(17) THE CITADEL - FUNNY STORY 3

Kejadian lucu yang satu ini bakal gue inget seumur hidup. Keluar dari Benteng Thanh Hoang ternyata Vu sopir Chilo masih setia nunggu gue. Begitu ngeliat gue nongol dari dalem benteng dia langsung lari menghampiri gue. Dia berusaha nawarin gue untuk ngelilingi benteng dengan Chilo. Sebenernya gue sudah berusaha dengan berbagai cara bilang nggak usah langsung kembali aja ke tempat parkir mobil dimana Vu guide gue nunggu. Soalnya udah kelamaan di dalem benteng dan takut nggak keburu pergi ke Gunung Marble. Tapi ternyata dia nggak ngerti maksud gue, so alhasil gue terpaksa pasrah dibawa muter-muter keliling benteng. Sepanjang perjalanan Vu berusaha menjadi guide yang baik dengan bahasa Inggrisnya yang amburadul kagak karuan tapi bikin gue enjoy dan ketawa ngakak sepanjang jalan. Bayangin aja semua kalimat dia awali dengan kata “My name is … “. Salah satunya dia bilang, “Madam, my name is five kilometers” sambil tangannya memperagakan luasnya Benteng Kerajaan. Gue ketawa ngakak nggak berhenti sepanjang jalan. Lucu sekali dia :)

Funny scandal on this one I will remember for a lifetime. Out of the Fortress Thanh Hoang Vu the Chilo driver was still waiting for my loyal. He immediately ran over to me, when he saw me came out from the Royal Citadel. He tried offering me for around a castle with Chilo. Actually I've tried in many ways told him that I need to go back to the car park immediately where Vu my guide was waiting me. Because I have stay around in the palace fortress very long and he worry that we could not to go to Marble Mountain. But it turns out he did not understand my intent, so consequently I was forced to surrender brought around the fort. Along journey Vu trying to be a good guide with his chaotic English known but makes me enjoy and laugh out loud along the road. Imagine wrote all his sentences start with the words "My name is ...". One of them he said, "Madam, my name is five kilometers" with his arms in demonstrating the breadth of Fort Royal. I laughed out loud do not stop along the road. So funny of him :)

(16) THE CITADEL - FUNNY STORY 2

Lagi asyik-asyiknya berphoto ria di depan istana sang kaisar, tiba-tiba 2 cewek bule dari German sepantaran gue minta photo bareng. Udah gitu dia juga yang jadi penata gaya …. Walah permintaannya macem-macem … he he he he … tapi seru juga sih. Begitu selesai photo, dia nanya gue dari Vietnam sebelah mana. Oooaallaaahhh … jadi gue ini dari tadi dikira orang asli Vietnam. Ampun deh … ini udah ketiga kalinya gue dikira orang Vietnam asli dan orang bule lagi …

While I am enjoy taking pictures in front of the palace of the emperors, all of a sudden two Caucasian girls from Germany asked for a photo together. She is also become photo stylist and tried to set up our photo style. .... hhuaahhh … she was requesting many kind of styles ... he he he he ... but really fun actually. Once finished photo, she asked me which side of Vietnam that I came from. Hhuuuuaahhh ... so She has been thought that I am a Vietnamese. My God ... It’s already third times thought that I am the original Vietnamese and now, it’s come from Caucasian. ...

(15) THE CITADEL - THE SECRET OF HUE CITY

Tempat ini adalah salah satu alasan gue travel ke Hue. Ternyata nggak cuma Negeri Tirai Bambu aja yang punya Forbidden City atau Kota Terlarang seperti di Beijing. Benteng Kompleks kota Hue yang didirikan pada masa Dinasti Nguyen 1805-1945 ini merupakan salah satu di antara peninggalan bersejarah kota kuno Hue yang menjadi Warisan Budaya Dunia. Kompleks istana Citadel di kota Hue ini terletak di tepi sebelah utara Sungai Huong (Sungai Perfume) diantara dua bukit pasir sebagai pelindungnya. Bukit Con Hen di sebelah kiri sebagai naga dan Bukit Con Da Vien sebagai harimau di sebelah kanan.

