Hue is a familiar destination for domestic and foreign tourists, but the land of God also contains many unique and attractive places that few people know.
Hue was the capital of Vietnam during the Tay Son Dynasty (1788-1801) and the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945). Coming to Hue, tourists often choose to take a walk in the Citadel, visit Thien Mu Pagoda or enjoy the beautiful architecture and vast mountain scenery at the 7 mausoleums of the Nguyen emperors. But the land of the Spirit also contains many unique and attractive places for tourists.
Tiger Quyen – Elephant Palace Re
Address: Thuy Bieu Ward, Hue City
Ho Quyen was built in 1830, with the purpose of organizing life-and-death battles between elephants and tigers for the emperor’s entertainment. This is the only arena for elephants and tigers in the world today, often compared to the “Colosseum of Vietnam”. The last battle at Ho Quyen took place in 1904, under King Thanh Thai.
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| 5 tiger cages in Ho Quyen. Photo: Vo Thanh/VnExpress . |
Ho Quyen is an open-air arena in the shape of a scarf, surrounded by two walls (circumference 145 m) of brick and stone. The field is in the shape of a basin with a diameter of 44 m. The grandstand for the king is located on the north side of the arena, on the left is the hierarchy for kings and princes, and on the right is for officials and soldiers. Ho Quyen has 5 tiger cages located on the premises and a gate for elephants to enter when the battle is about to take place.
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| Ho Quyen, a unique arena in the ancient capital of Hue. Photo: Visit Hue . |
Not far from Ho Quyen is Dien Voi Re. According to legend, after the owner died in battle, an elephant ran to Tho Cuong hill, roared with pitiful cries and died. When he ascended the throne, King Gia Long built the Voi Re Palace to worship the god and 4 brave elephants in the battles of the Nguyen army, next to the elephant’s grave in the past.
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| Long Chau temple, evidence of the Nguyen dynasty. Photo: Knowledge . |
Voi Re Palace is located on an area of about 2,000 m2, including items such as Tam Quan Gate, Dien Lake, Dragon Horse Screen, Dong Pho Dien, Tay Pho Dien and Long Chau Temple. Long Chau Temple is the most important building, built in the style of a double house. Legend has it that the elephants before coming to Ho Quyen will be taken by the mahout to drink water at Dien Lake to increase their fighting spirit.
Huyen Khong Son Thuong
Address: Huong Ho Ward, Hue City
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| The fairyland of Huyen Khong Son Thuong. Photo: My Clownfish . |
Huyen Khong Son Thuong belongs to the Theravada sect, different from many pagodas in Hue. The temple is hidden deep in the valley, surrounded by green pine hills, giving visitors a feeling of peace and quiet when visiting. The pagoda is divided into two main spaces: the inner monastery (still life) and the outer monastery (worship). The main hall is the most important work of Huyen Khong Son Thuong, built of wood in the style of the ancient Hue ruong house to worship Shakyamuni Buddha.
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| Peaceful, quiet space at the ancient temple. Photo: Art Travel . |
The view of the pagoda is as beautiful as a watercolor painting with the green color of the bamboo forest, the purple color of the water lilies blooming on the lake surface, the reddish-brown color of Bat Trang tiles for the garden floor… In addition, Huyen Khong Son Thuong also There is a calligraphy garden, where the works containing Buddhist ideas and human life of the abbots are kept. Huyen Khong Son Thuong is a typical work of Hue and Vietnamese souls in the land of the Gods.
Tomb of Lord Nguyen
Address: Huong Tho Commune, Hue City
Not as magnificent as the 7 mausoleums of the Nguyen emperors, the resting place of the Nguyen lords quietly amidst the mountains and forests of the ancient capital of Hue. After the Tay Son Dynasty captured Phu Xuan, the tombs of the Nguyen lords were destroyed and completely destroyed. King Gia Long built the tombs of the Nguyen lords based on the architectural style of Chieu Nghi tomb, the only work still intact at that time.
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| Some mausoleums of Nguyen lords gradually became ruins. Photo: Tulip Garden . |
Each tomb area consists of two citadel of equal height, the outer ring is built of basalt, the inner ring is built of brick. In the mausoleum, there are 2 dragon-horse screens, decorated with vivid porcelain mosaics. However, the ups and downs of history caused the tombs of those who had merits to expand the territory to the south to be seriously degraded.
Dragonfly Lagoon
Address: Phu An Commune, Phu Vang District
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| Beautiful scenery in Chuon lagoon at dawn. Photo: Nong Thanh Toan . |
Chuon lagoon belongs to Tam Giang – Cau Hai lagoon system, 15km east of Hue city. Visitors will experience floating on boats, feel the salty taste of the sea breeze and watch the vast scenery of water waves at Chuon lagoon in the early morning (or sunset). In addition, when coming to Chuon Lagoon, tourists can enjoy fresh seafood and specialties here such as orca cakes or stir-fried turmeric noodles with clams.
Thanh Toan Tile Bridge
Address: Thuy Thanh Commune, Huong Thuy Town
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| Thanh Toan tile bridge has a unique architecture. Photo: Adventure Journey Vietnam . |
Thanh Toan tile-roofed bridge was built in 1776, made of wood in the style of “upper house, lower bridge” (above the house, under the bridge). The work consists of 7 compartments, in which the middle one worships Tran Thi Dao, who donated money to the villagers to build the bridge. The bridge has a length of 18 meters, crossing a small branch of the Nhu Y river, creating an idyllic and charming rural landscape. Currently, the Thanh Toan tile bridge still retains its ancient beauty and unique artistic value after many times of restoration. Follow zingnews