Royal Hué: Heritage of the Nguyen Dynasty of Vietnam was published by River Books in 2015.
** Text: Vu Hong Lien
** Photographs: Paisarn Piemmettawat
Vu Hong Lien is a Vietnamese author, who was born in Hanoi and grew up in Saigon (today known as Ho Chi Minh City). Later she moved to England where she worked as a producer for the BBC. She has a PhD in History from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London.
Paisarn Piemmettawat is a Thai photographer, who is also the managing director of River Books, a Bangkok-based company, which has published several books about the history of Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, and Burma (today known as Myanmar).
Hué is located near the coast in the middle of Vietnam, ca. 645 km south of Hanoi and ca. 930 km north of Ho Chi Minh City.
It was the capital of Vietnam for more than one hundred years, from 1802 to 1945, when the last emperor handed over his Royal Seal and Sword of Mandate to representatives of the new head of state, President Ho Chi Minh.
This beautiful book gives an account of the Nguyen dynasty and offers a systematic presentation of the archaeological remains of the imperial city.
The main text is divided into seven chapters.
Here is a brief summary:
** Chapter 1 covers the Nguyen Dynasty.
All thirteen emperors are presented one by one. Some of them ruled for many years, while others ruled for a very short time: the fifth emperor Duc Duc ruled for merely three days in 1883.
** Chapter 2 is a general presentation of the old capital.
** Chapter 3 covers the imperial citadel.
All buildings and monuments are presented one by one. Many buildings and monuments were damaged by wars and conflicts with the French and the US. Some of the buildings have been restored in recent years. It is an ongoing process.
** Chapter 4 covers the valley of the tombs.
There is a tomb for seven of the thirteen emperors. These tombs are presented one by one.
** Chapter 5 covers other important sites in Hué, including the Museum of Royal Antiquities, which was previously known as the Museum of Fine Arts.
** Chapter 6 is about Hué and its environs.
** Chapter 7 is about life at the imperial court.
At the end of the book, we find an index and a bibliography.
There is also a short section with practical information about Hué: how to get there and how to get around.
But there is no information about hotels and restaurants. For this aspect you must use a traditional guidebook about Vietnam or search the internet.
What about illustrations?
The book is lavishly illustrated with photos taken by Paisarn Piemmettawat. Some photos offer a general view, while others present a small detail.
All illustrations are in colour except for a few old photos which are in black-and-white.
Every building mentioned in the text is shown in a photo. In many cases, there is more than one photo of each building.
There are several maps in the book.
Inside the front cover there is a map of the imperial citadel (which is presented in chapter 3).
Inside the back cover there is a map of Hue and its environs.
There are maps of the seven imperial tombs (presented in chapter 4).
Who is the target audience of this book?
I can think of two groups:
(1) It is written for the armchair traveller who wants to learn about the Vietnamese dynasty and the monuments of the imperial capital Hué.
(2) It is also written for the real traveller who is planning a visit to Hué.
If you are going to the former capital, you can use this book to prepare your visit. It offers not only historical background; it also gives you a detailed presentation of each building and each monument in the old capital.
Few visitors will have the time or the stamina to visit all the sites mentioned in the book. But the book helps you prepare your visit. From the long list of attractions, you may choose the ones you want to visit during your stay in Hué.
Perhaps it is not a guidebook you want to carry with you as you move from one site to the next, because it is a bit large and heavy. You do not want it to be damaged.
But you should keep it in your hotel room, so you can check the details each day just before you start the program of the day.
It is obvious to compare this book with a general guidebook about Vietnam.
Lonely Planet’s guidebook for Vietnam (2014) has a chapter about Hue, which covers less than twenty pages, including a list of hotels and restaurants.
Vu Hong Lien’s book has more than two hundred pages about the attractions of the former capital. You have a lot of details and you have the illustrations as well.
MINOR FLAWS
Clearly, the author and the photographer have worked closely together on this project. They have paid attention to every aspect of the product. Not only the text but also the layout of the book.
It is close to perfect. But not perfect. There are a few minor flaws here and there. In the following paragraphs I will mention the flaws I noted while reading the book.
A. Regarding the text:
# 1. On pp. 59-60 there is a passage about the situation in 1945. The author mentions the US bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Then she continues:
“After that, according to recently released American classified documents, Japan was eager to disengage quickly from occupied lands such as Vietnam.”
Why does the author talk about American “classified documents” that have been released? When we mention such documents, it is usually because they give us information about something that was a secret before.
Declassified documents may reveal information that we did not know before. They may offer a surprise.
But the fact that Japan was ready to leave Vietnam and other occupied lands after the defeat in August 1945 is well-known. There is no surprise here. That is why the reference to “recently released American classified documents” is unnecessary and unfortunate.
