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In Vietnam͛s former royal, Hue, both lings and comm. owners appreciates their garden. Dr Phan Thanh
Hai reports on this city͛s love of greenery.
The late Vietnamese studies researcher Dr. Tran Quoc Vuong once said: ͞If Hanoi is an inland urban
center and Saigon is a harbor, Hue is a place of gardens and poetry͟. Blessed with nearby mountains,
forest, lagoons, beaches and a legendary river, Hue has long been associated with beauty and art. From
the time that the Nguyen Lords chose this site as their capital, Hue was a place where people were in
tune with nature. From the start of the 19th century until the middle of the 20th century, Hue the capital
of a unified Vietnam, and home to court of the Nguyen Dynasty. It was during this era that much of Hue
most impressive architecture was built.
In its royal heyday, Hue was a naturally green city with dozens hundreds of mansions, garden houses,
pagodas and temples, and huge tombs located on the uppers stretches of the Huong River (Perfume
River). The river is like a blue silk band that connects the court in the east and tombs in the west. Since
j
  , or geomancy, is very important in Hue, this balance between Ying and Yang is essential.
Royal gardens were built both within and beyond the royal place. Hue͛s garden-lover appreciated
fragrant flowers, strange grasses from all over Vietnam, water features, rock formations, garden house
and gates, and bonsai.
Few people are aware that Hue once had over 30 royal gardens with distinctive styles. In the Imperial
City and forbidden Purple City there were five royal gardens called Thieu Phuong, Ngu Vien, Co Ha, Hau
Ho, and Truong Ninh Residence. Together, these five gardens accounted for a quarter of the palace͛s
total area, and covered 90,000 square meters.
Beyond the Imperial City but within the Hue Citadel lie many once-famous gardens, including Tinh Tam
Lake, Thu Quang Garden, Khanh Ninh Residence, Bao Dinh Residence, and Thuong Thanh Residence.
Gardens also found on an island on the Perfume River which, according to ancient principles of
geomancy, helped to protect the capital. This island was referred to as a ͞Right White Tiger͟.
Dost impressive of all are Hue͛s royal tombs, which are decorated with large gardens, pools and lakes.
The tombs of Gia Long, Dinh Dang, Thieu Tri, and Tu Duc cover hundreds of acres. Designed to bring
vitality to the monarchs͛ afterlife, these magnificent to the tombs allow ͞a mournful place to smile
radiantly and delight visitors.
Traditional garden-style mansions, pagoda gardens, temple garden and garden-houses for commoners
dot the city and its outskirts. Whether big or small, Hue͛s gardens are rich in character.
For generations, people in Hue have grown flowers and bonsai. The practice of planting trees in pots and
shaping them arose in China, where it was known as ë  
ë 

ë  . The Japanese called this
art form Bonsai. In Hue, it is known as   (a variant of Canh).
Hundreds of years ago, Western clergymen and businessmen reported being astonished by the
popularity of bonsai in Hue. When Hue became Vietnam͛s capital it attracted talented artisans from all
over Vietnam, including the best garden-designers and bonsai masters.
Bonsai is judged three key criteria: age; uniqueness; and elegance. The older a tree, the more precious it
is likely to be. Uniqueness relates to the tree͛s posture, as creativity is highly value. A tree must be
elegant in appearance and style. The more graceful it is, the more valuable.
One other criterion is important: the idea behind the bonsai. A bonsai should have a theme or a poetic
inspiration. This fourth criterion seems to be especially important in Hue, where people are poetic by
nature.
For this reason, Hue has become famous for its bonsai, which are very expensive. Hue bonsai artists
incorporate the trees͛ natural postures into their vision instead of seeking to constrain them. This
respect for harmony with natures is probably linked to the strong influence of Buddhism in Hue. The
city͛s best bonsai trees look old but not depressing, and strange without appearing lonely. They are
elegant, aristocratic and poetic.
In terms of geography and climate, Hue is Vietnam͛s midpoint. Flora to both the North and the South is
found around Hue. For this reason, Hue boasts a wide variety of bonsai trees.
The city͛s garden architecture, garden designs and bonsai seek to capture the essence of nature and
perfect nature. Gardens are an important element of Hue culture. Part of this city͛s unique charm can be
attributed to Hue people͛s appreciation for flora and landscaping.

This article written by Lanh Nguyen from Vietnam Heritage Travel

For original article, please visit
http://vietnamheritagetravel.com/news/latest-news/75-latest-news/1115-garden-city.html
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