Imperial Citadel
The Imperial City was constructed in 1804 and is square in shape,
with a perimeter of nearly 2.5 km. It has four entrances: the Noon
Gate that is opposite the flag tower, the Gate of Humanity on the
left side, the Gate of Virtue on the right hand side, and the Gate
of Peace at the rear. The city is surrounded by the Golden Waters
pond that flows into the lakes at the northern corner of the city.
Each gate has a bridge spanning the Golden Waters, whilst the Noon
Gate has three bridges. In imperial times, the centre bridge was
for the use of the Emperor alone, whilst the other two bridges were
for the use of his entourage.
Once you enter via the Noon Gate, separating you from the Great
Rites Court is the Thai Dich Lakes (Great Liquid Lakes). These were
dug in 1883 and are spanned by a central bridge, the Trung Dao (Central
path) Bridge. The bridge has two ornately designed gateway, carved
with dragons slithering up and down them.
The Great Rites Court (also known as the Esplanade of Great Salutation)
consists of two paved terraces. The upper was reserved for high
ranking civil and military mandarins, whilst the lower was for village
officials and elders. The steles on each side of the court indicate
where each official's designated place was. At the two corners of
the court stand two bronze Kylins, which are believed to bring peace.
Beyond the Great Rites Court there is the Throne Palace. This was
used on meetings. During these meetings, the Emperor would sit on
his throne whilst only four top ranking officials were allowed in
the palace. The remainder of officials had to stand outside according
to rank. The palace was seriously damaged during the Tet Offensive.
Behind the Throne palace is where the Great Golden Gate once stood,
marking the entrance to the Forbidden Purple City.
The imperial City was not destroyed to the extent of the Forbidden
Purple City and there are number of temples still standing, although
some are locked up due to their instability. These include Trieu
Temple, Thai Temple (a reconstruction), the Residence of Everlasting
Longevity, Phung Tien Temple, Mieu Temple, and the Hung Temple
|