# 2. On page 80 the author mentions the bridge across the Perfume River that was designed and built by the French engineer Gustave Eiffel. The text explains:
“It was commissioned ten years after Eiffel reached the zenith of his career with the success of the Eiffel Tower in Paris and his famous structural design for the Statue of Liberty in New York, and, ironically, following his spectacular failure at the Panama Canal.”
What is unfortunate here is the reference to the Panama Canal. Eiffel was implicated in the scandal surrounding the French attempt to build a Panama Canal, but the implication was unfair.
He had voted against the sea-level canal that was advocated by Ferdinand de Lesseps. He had recommended a canal with locks and after several years the French finally accepted that this was the only way to go.
Eiffel was an engineer who knew his profession very well. De Lesseps was not an engineer, but he had power and prestige, because he was the builder of the Suez Canal.
For several years, the French tried to build a sea-level canal, because it was recommended by de Lesseps. This was one reason why the French project ended in disaster.
Eiffel was implicated in the scandal, and while he was found guilty at first, he was acquitted on appeal.
This is why the reference to “his spectacular failure at the Panama Canal” is unfortunate.
[For details, see Eiffel: The Genius who Reinvented Himself by David Harvie (2004) (2006). Eiffel’s involvement in the building of the Panama Canal is covered in chapter 9.]
B. Regarding the index:
When I look for Eiffel in the index, I find two references: pp. 12 and 62. Eiffel is mentioned on these pages, but only briefly. The most important passage about Eiffel is found on page 80 which I have just quoted.
But the index does not refer the reader to this page. In other words: the index is incomplete.
C. Regarding the illustrations on the cover:
# 1. On the front cover there is a beautiful picture of a wooden house by a lake. But what is the name of this place?
There is no information about it on the cover. Fortunately, the same motive appears inside the book, on pp. 146-147 and again on page 168; this time with a caption. It is the Khiem Pavilion at the tomb of Tu Duc.
# 2. On the back cover there is a picture of an impressive gate. But what is the name of this place? There is no information about it on the cover.
Fortunately, the same motive appears inside the book, on pp. 26-27 and again on page 93; this time with a caption. It is Ngo Mon, also known as the Meridian Gate of the Imperial Citadel.
D. Regarding the maps:
# 1. There is a map of the imperial citadel inside the front cover. According to the compass, north is down. This is not true. North is (almost) up. In fact, the top right corner of the citadel is north, because the citadel is not located along an east-west axis. It is located along the river which at this point flows towards northwest.
A smaller version of the map appears inside the book on page 91 and on page 116; each time with the wrong compass.
[The correct orientation of the imperial citadel is shown on an old map that is printed on page 64.]
# 2. The map on page 120 shows a detail of the imperial citadel. According to the compass, north is down. This is correct, but it is not a good idea.
On most maps north is up. It is a common tradition which should not be broken unless there is a very good reason to do so. In this case there is no reason. The map should be turned around so north is up.
# 3. The map on page 155 shows the tomb of Gia Long. According to the compass, north is down. This is correct, but as I said before, this is not a good idea.
# 4. The map on page 160 shows the tomb of Minh Mang. According to the compass, north is to the right. This is correct, but it is a strange idea. The map should be turned around so north is up.
#5. There is a map of Hué and its environs inside the back cover. On the bottom of this map there is a misprint. The map shows the “Tomb of Gua Long.” This is wrong. The correct name is Gia Long.
E. Regarding the connection between illustrations and text:
The items on the maps are numbered, but these numbers are never mentioned in the text. This means the connection between text and illustration is weak.
It would be stronger if the number on the map was mentioned in the text. This would give a quick and easy identification.
CONCLUSION
As stated above, these flaws are minor. I have mentioned them here, because they deserve to be mentioned, for the record, but they will not affect my overall rating of the book.
Imperial Hué is a beautiful book that is relevant for the armchair traveller as well as the real traveller, because it offers a lot of information about the old imperial capital.
If you are interested in the history of Vietnam, and if you are planning a visit to Vietnam, this book is definitely something for you. It is highly recommended.
PS. I was in Vietnam a few years ago (2016). While I was there, I visited the current capital Hanoi as well as the former capital Hué.
It is an interesting place to visit. This book about the royal palaces and tombs in and around the former capital is a useful tool for the visitor. It can help you decide where to go. It can help understand and appreciate what you see.
*****
Royal Hué: Heritage of the
Nguyen Dynasty of Vietnam
Text: Vu Hong Lien
Photographs: Paisarn Piemmettawat
River Books
2015
*****
Ngo Mon Gate
Also known as the Meridian Gate
The Imperial Citadel
*****
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