This place is one of the reasons of my travel to Hue. It turn out that is not only The Bamboo Curtain country China has a Forbidden City like in Beijing. The Citadel Complex of Hue which set up by Nguyen Dynasty from 1805 to 1945 is one amongst the relics of the Hue ancient capital town which become the World Cultural Heritage. The citadel palace complex in the Hue city is located on the North bank of Huong River (Perfume River) in the middle of two sand dunes as a patron. The Con Hen is on the left as a “dragon” and The Con Da Vien as a “Tiger” is on the right.

Dari tempat parkir mobil ke area kompleks lumayan jauh, apalagi luas kompleks ini 520 hektar dan terdiri atas tiga lingkaran benteng yaitu Kinh Thanh Hue (Benteng kota Hue), Hoang Thanh (Benteng Kerajaan) dan Tu Cam Thanh (Benteng Terlarang). So untuk menghemat waktu gue ikutin saran Vu untuk naik Chilo, sejenis becak kalau di Indonesia … he he he he he ... surprise ternyata di Vietnam ada becak juga. Lebih surprise lagi nih tukang becak kagak mau dibayar pake “Dong”, maunya dollar. Sempat terpikir pasti nih tukang becak mau malakin gue … ternyata dari hasil tawar-menawar Vu, dia cuma minta ongkos 2 dollar doang … walah murah bener :) Well … ayuk deh kita masuk ngejelajahi istana feodal yang indah ini, yang selalu selalu memberikan inspirasi bagi banyak seniman.

From the car park to the palace complex area is pretty much far, moreover the complex is covering 520 ha and consists of the three citadel circles namely Kinh Thanh Hue (Capital Citadel), Hoang Thanh (Royal Citadel) and Tu Cam Thanh (Forbidden Citadel). So to save time I follow the advice from Vu to ride Chilo, called becak if in Indonesia ... he he he he he ... surprise was in Vietnam there are becak as well. More surprised that the chilo driver didn’t want to receive “Dong” payment, he wants “dollar”. I thought he wants cheat me because of I am foreigner. But turn out from Vu bargained, he wants 2 dollars only … wow so cheap! Ok guys … let’s go stepping inside to exploring the beautiful feudal palace which is always giving the inspiration for numerous artists!

Lingkaran eksterior yang pertama kita lewati adalah Benteng Kinh Thanh Hue (Benteng Kota Hue), yang mulai dibangun tahun 1805 di bawah pemerintahan Kaisar Gia Long dan selesai pada tahun 1832 dibawah kekuasaan Kaisar Ming Mang. Selama 200 tahun terakhir, bangunan ini masih dipertahankan asli dengan hampir 140 konstruksi besar berbentuk persegi, melingkari kompleks sepanjang hampir 10 km, tinggi 6 meter, tebal 21 meter dan memiliki 10 pintu masuk. Di bagian atas dinding didirikan 24 benteng untuk tujuan pertahanan. Selain itu, Benteng memiliki gerbang yang menghubungkan pendukung Tran Binh Bastion disebut Tran Binh Mon (Gerbang Pelindung Perdamaian).

The first circle exterior we passed was Kinh Thanh Hue (Hue Capital Citadel), which began construction in 1805 under the reign of Emperor Gia Long and was completed in 1832 under the rule of Emperor Ming Mang. Over the last 200 years, it still retained the original building with nearly 140 square-shaped construction of large, complex circling along nearly 10 km, height of 6 meters, 21 meters thick and has 10 entrances. On the top of the walls are established 24 bastions for defensive purposes. In addition, Fortress has an ancillary gate connecting the Tran Binh Bastion called the Tran Binh Mon (Peaceful Protector Gate).

