There's really only one reason to come to Hue - to see the remnants of the Nguyen kings, the previous central seat of power of Vietnam, now classified as a World Heritage Site. (Perhaps unsurprisingly, the one other time I've used the phrase "there's only one reason to come to..." was in relation with Angkor, another World Heritage Site.)

I can't help but draw parallels with Angkor, and Hue doesn't look anywhere near as impressive as the former, but that doesn't detract from the fact that it is still grand in it's own little way and worth visiting if you're into old buildings and monuments. If you're not, and this stuff bores you, then you shouldn't even think of coming here. For those that search for glamour and excitement of the glitzier kind, and like their holidays nicely accessible and packaged, I suggest that you spend time in Disneyland.

First off, let me just say that I was at a disadvantage this time around, as compared with Angkor, because I didn't have a guide. This is a real shame, because having somebody explain and point out subtleties to you adds to the joy of discovery. My bad was that I didn't hunt and look for a book on Hue before venturing forth - most books I did see as I templed around were in Vietnamese.

Secondly, as with Angkor, all the good buildings are far from each other, and you have to hire a moto for the day or something to see all of them. The most accessible part is the mini-replica of the Forbidden City inside Hue itself, and that is pretty large - allow at least an hour, maybe more if you did what I did, and try to tag behind a tour group! The rest can be covered in half a day or a little bit more.

Most of the buildings are between 100 to 200 years old, but war and weather have taken their toll on them. When you see the difference between the restored buildings and those left in their original state, you realise how much work there is left to bring everything back.

The Nguyen kings were Chinese, and this shows strongly in the architecture and decoration. The overwhelming motif is the dragon. You get dragons everywhere. On the balustrades, on the walls, on the doors, on the side of stone elephants, staring at your from the ceiling, from columns, from pillars, on clothes, on these large bronze pots. About the only place I haven't seen them is on the floor. Which is strange. I wonder why.

The mausoleums are situated in quite remote areas. One that I went to was only accessible if you crossed by boat and then travelled a further 2km. Unsurprisingly, it was the only one I saw that had no tourist vans parked right next to it.

Declaring a site to be a World Heritage Site doesn't immediately make it spectacular, but you are at least guaranteed that people will try to take proper care of it. I think Melaka and Penang would benefit from a World Heritage Site status - that is, if we can persuade local governments to it.

Labels: big trip