"The 'Forbidden City' of Vietnam" left me with a touch of awe...
Hue Imperial City, known as the Vietnamese version of the Forbidden City. Hue, the capital of Vietnam's last feudal dynasty, the Nguyen Dynasty, is home to the Hue Imperial City, which served as the residence of the Nguyen emperors and is now the largest complex of ancient buildings in Vietnam. There's an uncanny feeling I get here. Upon closer inspection, it's because various unrelated design styles have been bizarrely merged together: The overall planning of the Imperial City is Chinese in style, featuring structures like the Meridian Gate, Hall of Supreme Harmony, and the Ancestral Temple, clearly taking cues from Beijing's Forbidden City. The architecture itself is also very similar to that of China. The Nguyen emperors even wrote poetry, demonstrating the profound influence of Chinese culture. However, the building facades are adorned with many Baroque-style decorations, and even three-dimensional, colorful reliefs that are more extravagant than the Baroque style itself, with ornate complexity. Yet, instead of using materials found in European palace architecture, they employed ceramic fragments for inlay, a localization of materials. The influence of southern folk architecture can also be seen, such as poems written on the top of walls, similar to the dwellings in Dali; the extensive use of strong colors like red, yellow, and black adds a touch of Southeast Asian retro charm... It's fascinating that even as a layman, I can discern the influences of Chinese culture, southern Chinese folk culture, European culture, and the local culture of the Indochina Peninsula, all blended together in a curious way. Many tourists dressed in traditional Vietnamese attire (Ao Dai) can be seen taking photos here, which adds to the ambiance, and I bet the photos would turn out great! The majority of visitors seem to be Vietnamese. Foreign tourists might prefer Hanoi or Saigon, with fewer visiting Hue. But this place is actually a great spot to understand Vietnamese history and culture, so don't miss it～ 📍 Hue Imperial City Kinh thành Huế ⏰ Summer hours: 07:30–17:00 🎫 Adult ticket: 150,000 Vietnamese Dong (approximately 50 RMB) 📢 Tour duration: A quick visit takes 2 hours, while an in-depth exploration requires half a day #CulturalAttractionsSharing #MyOffTheBeatenPathTravelTips #TravelTheWorldAtALeisurelyPace #VietnamTravel #HueImperialCity #Hue #HoiAn #DaNang
