Exposition on the Ancient Capital Hue

Topic: Exposition on the Ancient Capital Hue

Exemplary Essay: Exposition on the Ancient Capital Hue

I. Well-Structured Outline for Exposition about the Ancient Capital Hue (Standard)

1. Introduction:

- Introduce the population of historical relics in the ancient capital Hue.

2. Body of the Essay:

a. Location, Historical Formation, and Development:
- Situated alongside the Perfume River, in the heart of Hue city, covering an area of over 500 hectares.
- Once the capital of both the Tay Son Dynasty and the Nguyen Dynasty.
- Continuously constructed and renovated by the Nguyen kings, creating a magnificent and splendid overall imperial citadel.
- Characteristics: Primarily built in the traditional Hue architectural style, adhering to the Feng Shui principles of the East, featuring a layout combining garden houses, balance, and harmony between artificial architecture and nature.

b. Structure:

- Comprises three main parts: the Capital Citadel, Imperial Citadel, and Forbidden Purple City, with corresponding three concentric walls.

* Capital Citadel Hue:
- The outermost circle comprising various auxiliary structures and tombs built scatteredly across different reigns.
- Commenced construction in 1805, during the reign of King Gia Long, situated between the Bach Yen and Kim Long branches of the Perfume River.
- Constructed on a nearly square plot with a slightly curved bow shape, surrounded by a defensive wall system with a perimeter of 10,571 meters.
- Notable architectures: Flag Tower, National University, Long An Palace, Tinh Tam Lake, Phu Xuan shrine.

* Imperial Citadel:
- Also known as the Forbidden Purple City, built in 1804 on a square plot covering approximately 36 hectares, enclosed by surrounding walls.
- The Meridian Gate is the main and largest entrance, exclusively for the king and royal officials, facing south with a U-shaped platform, featuring the Ngu Phung Tower on top.
- Structures within the Imperial Citadel are symmetrically arranged along the longitudinal axis, with royal buildings placed in the center and auxiliary structures on both sides.

* Forbidden Purple City:
- Structures serving the life and activities of the royal family, such as Cần Chánh Palace, Trường Thọ Palace, Khôn Thái Palace, Thái Y Institute, Quang Minh Palace, Trinh Minh Palace, Trung Hòa Palace, etc.
- Structures for worship purposes, such as Thế Miếu, Triệu Tổ Miếu, Hoàng Khảo Miếu, Hoàng Nhân Palace, etc.

3. Conclusion:

Express your impressions.

II. Exemplary Essay on Exposition about the Ancient Capital Hue (Standard)

'Surrounded by mist-shrouded mountains, the ancient city of Hue exudes an aura of celestial tranquility, with the ancient moon casting its glow, and the shadows of ancient pines enduring through the millennia,' best encapsulates the essence of the ancient capital Hue, showcasing a historical site with a lifespan of hundreds of years. It witnessed the most brilliant golden era of the Nguyen dynasty and marked the end of the feudal monarchy that spanned thousands of years in Vietnamese history. With its venerable appearance and a convergence of unique architectural structures, the ancient capital Hue stands as one of the last places preserving the nearly complete lifestyle of ancient kings. Today, Hue is a renowned tourist destination, attracting a large number of visitors both domestically and internationally.

The ancient capital Hue is an extensive historical site nestled beside the picturesque Perfume River, right in the heart of Hue city, covering an area of over 500 hectares. Initially chosen as the capital by the Tay Son dynasty for approximately 14 years, after Nguyen Anh defeated the Tay Son, Hue became the capital of the Nguyen dynasty and endured for the next 142 years. Following the selection of Hue as the capital, the Nguyen kings continually constructed and renovated numerous architectural structures, creating a magnificent and splendid imperial citadel, shining brightly along the gentle Perfume River. The structures in the ancient capital Hue are primarily built in the traditional Hue architectural style, influenced by the layout style from China and a bit of Western Vauban architecture. However, the overall harmony of the ancient capital Hue still adheres to the Feng Shui principles of the East, with a layout combining garden houses, balance, and harmony between artificial architecture and nature. Later, in the reigns of the last Nguyen kings, Khai Dinh and Bao Dai, the French architectural style became more prevalent in Hue, giving rise to innovative architectural structures that went beyond the traditional palace construction, such as the Khâm Sứ Palace, An Dinh Palace, Ứng Lăng, and the tomb of King Dong Khanh, among others.