Hue; Thien Mu Pagoda / Royal Tomb Tu Duc

This morning, we visited a couple of important sites in Hue. See photos for details about them.

The first is Thien Mu Pagoda, which is situated on the NW bank of the Perfume River. This iconic Pagoda has an octagonal tower and seven floors - 7 is considered a lucky number in Buddhism - and is noted for its laughing Buddha and the car driven by monk Thich Quang Duc to Saigon where he immolated himself in protest against the Dien regime and its discrimination against monks; images were sent around the world, provoking strong reaction.

The second site we visit is the Royal Tomb of Tu Duc; only 7 out of the 13 Vietnamese emperors who reigned between 1802 and 1945 have their own Mausoleum; we visit that of Tu Duc, who was fourth in the Dynasty. He had it built in his lifetime (it took 3 years) ready for when he "retired"; he died 10 years later and was buried here. Everybody who was involved in the building of the Tomb and with the burial were poisoned at feasts to keep its location secret; they were all from prisons, and their families paid in recompense. The Tomb site, a beautiful location surrounded by ponds and frangipani trees, is UNESCO owned now and is being restored, so some of it could not be visited.Read more