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Hue Thành phố Huế
Hue Location of Huế
Coordinates: 16°28′N 107°36′E / 16.467°N 107.6°E / 16.467; 107.6
Country	Vietnam
Province	Thua Thien – Hue province
Population ([citation needed])
• Total	340,000

Huế ( listen) is the capital city of Thua Thien – Hue province, Vietnam. Between 1802 and 1945, it was the imperial capital of the Nguyen dynasty. Its population stands at about 950,000.^[1] In Sino-Vietnamese script, used until 1945, the name of the city is written 化.

History[link]

Huế originally rose to prominence as the capital of the Nguyễn Lords, a feudal dynasty which dominated much of southern Vietnam from the 17th to the 19th century. In 1775 when Trịnh Sâm captured it, it was known as Phú Xuân. In 1802, Nguyễn Phúc Ánh (later Emperor Gia Long) succeeded in establishing his control over the whole of Vietnam, thereby making Huế the national capital.^[2]

Minh Mạng (14 February 1791 – 20 January 1841; born Nguyễn Phúc Đảm 阮 福 膽, also known as Nguyễn Phúc Kiểu 阮 福 晈) was the second emperor of the Nguyễn Dynasty, reigning from 14 February 1820 (his 29th birthday) until his death, on 20 January 1841. He was a younger son of Emperor Gia Long, whose eldest son, Crown Prince Cảnh, had died in 1801. Minh was well known for his opposition to French involvement in Vietnam, and for his rigid Confucian orthodoxy.

Huế was the national capital until 1945, when Emperor Bao Dại abdicated and a communist government was established in Hà Nội (Hanoi), in the north.^[3] While Bảo Đại was briefly proclaimed "Head of State" with the help of the returning French colonialists in 1949 (although not with recognition from the communists and the full acceptance of the Vietnamese people), his new capital was Sài Gòn (Saigon), in the south.^[4]

In the Vietnam War, Huế’s central position placed it very near the border between North Vietnam and South Vietnam; however, the city was located in South Vietnam. In the Tết Offensive of 1968, during the Battle of Huế, the city suffered considerable damage not only to its physical features, but its reputation as well, most of it from American firepower and bombings on the historical buildings as well as the massacre at Huế committed by the communist forces. After the war’s conclusion, many of the historic features of Huế were neglected because they were seen by the victorious regime and some other Vietnamese as "relics from the feudal regime"; the Vietnamese Communist Party doctrine officially described the Nguyễn Dynasty as "feudal" and "reactionary." There has since been a change of policy, however, and many historical areas of the city are currently being restored.

Geography and climate[link]

The city is located in central Vietnam on the banks of the Sông Hương (Perfume River), just a few miles inland from the Biển Đông. It is about 700 km (438 mi.) south of the national capital of Hanoi and about 1100 km (690 mi.) north of Hồ Chí Minh City, the country’s largest city, formerly known as Saigon.

Huế features a Tropical monsoon climate under the Koppen climate classification. The dry season is from March to August, with high temperatures of 35–40 °C. The rainy season is from August to January, with a flood season from October, onwards. The average rainy season temperature is 20 °C, sometimes as low as 9 °C. And Spring lasts from January to late February.^[5]

Historic monuments[link]

Complex of Huế Monuments *
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Country	Vietnam
Type	Cultural
Criteria	iv
Reference	678
Region **	Asia-Pacific
Inscription history
Inscription	1993 (17th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List ** Region as classified by UNESCO

Huế is well known for its historic monuments, which have earned it a place in UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites.^[6] The seat of the Nguyễn emperors was the Citadel, which occupies a large, walled area on the north side of the Perfume River. Inside the citadel was a forbidden city where only the emperors, concubines, and those close enough to them were granted access; the punishment for trespassing was death. Today, little of the forbidden city remains, though reconstruction efforts are in progress to maintain it as a historic tourist attraction.