Jarak antara lingkaran benteng pertama ke benteng kedua cukup jauh. Sepanjang perjalanan kita ngelewati senjata-senjata berat peninggalan pada masa perang. Vu, sopir Chilo yang ternyata punya nama sama dengan guide gue, berusaha menjadi guide yang baik dengan bahasa Inggris yang nggak gue mengerti alias hancur banget … he he he he he … Sampai di depan gerbang lingkaran benteng kedua, Vu menghentikan chilo-nya. Dari sini gue musti jalan kaki karena sekarang kita masuk lebih jauh ke dalam Thanh Hoang (Benteng Kerajaan). Wow … keren banget nih tempat!! Classic dan kuno banget. Gue merasa berada di jaman kerajaan Ming Mang.

The distance between the circles of the first fort to second fort is quite distant. Along the way we passed the legacy of heavy weapons in war time. Vu, the Chilo driver who turned out to have the same name as my guide, tried to be a good guide which I did not really understand his English alias very worse ... he he he he he ... Up to the front gate of the second circle fort, Vu stop stop his chilo. From here I got to walk because now we go further into the Hoang Thanh (Royal Citadel). Wow … so cool this place!! It’s very classic and ancient palace. I was feeling like in the period of the reign of King Ming Mang.

Dari informasi internet yang gue dapet benteng ini ternyata dibangun pada 1804 dan baru benar-benar selesai pada tahun 1833, di bawah pemerintahan Raja Ming Mang. Benteng, yang lebih dari 600 meter panjang untuk setiap sisi, dibangun dengan batu bata 4m tinggi, dan 1m tebal. Sekitar benteng dilindungi oleh sistem palung. Kita bisa mendapatkan akses ke Benteng kerajaan melalui empat pintu masuk. Di masa lalu, Ngo Mon Gate hanya diperuntukkan bagi Raja. Benteng kerajaan ini terdiri atas lebih dari 100 karya arsitektur yang dibagi menjadi berbagai bagian:

¨ Bagian dari Gerbang Ngo Mon dan Istana Thai Hoa: digunakan untuk berbagai upacara kerajaan.

¨ Bagian untuk menempatkan kuil Para Raja di bawah Dinasti Nguyen: kuil Trieu Mieu, Thai Mieu, Hung Mieu, The Mieu dan Phung Tien.

¨ Bagian dari kantor urusan internal: Gudang untuk benda berharga, workshop untuk pembuatan berbagai artikel yang bermanfaat.

¨ Bagian dari Istana Kham Van dan Taman Co Ha: adalah tempat dimana para pangeran belajar atau santai.

From the internet information the fort was built in 1804 and only really completed in 1833, under the reign of King Ming Mang. The Citadel, which is more than 600 meters in long for each side, was built with bricks of 4 meters high, and 1 meter thick. Around the citadel is a protecting trench system. We can get access to the Imperial Citadel through four entrance gates. In the past, Ngo Mon Gate was only for the King. Royal Citadel consists of more than 100 fascinating architectural works divided into numerous sections:

¨ Section of the Ngo Mon Gate and the Thai Hoa Palace: used for various grand ceremonies.

¨ Section for placing shrines of the Kings under Nguyen Dynasty: Trieu Mieu, Thai Mieu, Hung Mieu, The Mieu and Phung Tien Temples.

¨ Section of internal affairs office: Storehouse for precious objects, workshop for manufacturing various useful articles.

¨ Section of the Kham Van Palace and Co Ha Garden: is where the princes studied or relaxed.

