Grave Times

Bone idleness kept me from making a pre-booked tour of Hue's Royal Tombs. At six thirty in the morning, the idea of poking around a stuffy crypt lost out to the idea of enjoying some more sleep.

Around eleven the guilt kicked in.

Armed only with a brief sketch of the route, I hired a push-bike, and set-out for the tomb of Minh Mang -- reputed to be the most impressive tomb in the area.

It also happened to be the furthest -- about thirteen kilometres from the city.

I pedalled furiously, fearing I was sure to get lost or wreck the bike or be sidetracked, and would need at least six hours to do the whole trip. I passed plenty of Vietnamese with bemused looks on their faces. Whether it was my means of transport, my red-face, or my khaki shorts that caused the looks I don't know.

Out on a quiet lane I passed an abandoned monastry or some such. The place just oozed atmosphere; I imagined Bruce Lee's enemies being trained in a place like this -- solemn fights to the death, breaking bricks with bare hands, meditation etc.

I got back on my bike, crossed the Perfume River by barge with a few locals, and eventually found the tomb site. Its a huge Russian doll of enclosures.

It begins with two lines of statues facing each other over a wide courtyard outside.


Then you get to the outer gates. The central one has only been opened once: to let through Emperor Ming Mang's coffin.

The second wall surrounds the majority of the forty temples, shrines, and other buildings comprising the tomb.

Then through a border house...

And some striking gardens...

Across a lake...

And up the steps of the burial mound.

That gate's locked!