Day 8 – posting this a little late, but for the amount of the things we did and saw on our tour – this day still deserves its own post! The team took a full-day trip around Hue today. We braved the intense heat and visited some of the major tourist sites, took thousands of pictures (some of which are highlighted below), and received a healthy dose of Vietnamese history. We had a lovely tour guide and a private bus to maneuver around the city. Even though we spent over 12 hours on the road, I still feel that we barely hit the tip of iceberg of the vast cultural and historical sights in Hue!

1. Tomb of Emperor Tu Duc – the 4th emperor (out of 13) of Vietnam’s Nguyen’s Dynasty.

One of the many shrines

Gate to his tomb

Civil and warrior mandarin statues (they served the emperor during his reign)

His empty tomb, he is buried somewhere on the grounds but the location is a secret. The location of his body is at the optimal place per the feng shui technique.

2. Tomb of Emperor Khai Dinh – 12th Emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty – similar designs to the previous tomb, but with a more significant French / European influence.

His tomb is located on a beautiful hill

Steep steps on the grounds

Beautiful architecture

Colorful mosaic inside the shrine with pieces from all over world

Lotus flowers

3. Private Kung Fu performance – for our team and a few other tourist groups

4. Imperial City – the area was the site of some of the most intense fighting during the infamous Tet Offensive of 1968. The entire complex is currently undergoing restoration under the watch of UNESCO.

Vietnamese flag waving high

Beautiful architecture with a strong Chinese influence

Dragon statues

Renovations in progress as evidenced by this newly re-painted hallway

5. An Hien Garden House – one of the most preserved houses that belonged to a civil mandarin – lots of tropical fruit, most of which I had no idea what they were!

6. Thien Mu Pagoda – had the opportunity to listen to a Buddhist prayer from the monks

7. The last and final stop – boat ride across the Perfume River with traditional Vietnamese folk songs for entertainment