Roughly along the Perfume River from Huế lie myriad other monuments, including the tombs of several emperors, including Minh Mạng, Khải Định, and Tự Đức. Also notable is the Thiên Mụ Pagoda, the largest pagoda in Huế and the official symbol of the city.^[7]

A number of French-style buildings lie along the south bank of the Perfume River. Among them are Quốc Học High School, the oldest high school in Vietnam, and Hai Ba Trung High School.

The Hue Royal Antiquities Museum on 3 Le Truc Street also maintains a collection of various artifacts from the city.

Administrative divisions[link]

Huế comprises 27 administrative divisions, including 27 phường (urban wards)

Urban wards[link]

Culture[link]

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A woman weaving a nón lá, a conical straw hat typical of Huế.

Located in the center of Vietnam, Hue is famous for its severe weather with boiling hot days in the summer and ceaseless raining weeks in the winter. Hue people, therefore, have formed their own culture to overcome geographical and climatic difficulties. This culture, seen through food, characteristics, and other aspects in daily life, reflects the typical feature of Hue people.^{[citation needed]}

Having been the capital city of Vietnam for approximately 150 years during feudal time (1802–1945),^[8] the royal lifestyle and customs have had a predominant impact on the characteristics of Hue people, even long after these monarchical periods are over.^{[citation needed]}

Name-giving[link]

Historically, the qualities valued by the royal family were reflected in its name-giving customs, which came to be adopted by society at large.^{[citation needed]} As a rule, royal family members were named after a poem written by Minh Mang, the second king of Nguyễn Dynasty. The poem, Đế hệ thi",^[9] has been set as a standard frame to name every generation of the royal family, through which people can know the family order as well as the relationship between royal members. More importantly, the names reflect the essential personality traits that the royal regime would like their offspring to uphold. This name-giving tradition is proudly kept alive and nowadays people from Hue royal family branches (normally considered 'pure' Hue) still have their names taken from the words in the poem.^{[citation needed]}

Clothing[link]

Violet áo dài are commonly associated with Huế.

The design of the modern-day áo dài, a Vietnamese national costume, evolved from an outfit worn at the court of the Nguyễn Lords at Huế in the 18th century. A court historian of the time described the rules of dress as follows: Outside court, men and women wear gowns with straight collars and short sleeves. The sleeves are large or small depending on the wearer. There are seams on both sides running down from the sleeve, so the gown is not open anywhere. Men may wear a round collar and a short sleeve for more convenience.^{[nb 1]} This outfit evolved into the áo ngũ thân, a five-paneled aristocratic gown worn in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Inspired by Paris fashions, Nguyễn Cát Tường and other artists associated with Hanoi University redesigned the ngũ thân as a modern dress in the 1920s and 1930s; later, in the 1950s, Saigonese designers tightened the fit to produce the version widely worn by Vietnamese women today.^[10] While the áo dài and nón lá are generally seen as a symbol of Vietnam as a whole, the combination is seen by Vietnamese as being particularly evocative of Hue. Violet-coloured áo dài are especially common in Huế, the color having a special connection to the city's heritage as an ancient capital.^[11][12]

Cuisine[link]

Bún bò Huế, a typical Huế noodle dish.

The cuisine of Huế draws from throughout Vietnam, but one of the most striking differences is the prominence of vegetarianism in the city. Several all-vegetarian restaurants are scattered in various corners of the city to serve the locals who have a strong tradition of eating vegetarian twice a month, as part of their Buddhist beliefs. Another feature of Huế dishes that sets them apart from other regional cuisines in Vietnam is the relatively small serving size with refined presentation, a vestige of its royal cuisine. Finally, another feature of Huế cuisine is that it is often very spicy.^[13]

Religion[link]

In Huế, Buddhism is taken a bit more seriously than elsewhere in Vietnam, with more monasteries than anywhere else and the nation's most famous monks. Famously in 1963, Thích Quảng Đức drove to Saigon to protest anti-Buddhist policies of the South Vietnamese government and set himself on fire on a Saigon street.^[14]

Thich Nhat Hanh, world famous Zen master, originates from Huế.