Tadinya gue udah mau balik ke tempat Vu karena gue liat jalan yang menuju ke bangunan berikutnya cukup jauh. Apalagi gue udah mulai betah di dalem istana … he he he he … Tapi kok ngeliatin banyaknya turis yang berdatangan dari arah jalan ini, bikin gue makin penasaran. Dengan agak sedikit lari karena takut kehabisan waktu gue akhirnya jalan juga menuju ke bangunan selanjutnya. Lucky me! Untung gue gak jadi ngelewatin nih tempat. Ternyata ini adalah lingkaran benteng ketiga yaitu Tu Cam Thanh (Benteng Terlarang). Benteng unik dan tua berwarna ungu ini merupakan tempat tinggal Kaisar dan keluarganya. Dibangun pada awal 1803 di bawah pemerintahan Kaisar Gia Long, yang awalnya bernama Cung Thanh. Kemudian pada tahun 1821, berubah namanya menjadi Tu Cam Thanh. Bagian benteng dibangun dengan dinding bata setinggi 3,72 meters, tebal 0,72 meters, dan melingkar sepanjang 1.230 meters. Sisi depan dan belakang benteng masing-masing sepanjang 324 meters, sedangkan sisi kiri dan kanan kedua lebih dari 290 meters panjang. Seluruh bagian terdiri atas 50 konstruksi arsitektur dari berbagai ukuran dan 7 gerbang untuk keluar masuk benteng. Gerbang Dai Cung Sen (Gerbang Istana Agung) yang berada di sisi depan hanya diperuntukkan bagi para Raja. Istana Can Chanh (Istana Pribadi Kerajaan) adalah tempat kaisar bekerja sehari-hari. Khon Thai Residence (Tempat Kediaman para Ratu) disediakan untuk untuk para ratu. Masih ada banyak lagi bagian-bagian lainnya seoerti, rumah Duyet Thi Duong (Gedung Theatre Kerajaan), Thuong Thien (dapur untuk makanan raja), Thai Binh Lau (ruang baca raja), yang semuanya memiliki nilai arsitektur tinggi.

At first I've come back to where Vu was waiting me because I see the road leading to the next building far enough. Moreover, I've started to feel at home inside the palace ... he he he he ... But I saw many of tourists who arrive from the direction of this road, makes me more curious. With a little bit run away for fear of running out of time I end up building roads leading to the next. Lucky me! I was not leaving the place. Apparently this is the third fort circle of Tu Cam Thanh (Forbidden Citadel). Unique and old purple citadel is a place to live the Emperor and his family. Built in the early 1803 under reign of Emperor Gia Long, it was initially named Cung Thanh. In 1821, it was renamed to be Tu Cam Thanh. This citadel part was built with brick walls of 3,72 meters high, 0,72 meter thick, and about 1.230 meters in circumference. The front and back sides are 324 meter long respectively, while the left and right side share both more than 290 meters long. The whole site consists of 50 architectural constructions of different sizes and 7 gates for facilitating the entrance and exit. Dai Cung Mon (the Great Palace Gate) is in the front side, only reserved for the Kings. Can Chanh Palace was the place for daily working of Emperors. Can Thanh (Emperor's Private Palace), Khon Thai Residence (Queen's Private Apartment) was reserved for the Queens. There are still many other sections, for instance, Duyet Thi Duong house (Royal Theatre), Thuong Thien (the kitchen for the Kings' food), Thai Binh Lau (King's reading room), all of which are of great architectural value.

Should you ever come inside the citadel, taking a look into the special feudal relics of immense architectural and cultural values, you will surely more or less love the traditional and classical side of Vietnam.

(14) PERFUME RIVER - THE GORGEOUS OF VIETNAM

Hhhhmmm …. Ternyata benar apa yang dikatakan orang tentang Sungai Perfume yang sangat romantis. Airnya yang bening mengalir sepanjang 80 km melewati banyak hutan-hutan dengan pepohonan beraroma harum sebelum mencapai Hue, membawa aroma murni dan segar, pemandangan alamnya yang mempesona, dan keramahan jembatan diatas sungai menginspirasikan cinta kepada setiap orang yang memandanginya. Pada musim gugur, bunga-bunga dari kebun hulu sungai Hue jatuh ke air, memberikan aroma sungai seperti parfum dan pemandangan puitis yang indah.

Hhhhmmm …. It turned out right what people said regarding the most romantic Perfume River. The pure water flows along 80 km through many forests of aromatic plants before reaching Hue, bringing with it a pure and fresh aroma, the fascinating landscape, and the gentle bridge over the river inspiring love to everyone who looking to the river. In the autumn, flowers from orchards upriver from Hue fall into the water, giving the river a perfume-like aroma, and a beautiful poetic view.

Puisi romantis sungai Perfume adalah inspirasi yang mendalam untuk banyak seniman, penyair, dan composer. Salah satu inspirasi itu terwujud dalam lirik indah sebuah lagu yang terkenal, "Siapa yang datang ke Hue", ditulis oleh Duy Khanh.

