literally “celestial lady”), dressed in red and blue, sat at the site, rubbing her cheeks.
She foretold that a lord would come and erect a pagoda on the hill to pray for the country’s prosperity.
She then vanished after making her prophecy.
Upon hearing this, one ordered the construction of a temple at the site, thus the beginning of Thiên Mụ
The original temple was simply constructed, then later expanded and refurbished.
