Bridge or gate: two kinds of passage in Hue

The architectural idea is called thuong gia ha kieu: a house above, a bridge below. Seven bays organise the timber structure, with a passage through the middle and raised resting platforms along the sides. Look at that arrangement before concentrating on decoration: it explains how movement and shelter share one small building. A glazed-tile roof and dragon-and-phoenix motifs add a distinctly worked silhouette. From the bank, compare the roof's outline with the supports and water beneath it. This is Thanh Toan near Hue, a separate place from Hoi An's Japanese Covered Bridge, despite the broad family resemblance of roofed crossings.

Ngo Mon is the main southern gate of the Imperial City, not simply a doorway into the whole outer Citadel. Its name refers to its southern orientation rather than a rule that it opened at noon. Look at the contrast between the substantial masonry platform and the timber Ngu Phung, or Five Phoenix, pavilion above it. The gate passages once separated the emperor’s movement from that of attendants. The pavilion made the threshold a place of public royal appearance as well as passage. In 1945, Bao Dai’s abdication ceremony took place here, adding a different ending to its imperial story.