"Siapa yang datang menuju Hue

Siapa yang kembali ke Gunung Ngu

Siapa yang kembali ke Sungai Huong

Air sungainya tak kan pernah tenggelam

Burung-burung gunung Ngu terbang kembali ke teman-teman

Siapa pun anak-anak Hue selalu ingat untuk kembali ... "

The poetic romantic Perfume River is the deep inspirations to numerous artists, poets, and composers. One inspiration was manifest in the beautiful lyrics of a famous song, "Who came to Hue", written by Duy Khanh.

"Who turns to Hue

Who comes back to Ngu Mount

Who comes back to Huong River

The river water never sinks

Ngu Mount birds fly back to friends

Whoever are children of Hue remember to return…”

(13) LUNCH AT THE EDGE OF THE PERFUME RIVER

Hujan gerimis dan hawa dingin di bukit Khe Ha ternyata bikin perut gue keroncongan. Padahal tadi pagi di pesawat udah mengabiskan seluruh isi box sarapan yang disiapin hotel. Tadinya gue rada bingung sama Vu tiba-tiba dia berhenti di pelataran sebuah gedung yang nggak berpenghuni. Padahal gue bilang ama Vu, gue pengen makan siang makanan asli Vietnam yang paling enak, nggak peduli tempatnya mau di warteg atau pun di restaurant mahal. Nggak nyangka, ternyata di belakang gedung tersebut ada sebuah restaurant di pinggir sebuah sungai besar, yang kemudian gue realize itu adalah sungai Perfume yang sangat terkenal. Nama Restaurantnya adalah Nha Hang Vuon Thien Dang, yang artinya Garden Paradise Restaurant.

Drizzling rain and cold weather in Khe Ha hill turned out to make my stomach rumbling. Whereas this morning on the plane I ate all the entire contents of the breakfast box which hotel prepared for me. I was confused when suddenly Vu stopped his car in the courtyard of a building which is not inhabited. Whereas I have said to Vu that I wanted to have lunch at the restaurant where is having the most delicious Vietnamese, no matter where is the restaurant at road side stalls food or even at expensive restaurants. I don’t have thought that there is a restaurant at behind of the building on the edge of a large river, which then I just realize it is a very famous Perfume River. The name of the restaurant is Vuon Thien Dang Nha Hang, which means Paradise Garden Restaurant.

Lagi-lagi gue terbentur sama bahasa Vietnam. Kali ini bikin gue kebingungan mau makan apa, abis daftar menunya juga nggak bisa gue baca, so akhirnya gue pasrah sama Vu yang milih makanan yang di-order. Hhhmmm … gue exciting banget nih nungguin makanan yang dipilih Vu kayak apa bentuknya. Tadi dia sempat nggak enak hati takut kalo gue nggak bisa makan makanan yang di-order sama dia. Begitu makanan datang dan siap untuk disantap, Vu mempersilahkan gue makan …. gue sempet bingung … Busyet … cuma ada ikan, perkedel daging, dan sayur lalapan …. mana kenyang makan lauk ama lalapan doang kayak gini. Trus yang lucunya ada kulit lumpia juga … walah aneh bener orderannya si Vu ini. Akhirnya nggak tahan nanya juga gue sama Vu, tuh kulit lumpia buat apa? Eeehhh … dia malah terheran-heran and bilang, “Liza, are you really don’t know?” ….. Gue geleng-geleng dengan polosnya … he he he he he …. So Vu langsung ngambil kulit lumpia yang ternyata terbuat dari tepung beras dan biasa disebut rice paper. Kemudian dia taruh sayuran, ikan bakar, dan bumbu saus yang sudah disediakan di atas rice paper, trus langsung dibungkus persis kayak lumpia dan ditaruh di atas piring untuk dimakan ….. wow!! Seru banget!! Tapi tetep aja, namanya orang Indonesia kalo belon ketemu nasi, belon berasa kenyang … he he he he he … so akhirnya kita order nasi juga dan surprise banget gue … nasi di sini enak banget rasanya. Yah … gue baru inget kalo beras Vietnam terkenal sangat enak kalau sudah dimasak jadi nasi.

