HUE' S HISTORIC MONUMENTS HISTORY With its historical sites, beautiful monuments and landscape, and above all, the harmony of these elements, HUE is worthy to be presented by man. This ancient imperial city reminds us of the marriage of the Princess Huyen Tran of Dai Viet (the country then occupying the northern part of the present-day Viet Nam) to King Java Sinhavarman III of Champa (then the southern part), Which in 1306 ended one of the most troubled periods of Viet Nam's history. It was essential for her to reunify the country and regain the lost land. Having heard of her unparalleled beauty, King Jaya Sinhavarman III, though already very old, asked for her hand and return to Dai Viet this part of the land - then called Prefectures O and Ly - as a marriage gift. O and Ly were renamed in 1307 as `Thuan' and `Hoa' by the Dai Viet King. The present name of Hue stems from Hoa. The princess, who voluntarily sacrificed her youth for the country, has inspired many novelists and playwrights. As early as the Hung Kings period (about 4,000 years ago). this region was already settled by one of the 15 tribes of the then Kingdom of Van Lang. Hue the fifth imperial city of VietNam, after Back Hac (present day Vinh Phu Province), Co Loa (suburb of present day Hanoi), Hoa Lu (in present day Ha Nam Ninh province) and Thang Long (ancient name of Hanoi, build by the Ly Dynasty in early 11th century). The Tran Dynasty (1358-1389) built here in Hue the Hoa Chau citadel, which was described by a contemporary high ranking official thus: "There is a large river to the west of Hoa Chau citadel and a small one encircling it, which also runs through the central. Its left bank is lined with residential quarters, offices, courts, and Thua Phong Residential Palace". The Kim Tra River (River of Perfumes) flows to the south. The local government of Thuan Hoa Prefecture, ruled by the Nguyen lords, was established in Dinh Cat, Hue, in the latter part of the 16th century. The Nguyen, southern lords who had been appointed to govern this area in the name of the Le sovereigns, were later to create an independent dominion of their own. The venue moved from Dinh Cat to Phuoc Yen and then to Kim Long and, in 1689, Phu Xuan citadel was built to the east of Kim Long. This Phu Xuan citadel was the embryo of the future town of Hue and occupies the southeast corner of the later citadel. In 1802, the Nguyen lords chose Phu Xuan as the capital of the whole country. Historian of the time, Le Qui Don noted: "Phu Xuan abounds in magnificent palaces and splendid towers, all dextrously carved and painted; markets and streets linked with one another weave up and down like shuttles". Phu Xuan has long been the worthy object of praise in the country's poetic and literary tradition. To build the capital city of Hue, 50,000 to 80,000 peasants, soldiers, and artisans were mobilized every day. Not only man power but also building materials came pouring in from all over the country. Ironwood from Nghe An Province, wooden planks from Gia Dinh, paving stones from Thanh Hoa, bricks and tiles from Quang Ngai, and luxurious materials such as gold, lacquer, and brass were imported from China. Thus the most precious materials of the whole country were requisitioned by the court and the most talented craftsmen were summoned to the capital. Hue has always a central of cultural and revolutionary activity. In 1866, for example, soldiers and laborers staged a protest forcing the king to pay heed to their demands for social justice. It has also been home to many poets, writers and revolution- aries, famous not only at home but also abroad, including Nguyen Du, Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Phan Boi Chau, Phan Chu Trinh, Huynh thuc Khang, Phan Dang Luu, and Ho Chi Minh.
