Kim Phung Mountain

To the west of central Hue, a pale blue line of mountain rises behind the tiled roofs and the treetops. This is Kim Phụng Mountain, also called Thương Sơn. It is the highest peak within the city of Hue, standing 427 meters above sea level.

From the top, the Perfume River winds across the plain like a ribbon of silvery white silk. Pagoda roofs, clumps of trees and far-off fields of green and gold spread out below, wide and peaceful. Few places in Hue let a person stand this high and see a whole historic land at once.

Kim Phụng is more than the tallest peak. Its shape is also carved on the Cửu Đỉnh, the nine bronze urns in the royal palace at Hue. Once the mountain's image was carved into the bronze, it became part of a picture of the land's mountains and rivers. The court wanted to keep that picture for all time. It was the court of the Nguyễn dynasty, Vietnam's last royal dynasty, which reigned from 1802 to 1945.

The mountain holds one more layer of memory. This is where the empress of Emperor Quang Trung was laid to rest. On a quiet slope in the Hương Trà area, in the cool air of the forest, a trace of that history remains.

On the summit, wind moves through the leaves. Below runs the Perfume River, which has watched so many dynasties pass. Behind lie the forests of Hương Trà. Underfoot is earth that keeps the memory of two different dynasties: the Nguyễn, and the dynasty of Emperor Quang Trung. There is a mountain carved into bronze, and there is a way up to look down over the old capital, stretched out in the afternoon sun.