Again I got problem with the Vietnamese language. This time it’s made me confusion what kind of food I want to order because I couldn’t read all the menus, so finally I asked Vu to choose and order foods for out lunch. Hhhmmm …. I'm very exciting waiting for what it looks like. Earlier he was not confident if I can not eat foods which ordered by him. Once the food arrived and ready to eat, Vu invited me to eat ... I was confusing ... how come …. There are only fish, fried meatball and vegetables. .... how it could make my stomach full. Then a funny thing ... there are also spring roll skin … so strange food choice by Vu. Finally, I couldn’t stop to ask Vu, what for he ordered spring roll skin. Aaahhh ... He was surprising and said, "Liza, are you really do not know?" ..... I my head shake with the innocent face... he he he he he .... So Vu directly took a spring roll skin that was made from rice flour and commonly called rice paper. Then he put the vegetables, grilled fish, and seasoning sauce that has been provided on top of rice paper, and then immediately wrapped all in the rice paper like spring rolls and placed on my plate to eat. ..... Wow! Very exciting! But as Indonesian commonly, if we don’t eat rice, our stomach will not feel full … he he he he he … so finally we order rice as well and really surprise me here ... rice taste awful. Well ... I just remember that Vietnamese rice is famous with very tasty rice.

(12) THIEN MU PAGODA – HEAVEN FAIRY LADY PAGODA

Ternyata tujuan pertama kita di kota Hue adalah Bukit Khe Ha di desa Huang Long. Di atas bukit ini berdiri Pagoda Thien Mu, icon Vietnam yang sangat terkenal. Dari kejauhan menara kuno berbentuk octagonal setinggi 21 meter ini terlihat sangat anggun bak seorang gadis Vietnam yang sedang berdiri menghadap ke sungai Perfume. Persis kayak lukisan-lukisan Vietnam yang gue beli. Mungkin itu sebabnya pagoda ini dikenal juga dengan sebutan Pagoda Linh Mu yang artinya Pagoda Surga Peri Wanita … he he he he … sok tau aja gue :)

It turns out our first destination in the city of Hue is Khe Ha Hill in the Huang Long Village. On top of this hill stood Thien Mu Pagoda, the very famous of Vietnam's icon. From a distance the existing 21 meters high ancient octagonal tower looks very elegant, like a Vietnamese girl who was standing overlooking the Perfume River. Looks like Vietnamese paints which I bought. May be that’s why the pagoda is also known as Linh Mu Pagoda which means Heaven Fairy Lady Pagoda … he he he he … Just my smartass :)

Sebenarnya nama pagoda yang indah ini berasal dari sebuah legenda special masyarakat Hue. Pada jaman dahulu kala, ada seorang perempuan tua muncul di atas bukit tempat berdirinya pagoda saat ini, memberitahu masyarakat setempat bahwa Tuhan akan datang dan membangun sebuah pagoda Buddha untuk kemakmuran negara. Pada tahun 1601, Tuan Nguyen Hoang gubernur propinsi Thuan Hoa (sekarang dikenal dengan nama Hue) memerintahkan pembangunan pagoda "Surga Peri Wanita" atau Thien MU di Vietnam (juga disebut Linh MU) begitu mendengar cerita rakyat setempat. Saat itu Hoang sedang dalam perjalanan wisata dan berlibur menikmati laut dan pegunungan di daerah setempat dan ia melewati bukit yang sekarang menjadi tempat berdirinya Pagoda Thien Mu.

Actually the name of the beautiful pagoda derives from a special legend. Long time ago, an old woman appeared on the hill where the pagoda stands today, telling local people that a Lord would come and build a Buddhist pagoda for the country's prosperity. On 1601, Lord Nguyen Hoang, the governor of Thuan Hoa (now known as Hue) therefore ordered the construction of the pagoda the "Heaven Fairy Lady" or Thiên Mụ in Vietnamese (also called Linh Mụ) after hearing the mentioned local legend. On that time he was on a sightseeing trip and holiday to contemplate the seas and mountains of the local area when he passed by the hill, which is now the site of the Thien Mu Pagoda.

