The Citadel in Hue is one of the most beautiful places I have had the opportunity to explore. It has been ravaged by war, but there has been some effort to restore it to its former glory. I can't help but observe the contradiction between old and new - there are crumbling ancient stone walls metres from glowing red and golden arches. The Citadel was once the palace of the royalty of Hue - it would have been a magical place in the 1800s. Now it is somewhat a delapidated ghost-town.
The Citadel is surrounded by imposing walls and deep moats. I cannot fathom how expansive it is, I enjoy getting lost in the richness of it. Ancient trees with heavy webbed roots have made the Citadel their home and probably bore witness to the prosperity and destruction of the walled-in palace. It makes me feel sad that Vietnam has such a rich and interesting royal culture that has been lost through subsequent occupations.
I truly love Hue and the culture that is embedded in this city - it is much less touristy than Hoi-An and speaks volumes to my soul.