Tourism[link]

In Addition to the various touristic attractions in Hué itself, the city also offers day-trips to the Demilitarized Zone lying approximately 70 km north, showing various war settings like The Rockpile, Khe Sanh Combat Base or the Vinh Moc Tunnels.

See also[link]

• Battle of Hue
• Hue Central Hospital
• Hue Massacre
• Imperial City, Huế
• Phu Bai International Airport
• USS Hue City
• Demilitarized Zone
• Khe Sanh Combat Base
• The Rockpile
• Vinh Moc Tunnels

References[link]

Notes

References

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Huế

• Thua Thien Hue Province official website
• Festival Huế
• Hue travel guide from WikitravelCoordinates: 16°28′N 107°36′E / 16.467°N 107.6°E / 16.467; 107.6

v t e World Heritage Sites in Vietnam Cultural Heritages Complex of Huế Monuments · Hội An Ancient Town · Mỹ Sơn Sanctuary · Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long · Citadel of Ho Dynasty Natural Heritages Hạ Long Bay · Phong Nha - Kẻ Bàng National Park

v t e Cities in Vietnam Centrally-controlled cities Special-class Hanoi Ho Chi Minh 1st-class Can Tho Da Nang Hai Phong Provincial cities 1st-class Buon Ma Thuot Da Lat Huế Nam Dinh Nha Trang Qui Nhon Thai Nguyen Viet Tri Vinh 2nd-class Bien Hoa Ca Mau Ha Long Hai Duong Long Xuyen My Tho Phan Thiet Pleiku Thanh Hoa Vung Tau 3rd-class Bac Lieu Bac Giang Bac Ninh Bao Loc Ben Tre Cao Lanh Cam Ranh Dong Ha Dong Hoi Dien Bien Phu Ha Tinh Hoa Binh Hoi An Hung Yen Kon Tum Lang Son Lao Cai Mong Cai Ninh Binh Phan Rang-Thap Cham Phu Ly Quang Ngai Rach Gia Soc Trang Son La Tam Ky Tan An Thai Binh Tra Vinh Tuy Hoa Tuyen Quang Vi Thanh Vinh Long Vinh Yen Yen Bai

v t e Districts of North Central Coast (Bac Trung Bo) Thanh Hoa province Thanh Hoa  · Sam Son  · Bim Son  · Dong Son  · Vinh Loc  · Yen Dinh Nghe An province Vinh  · Cua Lo  · Anh Son  · Con Cuong  · Dien Chau  · Do Luong  · Hung Nguyen  · Ky Son  · Nam Dan  · Nghi Loc  · Nghia Dan  · Que Phong  · Quy Chau  · Quy Hop  · Quynh Luu  · Tan Ky  · Thanh Chuong  · Tuong Duong  · Yen Thanh Ha Tinh province Ha Tinh  · Cam Xuyen  · Can Loc  · Duc Tho  · Hong Linh  · Huong Khe  · Huong Son  · Ky Anh  · Loc Ha  · Nghi Xuan  · Thach Ha  · Vu Quang Quang Binh province Dong Hoi  · Bo Trach  · Le Thuy  · Minh Hoa  · Quang Ninh  · Quang Trach  · Tuyen Hoa Quang Tri province Quang Tri  · Dong Ha  · Cam Lo  · Con Co  · Da Krong  · Gio Linh  · Hai Lang  · Huong Hoa  · Trieu Phong  · Vinh Linh Thua Thien – Hue province Hue  · A Luoi  · Huong Thuy  · Huong Tra  · Nam Dong  · Phong Dien  · Phu Loc  · Phu Vang  · Quang Dien

Nam Phương 南芳
Empress of Vietnam
Nam Phương on her wedding day, 1934
Spouse	Bảo Đại
Issue
Crown Prince Bao Long Princess Phương Mai Princess Phương Liên Princess Phương Dung Prince Bảo Thắng
Full name
Marie-Thérèse Nguyễn Hữu Thị Lan
House	Nguyễn Dynasty
Father	Pierre Nguyễn Hữu-Hào
Mother	Marie Lê Thị Binh
Born	14 December 1914 Gò Công, Cochin-China
Died	16 December 1963(1963-12-16) (aged 49) Chabrignac, Corrèze, France
Burial	Chabrignac, Corrèze, France

