The Forbidden Purple City

Trip Start Oct 24, 2005
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Trip End Ongoing


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Where I stayed
Binh Duong III Hotel
(Hue hotels)

Flag of Vietnam  ,
Monday, March 6, 2006

From Hoi An, we took an afternoon bus a short three or so hours north to the city of Hue. Hue is well-known for its Citadel, which consumes a large portion of the city. The Citadel's construction began in 1805 and was completed in 1832. Set along the banks of the Perfume River (which really does smell good! There are lovely scented trees planted around it), the Citadel is nearly 10 kms in circumference, and encircles a city of its own. Unfortunately, much of the city within the Citadel's walls was largely destroyed during the Tet Offensive.

Hue witnessed perhaps the worst battle of the infamous Tet Offensive, launched by the Northern forces in 1968. The Tet Offensive was a surprise attack by the VietCong, during which the Southern & US forces were completely overwhelmed and blindsided. The VietCong managed to divert the Southern & US forces' attentions to Khe Sanh, where they believed a major battle was about to ensue Forbidden Purple City
Forbidden Purple City
 . Instead, the Northern forces hit a variety of cities throughout the south, including Hue. During the Tet Offensive, approximately 2,000 Southern Vietnamese troops, 1,000 American troops, and 32,000 VietCong troops were lost. The VietCong held the city for 25 days, during which they murdered some 3,000 civilians. During these 25 days, intense fighting ensued, and much of the famed citadel was destroyed, along w/much of the city itself. It is estimated that about 10,000 people died in this city during these battles: the majority were civilians, but hundreds of Southern & US soldiers died, as well as thousands of VietCong.

We spent an afternoon exploring the sights of the Citadel, spending most of our time in the Forbidden Purple City (and not just b/c of the cool name...). The Forbidden Purple City is confined within the walls of the Great Enclosure. It was built between 1802 and 1833, during Emperor Gia Long's reign, and constructed following the rules of feng shui. It is divided into four districts, each of which had its own function. Unfortunately, of the original 300 buildings, only 80 survive today, and most of the remains are little more than the foundations of the buildings that once stood there. However, when we visited, there was a lot of construction going on, so it looks like they are trying to restore the city a bit.

Apart from visiting the Citadel, we didn't do much of anything in Hue but relax and wander around the city, which was nice. It was a short little break before we got on the train and wrapped up our journey in Hanoi....
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