Paradoxically: Inside The Forbidden City

I'm a castle geek, I've explored them in Denmark, England, France, Japan, Norway, and Sweden. My introduction to Vietnamese castles was the Purple City on the Perfume River in Hué. It certainly has elements of the fortresses I've toured in Tokyo and Kyoto but also had it's own distinct style. Certainly it did not have the same fortress-like feel of other castles and the city of Hué has become somewhat incorporated into parts of the citadel. Elements were strongly Japanese while other elements were uniquely Vietnamese, architectural elements of the castle having dispersed into the Vietnamese housing style. Most enjoyable was the exploration, as the Forbidden City is poorly labelled or mapped in English, so turning a corner or passing through a ramshackle portal would open up a new building, otherwise hidden by line of sight. Interestingly because it so warm in Vietnam but very wet in Hué there are many roofs connecting buildings but few walls.

The outer gate flying the yellow star.

The inner gate. When he was a student here Uan used to study here as it was cool in the summer.

Moat to the East

Moat to the West

The koi ponds before the bridge to the reception courtyard and throne room

Playing with the wildlife

Another view of the throne room

So what are Chinese characters doing in a Vietnamese palace?

Inside the inner wall of the Forbidden City

A replica of the royal seal

Trying to start a new custom, "drinking" from the great bronze vessels.

Replicas of the columns that at one time supported a pavilion suspended on rope

The Royal Reading Pavilion

Before the Royal Reading pavilion, office of the kings.

Isolated by a moat, this island holds another crumpled pavilion

A Vietnamese-American ninja sprints from the water

Another artificial island with a pavilion destroyed by the expansion of its vegetation

Dragons atop the throne room

In Dong Ba market, all those movies about people running through one of these markets are pure fiction. The population density prevents anything more than a slow crawl through the mob.

Hué at night.

La Carambole serves French-Vietnamese fusion cooking and is highly rated by multiple guidebooks. They were very busy but the food and service did not meet guidebook inspired expectations.

Paying Respects: Graves, Shrines, and Temples

The brave adventuresses before the voyage to Myloi.

Rain is no impediment to mopeds, just throw a $2 parka over the rider, bike, and any passengers and away we go. In the background flies the yellow star on red.

This was the "large" one lane road of the highway, with steep shoulder into leech infested waters of unknown depth.

The front gate of Uan's childhood home as seen from the porch

The aforementioned porch

Yes that's a banana tree just off to the left of the column.

The familial shrine

Paying our respects

"Is that a ball of string?" — Lan

"No, sweetie, that's a dead spider." — Mike

Spider moves

Lan's paternal great grandparents

Lan's paternal grandfather

Enjoying drizzling tranquility

Foreground, my beautiful wife, inadvertently in the background the Nguyen family temple

The Land of the Dead

Uan pays respects at his grandfather's grave, in the background lies his grandmother's resting place.

Paying respects at Lan's great grandfather's grave

Grandfather's grave: the family pays their respects.

On the path to meet some extended family on her father's side.

Before the Nguyen family temple

No I'm not wearing black latex pants but rather really wet brown khakis.

The porch "antechamber" to the family temple, unfortunately the temple proper was barred to us as the caretaker wasn't home during our visit.

The Lady and the Dragon

A view from the temple "porch"

A miniature mountain island situated on the temple grounds with miniature figurines symbolizing an idealized life.

A water buffalo pulling a load past the house

Driving down narrow streets, just wide enough for the van.

Two fathers have coffee with their daughters