Selama berabad-abad bangunan ini telah hancur dan dibangun kembali berkali-kali. Pada awalnya kuil ini dibangun dalam bentuk yang sangat sederhana, namun seiring waktu berlalu, beberapa raja-raja dari dinasti Nguyen seperti Gia Long, Minh Mang, Thieu Tri dan Thanh Thai, semuanya pernah memugar dan menambah dengan bentuk yang lebih rumit. Perubahan bentuk pagoda yang paling mencolok dilakukan Kaisar Thieu Tri pada tahun 1884 dan menjadi symbol tidak resmi kota Hue. Menara octagonal ini mempunyai 7 lantai yang masing-masing lantai didedikasikan untuk seorang Buddha yang menjelma menjadi manusia. Pagoda ini merupakan stupa tertinggi di Vietnam, dan sering menjadi subyek dari sajak rakyat yang bercerita tentang Hue.

Over the centuries its buildings have been destroyed and rebuilt several times. The initial temple was in a very simple form of construction, but as time went by, several kings of the Nguyen Dynasty such as Gia Long, Minh Mang, Thieu Tri and Thanh Thai, all had the pagoda redeveloped and expanded with more intricate features. The most striking feature of the pagoda was erected by King Thieu Tri in 1884, and has become the unofficial symbol of Hue city. This octagonal tower has seven stores which each of storey are dedicated to a Buddha who appeared in human form. It is the highest stupa in Vietnam, and is often the subject of folk rhymes which talk about Hue.

Di sebelah kiri menara adalah sebuah paviliun enam sisi yang melindungi sebuah lonceng besar. Lonceng yang disebut Dai Hong Chung, didentangkan pada tahun 1710 oleh Tuan Nguyen Phuc Chu. Lonceng ini terkenal karena ukurannya yang sangat besar, tingginya 2,5 m dan beratnya 3.285 kg, serta bunyinya terdengar sampai 10 km jauhnya. Hal ini merupakan prestasi pengecoran perunggu pada abad ke-18.

To the left of the tower is a six-sided pavilion sheltering an enormous bell. The bell was called Dai Hong Chung, was cast in 1710 by Lord Nguyen Phuc Chu. It is famous for the great size, which is 2.5m high and 3,285 kg weight, also to be audible 10 km away. It is considered to be an outstanding achievement of 18th century bronze casting.

Read phonetically

Di sebelah kanan menara adalah paviliun bersisi enam lainnya yang berisi prasasti yang berasal dari 1715. Prasati tersebut terletak di bagian belakang kura-kura marmer besar, yang merupakan simbol umur panjang, dan tingginya 2,58 meters.

To the right of the tower is another six-sided pavilion containing a stele dated from 1715. It is set on the back of a massive marble turtle, a symbol of longevity, and is 2.58 m high.

Selain itu, ada beberapa karya seni popular di dalam pagoda, yang menjadi daya pikat para wisatawan. Sebagai contoh, Kuil Dai Hung, balai-utama yang menyajikan sebuah arsitektur yang megah. Seperti patung-patung perunggu cetakkan dan tempat penampungan beberapa barang antik berharga: gong perunggu yang dicetak tahun 1677, papan kayu disepuh dengan tulisan Tuan Nguyen Phuc Chu (1714). Kemudian di sebelah kiri tempat suci utama ada tiga buah patung Buddha yaitu : A Da Di, Buddha Masa Lalu, Thich Ca, Sang Buddha historis (Sakyamuni), dan Di Lac Buddha, Buddha Masa Depan.

Besides, there are several popular works of art inside the pagoda, which are of great captivation to tourists. For instance, Dai Hung shrine, the main-hall which presents a magnificent architecture. As bronze cast statues, it shelters some precious antiques: the bronze gong cast in 1677, the wooden gilded board with Lord Nguyen Phuc Chu's inscriptions (1714). Then in the left of the main sanctuary, are three statues: A Di Da, the Buddha of the Past; Thich Ca, the historical Buddha (Sakyamuni); and Di Lac Buddha, the Buddha of the Future.

