The Imperial Tombs
Hue was the imperial centre of the Nguyen Dynasty which was founded
in 1802 by Emperor Gia Long, and lasted until 1945. The banks of
the Perfume River around the Imperial City became the royal graveyard
for the thirteen rulers of this area. The majority of Vietnamese
practice ancestor worship, regarding death as a passage into another
existence. They believe the layout of a tomb affects the soul's
journey to the spirit world, and the fortunes of the living relatives
are determined through formal ceremonies to the dead and protection
of the tomb. Desecration of a tomb would have detrimental affects
upon both the living ancestors and the souls chance of reaching
the ultimate resting place in the spirit world. The tombs of the
Emperors were even more important as their position would determine
the future of the Dynasty. The Emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty there
fore established their own Valley of the Dead, which is believed
to be protected in both the physical and spiritual worlds
|
