Vietnam 22: Hue Summer Palace and Another Emperor's Tomb

by Pa Rock

The pagoda on the lake - where the Emperor used
to go to write poetry.

Globetrotter


Our next stop was just outside of Hue at the Summer Palace, a complex of a palace, a pagoda, and a lake - along with several trails, streams, and lesser buildings.  It also contains the tomb of Emperor Tu Duc, but my knee was hurting to the point that I decided to rest on a low wall next to the lake while Murphy and our guide tromped off to see the tomb of yet another emperor.

Entrance to the pagoda on the lake

While I was resting by the lake, a young girl came up to me and asked to practice English.  She said that she was a college student from near Hanoi.  The girl said that she wanted to learn English in order to get a good job, and she also wanted to be able to teach the language to her younger relatives.  She carried a notebook and asked me several questions regarding English usage that she had jotted down in her notebook.  Eventually Murphy and the guide came back and joined us in our discussions.  The girl asked me later if her English was as good as that of our guide, and she smiled broadly when I told her that her English was actually better than his!

Photos were not permitted inside of the main chamber of the palace.

View inside of the pagoda

This was our last stop of the day.  We would have the next morning in Hue and then fly off to Hanoi.

Looking toward the palace from the pagoda on the lake

Side view of the pagoda on the lake

Our guide in front of the Summer Palace

Sign regarding the Emperor's tomb

Two giant Americans and a Vietnamese college student!