Tu Duc Tomb: We started the day with breakfast at the hotel, followed by a three hour trip to the city of Hue. Once in Hue, we headed straight for Tu Duc Tomb. Tu Duc ruled over Vietnam from 1848 until his death in 1883. He was unable to father any children (possibly having become sterile from smallpox), and therefore had to write his own epitaph, which can still be seen at the tomb. He began construction of the tomb in 1864 and it was mostly complete by 1867.
The tomb complex is divided into two main areas, the ritual area and the burial area. Tu Duc spent much of his time at the complex living in its palaces, relaxing in its pavilions, boating on its lake, and hunting on the small island in the middle of the lake. Despite the grandeur of the tomb and the cost of its construction, Tu Duc was not buried there, but rather in a secret location outside the tomb complex. The actual burial location of Tu Duc remains a mystery to this day.
Thien Mu Pagoda: Our first stop after lunch was at Thien Mu Pagoda, a site we were able to thoroughly explore on our trip to Hue in 2007. We revisited the Phuoc Duyen Tower, the Stele on the Turtle's Back, the Dai Hong Chung bronze bell, the Dai Hung Shrine, Thich Quang Duc's Austin car, and Hoa Thuong Thich Don Hau's stupa.
The Citadel: Just as we had done over five years earlier, we rode from the pagoda to the Citadel. Having parked in the same lot, we entered the Citadel through the same gate and headed toward the gate leading into the Imperial City. However, this time we had to make our way to the back of a large stage still being erected directly in front of the gate for an upcoming festival. We waited for our group to catch up with us before gaining admission into the Imperial City.
Imperial City: Once inside the Imperial City, we first toured the Ngo Mon (Moon) Gate, which we had previously seen. As the group made its way over to the Royal Room, we joined them to gain admission with the group ticket. We had seen this building on our previous trip, but it was just the first building in the Purple Forbidden City, the main residence area of the King and Queen. Peep and I left the group, which did not make it past the Royal Room, and hurried in to see as much of the Purple Forbidden City as we could.
Purple Forbidden City: We first walked straight ahead through the field that once held the residences of the King and of the Queen, both destroyed during Vietnam's War for Independence. At the far end of the Purple Forbidden City sat a gazebo and large patio on which the royalty could relax. We then turned around and headed back toward the Royal Room along the northeast portion of the inner city, rather than through the center, and saw the lake and pavilion used by the King for leisure, the Royal Library, and the Royal Theatre. We were again short on time, so we rushed back to the bus, missing out on the southwest portion of the Purple Forbidden City and the rest of the Imperial City.
Dong Ba Market: Our last stop in the city of Hue was at the Dong Ba Market. Dong Ba is the largest market in Hue and has existed since 1887, built to replace the Qui Gia Thi Market burnt to ashes during an 1885 attack on the city. Dong Ba was then moved in 1899 to its current location. All types of souvenirs, jewelry, food, and household items can be purchased from the many stalls of vendors crowding the narrow passageways of the market.