Page 9 - Vietnam Cambodia Thailand 20 Day Sample

Hue is the gateway to the treasures of Vietnam's royal past. The city served as Vietnam's political capital from 1802 to 1945 under the 13 emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty and it has been one of Vietnam's cultural, religious and educational centers. This small and quiet city is widely known for the magnificent architecture of its citadels, palaces, royal graves, pagodas and temples built under the Nguyen Dynasty in a poetic background of greenery on the banks of the Perfume River. In 1993, the Complex of Monuments of Hue were recognized as a UNESCO World Culture Heritage. This afternoon enjoy a boat trip on the Perfume River. Visit Thien Mu Pagoda, Hue’s most preserved religious monument standing on the riverbank with its seven-floored tower. Thien Mu Pagoda (the Elderly Goddess Pagoda), is also known as Thien Mau Pagoda, and locally as the Linh Mu Pagoda. Thien Mu Pagoda is the finest in Hue. It was built in 1601 by Nguyen Hoang, the governor of Hue, after an old woman appeared to him and said that the site had supernatural significance and should be marked by the construction of a pagoda. The monastery is the oldest in Hue, and the 7-storey Phuoc Duyen (Happiness and Grace Tower), built later by Emperor Thieu Tri in 1844 is 21m high, with each storey containing an altar to a different Buddha.