Empress Nam Phương (14 December 1914 – 16 December 1963), born Marie-Thérèse Nguyễn Hữu Thị Lan, later Imperial Princess Nam Phương, was the first and primary wife of Bảo Đại, the last emperor of Vietnam, from 1934 until her death. She also was the first and only empress consort (hoàng hậu) of the Nguyễn Dynasty.^{[nb 1]}

Background[link]

Marie-Thérèse Nguyễn Hữu Thị Lan was born in Gò Công, a Mekong Delta town in what was then the French colony of Cochinchina, one of the three areas (the others being the protectorates of Annam and Tonkin) that composed the Union of French Indochina.^[1][2]

Her father, Pierre Nguyễn Hữu-Hào, described as a wealthy merchant,^[3] had been born into a poor Roman Catholic family in Gò Công.^[4] Through an introduction from the Archbishop of Saigon, he became secretary to the billionaire Lê Phát Đạt, Duke of Long-My, and eventually married his employer's daughter, Marie Lê Thị Binh, and inherited his title.^[4][5]

A naturalized French citizen, Nguyễn Hữu Thị Lan, who was known as Mariette, studied at the Couvent des Oiseaux, a fashionable Catholic school located in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, where she was sent at the age of 12.[2]

She was a distant cousin of her future husband, the emperor.^[6]

Marriage[link]

On 9 March 1934, the public announcement of the engagement of Nguyễn Hữu Thị Lan and Bảo Đại, King of Annam, was released. (In the 19th century, the occupying French forces had diminished the rank of the country's emperor to king, a situation that was not reversed until 1945.)^[7] In it, Bảo Đại stated, "The future Queen, reared like us in France, combines in her person the graces of the West and the charms of the East. We who have had the occasion to meet her believe that she is worthy to be our companion and our equal. We are certain by her conduct and example that she fully merits the title of First Woman of the Empire."^[8]

After a formal betrothal ceremony in the imperial summer palace in Da Lat,^[9] the king married Nguyễn Hữu Thị Lan on 20 March 1934, in Huế. The ceremony was Buddhist, though the ruler's Catholic fiancée caused some controversy; the country's population was not entirely in favor of the bride's religious affiliation.^[10] Others suspected that the marriage "smelled high of French chicanery."^[11] The New York Times reported that "discontent was general" in the country, given that Nguyễn Hữu Thị Lan had declined to renounce Catholicism and was appealing to Pope Pius XI for a dispensation.^[12] Another article noted that there was much discussion over a report that the pope might allow the bride to "remain a Catholic if she gave the Church her girl children".^[11] Further complicating the wedding plans was the apparent disapproval of the young monarch's mother, Doan Huy, and his late father's secondary wives, all of whom had other bridal candidates that Bảo Đại apparently did not consider.^[13]

At the state ceremony that marked the end of the four-day wedding festivities, Nguyễn Hữu Thị Lan was given the title Imperial Princess and renamed Nam Phương, which can be roughly translated as The South, in acknowledgment of her place of birth.

The Times, published on 2 April 1934 closely followed the traditional royal nuptials:

"Little Mariette Nguyen Huu Hao was beautifully married. It took four days. On her way up Annam's great mandarin road along the coast she stopped off to climb a mountain and drink of the "frozen spring." Outside Huê, a cavalcade of palace mandarins on short native Phu-Yen horses met her in the Valley of Clouds and escorted her through the three walls of the Red City into the Palace of Passengers. Next day, dressed in a great brocaded Annamite gown, she stepped into an automobile and was driven to the Emperor's Palace, followed by the Imperial princesses and the blue-turbaned wives of the mandarins. Two scrolls, on which were written a prayer to Bảo Đại's ancestors and the name and age (18) of Nguyen Huu Hao, were burnt on the altars. Finally the two young people were brought face to face and married. It took three more days of Buddhist rites behind the locked gates of the Red City to complete the ceremony. On the fourth day a battalion of mandarins led in musicians and the bearers of the royal insignia. The new Queen, her hair elaborately wound about a tiara encrusted with precious stones, received the Imperial seal and the golden book. Finally she arose and bowed her forehead to the floor three times, in the traditional Chinese kowtow (pronounced ker-toe) of thanks."^[11]