Funny Story 1

Bukan Liza namanya kalo nggak melakukan kejailan di suatu tempat, apalagi di negara orang … he he he he he … Dari pertama dateng di Pagoda Thien Mu ini, ada cowok yang memperhatikan dan ngikutin gue terus. Tadinya gue pikir dia itu guide, tapi bahasa Inggrisnya ancur banget. Sedangkan nih cowok ternyata tadinya berpikir gue ini orang Vietnam and nyerocos ngomong pake bahasa Vietnam. Alaaaahh … maaaakkk … kejadian di airport tadi pagi terulang lagi deh. Sebenernya males banget ngeladeninya … tapi nih orang ngikutin gue dan ngajak ngobrol terus … so lama kelamaan tanduk gue keluar juga … kenapa nggak gue manfaatin aja ya …. hi hi hi hi hi ….. Alhasil gue punya photographer dan asistant gratis yang ngebawain camera dan tripot gue keliling kuil di belakang Pagoda ….. apalagi nih cowok lumayan cakep juga dijadiin model buat bergaya berdua ….. hua ha ha ha ha ….

It is not Liza if not doing mischief at a place, especially in other countries ... he he he he he ... The first came at the Thien Mu Pagoda, there are guys who pay attention and I following me. At first I thought he had a guide, but his English really bad. While the boy thought I was a Vietnamese and talk to me used the language of Vietnam. Aaaaahh ... the incident at the airport this morning has repeated. I actually really lazy chit chat with him ... but this boy kept following me and kept chatting ... so over time my horn out as well ... why do not I used this boy .... hi hi hi hi hi ... .. As a result I have a photographer and free an assistant to bring my tripod and my camera around the temple on the back of the Pagoda ..... especially the boy pretty cute too to be a model for taking picture together ... .. hua ha ha ha ha ....

Akhirnya setelah ngobrol dengan susah payah … gue tahu apa maunya doi. Menurut pengakuan dia, dia pelajar yang berasal dari Hanoi dan sekarang sedang melakukan survey mengenai wisatawan di Vietnam untuk tugas sekolahnya. Ffuuiiihh … jauh banget! Dia minta gue untuk ngisi form survey yang dia bawa. Hampir aja rasa bersalah gue keluar karena udah ngerjain dia … tapi begitu dia nyodorin buku berisi daftar sumbangan untuk sekolahnya dan beberapa kertas dengan tulisan bahasa yang nggak gue mengerti ….. tanduk gue mulai keluar lagi … xi xi xi xi xi :) Gue nulis di buku sumbangan dan gue keluarin selembar Rp 50.000 dari dompet sambil gue bilang karena gue dari Indonesia, so gue mau nyumbang Rupiah. Eeeehhh … bener aja dia complaint dan tetap minta duit dollar meskipun gue jelasin kalo itu nilainya sekitar 5.5 dollars … hi hi hi hi … tambah seru aja nih … akhirnya gue kasih pilihan … mau 10,000 dong atau 50.000 rupiah … eeehhh lucunya yang diambil uang rupiah gue … ha ha ha ha ha … serakah juga :)

Finally, after chatting with difficulty ... I knew what he wants. According to him, he was a student who came from Hanoi and is currently conducting a survey of tourists in Vietnam for her school assignment. Ffuuiiihh ... so far! He asked me to fill in the survey form that he was carrying. Almost feel out of guilt because I've mischief to him ... but once he give a book contains a list of donations for his school and some paper with writing language that I do not understand ... .. my horns started come out again ... xi xi xi xi xi :) I wrote in donations book and took Rp 50,000 from my wallet while I say because I'm from Indonesia, so I want to donate in rupiah amount. Aaahhh … My though was correct ….. he complaint and insist ask to me for dollar even though I explained in dollars it is about 5.5 dollars ... hi hi hi hi ... become more exciting! ... finally I gave him choices ... would take 10.000 dong or 50,000 rupiah ... aaaahhhh funny! He took my rupiah ... ha ha ha ha ha ... so greedy :)