September 21, 2005

• 
  HUẾ AND ĐÀ NẲNG

  
  

  1. 2.  3.  4.

  
  

  5. 6. 7. 8.

  
  

  9. 10. 11. 12.

  
  

  13. 14. 15. 16.

  
  

  17. 18. 19.

  
  

  One thing that Huế and Hà Nội have in common is they both are the cradles of Vietnam history.  Most of the sites are beautiful because of their historic characteristics.  I understood now why poetry of Bà Huyện Thanh Quan is full of nostalgia and awe.  Just like Hà Nội, every site in Huế that I passed reminded me of “Cỏ lan lối mục, rêu phong dấu tiều” (grass covered the worn path used by herder, moss covered the marks left by tree cutters) in The tale of Kiều and ” Lối xưa xe ngựa hồn thu thảo, nền cũ lâu đài bóng tịch dương…” (old path now is the spirit of autumn grass, old foundation of a castle was only the wane light of sun setting) of Bà Huyện Thanh Quan. 

  
  

  Picture 1.  Thiên Mụ Pagoda also known as Linh Mụ Pagoda.  A story was told that local people saw a lady appearing on the highest hill.  She told them that a king would come and build his kingdom in this region.  Later King Gia Long dreamed a lady told him to light up an incense and go along the Perfume River.  Where the incense stopped burning would be the place to be his capital.  After King Gia Long enthroned, he ordered to build this pagoda to pay respect to the lady from the heaven or Thiên Mụ.  Linh Mụ means Sacred Lady.

  
  

  Picture 2.  The boat took me back to my hotel from Thiên Mụ Pagoda along the Perfume River.  Thông, my tour guide stood at the front of the boat.  Perfume River got its name, I was told, because at the origin of the river there used to be a large forrest with all the rare fragrant flowers.  The fragrance from the fallen flowers made the river to become famous.  Thông said the water of Perfume River is sweet and tastes very good.  Thông is thirty something. His English is not as polished as Trường’s, the first tour guide.  He got a habit that he spoke English and then translated into Vietnamese as if I could not understand him or perhaps he just re-learned the language.  He is extremely knowledgeable about Vietnamese poetry, especially folk poetry or also known as Ca Dao.  I am always proud of myself that I have a great memory that accumulates many poems and folk songs.  He unintentionally put me to shame with his deep and wide folk poetry and numerous gorgeous poems that I just knew a tiny part.  His Huế accent with mô, tê, răng, rứa, ni, chừ and his beautiful soft voice lulled me with all the cadao he added as punctuation in his tour guide talk.  However, when he mentioned about Kim Long, Đại Lược, I asked if he knew my two favorite verses.  It was a pleasant surprise for my egotistic self that he did not know “Thuyền về Đại Lược, duyên ngược Kim Long.  Đến đây chổ rẽ giữa ḍng, gặp nhau c̣n biết trên sông bến nào.”  Ihihi,  I still feel bad but a little bit feeling better.  The plan was I would travel with the boat and listen to the lulling of poetry by art performers that night on the Perfume River, but I was coming down with a cold, plus the rain was drizzling so I dropped the plan.

  
  

  Picture 3 and 4.  King Tự Đức’ s tomb. 

  
  

  Picture 5.  King Khải Định’s tomb.  According to history, King Gia Long by building his capital in Huế, followed the advise to his ancestor (Chua Nguyễn) from a wise man, Trạng Trình.  Trạng Trình advised King Gia Long’s ancestor that Hoành Sơn nhất đới, vạn đại dung thân which means mountain Hoanh Son will be a good place to stay for a hundred times of a lifetime.   The building of the tombs cost large amount of money as well as many people’s lives during the building of the tombs due to living conditions and lack of medicine.  Rumor was that there was a spring perhaps because it ran through some poisonous mine, all laborers building the tomb of Tự Đức drank the water from that spring became ill and died.  Vietnamese to mock the King displayed their opposition in the disgusted feeling through ca dao “Vạn niên là vạn niên nào, thành xây xương trắng hào đào máu dân.” (What hundred life time is the hundred life time (for the Nguyễn dynasty) hundred years. The fortress was built by white skeletons.  The moat was dug by blood of people).

  
  

  Picture 6.  The pavillion where King Tự Đức and the royal family enjoyed the moon, drank tea, and listened to royal musics.  Although extremely extravagant, every palace was named with the word humility to emphasize the King’s self-claimed “virtue.”

  
  

  Picture 7 and 8.  Royal theater.  I sat on one of those seats and tried to pretend to be a Queen.   They even rented costumes so tourists can dress up as royal family.  Those outfits are colorful and beautiful.  I did not find the idea of dressing up to be a royal member exciting, probably because of my cold and the heat then.

  
  

  Picture 9.  Bánh khoái or rice pancakes.  Comparing to bánh xèo, which is mostly found in Sài Gòn, bánh khoái is smaller, thicker, crispier.  The inside mixture also has different taste.  The sauce for bánh khoái is a mixture of sesame sauce, soy paste and slightly sweet.  It is not fish cauce that is mixed with garlic and vinegar as the sauce to eat with bánh xèo.  

  
  

  Picture 10, 11, and 12.  Imperial Citadel.  Thông told us many short stories about the Tết Mậu Thân, about how the war was raging and destroyed this beautiful and gentle old city.  Huế, Trường Tiền bridge, the prestigious high schools Quốc Học (for male students), and Đồng Khánh (female), etc.  Huế is a place mentioned often in poetry because of its romantic and poetic air.

  
  

  Picture 13.  Part of Perfume River.

  
  

  Picture 14.  Inside Khải Định’s tomb.  The place is used for the memorial of his wife and concubines.  Rumor has it that King Khải Định was gay.  His son Bảo Đại was adopted from a relative.  Inside the tomb there was many decorations of dwaft trees with gold branches, gem fruits, and precious stone leaves.

  
  

  Picture 15.  The pagoda where a few relics of the late Venerable Thichs Quảng Đức, the monk who poured gasoline on himself and burnt himself to death protesting the suppression of Buddhism during the Ngô Đình Diệm regime.

  
  

  Picure 16.  Part of Cliff Ngoạn Mục.

  
  

  Picture 17.  Biển Lăng Cô.

  
  

  Picure 18 and 19.  Visit Champa museum in Đả Nẳng.  I was at the lowest spirit.  I was sick. The weather was hot and humid.  There was no air conditioning inside the museum.  The camera was out of battery. The museum looked great.  Architecturally designed as beautifully as any comtemporary museum in other modern countries.  Spacious and artistic.  Displays are the collection of deities in Hinduism.

  
  

   

  • 6:26 am
  • 33 Comments