At the time of her marriage, a song was written in her honor:^[11] "In the firmament of the Son of Heaven a brilliant new star has risen!/Supple as the neck of the swan is the charm of her graceful form./Her black and sparkling eyes, in hours of ease, envelop and thrill that happy mortal allowed to see./O, Nguyễn Hữu-Hào! Beautiful are all thy ways."

Children[link]

The emperor and empress had five children, most of whom were educated at the French boarding school their mother had attended, Convent des Oiseaux:[3]

• Crown Prince Bảo Long (4 January 1936 – 28 July 2007)^[14]
• Princess Phương Mai born on 1 August 1937 (married Don Pietro Badoglio, 2nd Duke of Addis Abeba and Marquis of Sabotino)
• Princess Phương Liên born on 3 November 1938 (married Bernard Maurice Soulain)
• Princess Phương Dung born on 5 February 1942
• Prince Bảo Thắng born on 30 September 1943.

Created empress[link]

Nam Phuong stamp, published in 1950s

On 18 June 1945, Nam Phương was raised in rank from Her Majesty to Her Imperial Majesty. She also was granted the title of empress, her husband having assumed the title of emperor after proclaiming the country's independence from France, as he had been urged to do as a member of Japan's Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. At this time, Tonkin, Cochinchina, and Annam, which came under the control of Imperial Japan after World War II, were reunited to become the Empire of Vietnam, a puppet state. However, the new emperor was soon convinced to abdicate the throne by the revolutionary leader Hồ Chí Minh, head of the Việt Minh. The former emperor returned to Vietnam in 1949 at the invitation of the civilian government and was named head of state, but he went into exile again in 1954.

Influence on fashion[link]

Nam Phương's first official visit to Europe, in the summer of 1939, launched a craze for what one reporter described as "trousers and embroidered tunics for evenings; pagoda silhouettes, [and] revers or sleeve forms."^[15] To the surprise of fashion observers, when she met with Pope Pius XII during that trip, "the visitor from Indochina did not wear the traditional black, long-sleeved gown and veil. Instead, she appeared in a gold, dragon-embroidered tunic, red scarf, and gold hat. She wore silver trousers."^[16]

Later life[link]

Nam Phương served as a member of the Reconstruction Committee for Vietnam after the end of World War II and was the patron of the Vietnamese Red Cross.

In 1947, after the Communist takeover of the country, the empress and her children moved to Château Thorens, outside of Cannes, France, which had been in the family since its purchase by her maternal grandfather in the early 20th century.^[4] She separated from her husband in 1955. Two years later, when the Vietnamese government announced its confiscation of the imperial family's personal property, the bill specifically excluded any real estate owned by the empress prior to 1949.^[17] These properties included her father's villa at Da Lat, which is now Lam Dong Museum.[4][5]

Death[link]

Empress Nam Phương died on 16 September 1963 from a heart attack, at Domaine de La Perche, her home near the small rural village of Chabrignac, Corrèze, France.^[18] She was buried in the local cemetery.^[19]

Portrayal on film[link]

The empress was portrayed by the actress Yen Chi in the 2004 Vietnamese miniseries "Ngon Nen Hoang Cung" ("The Imperial Palace's Candlelight").[6]

Titles and styles[link]

• Marie-Thérèse Nguyễn Hữu Thị Lan (1914–1934)
• Her Majesty Nam Phương, Imperial Princess of Annam (1934–1945)
• Her Imperial Majesty Nam Phương, Empress of Vietnam (1945–1963)

References[link]

footnotes

citations

External links[link]

• Vietnamese Imperial Family Genealogy - by Christopher Buyers
• Official site of the imperial family