1. Overview about Tiger Arena in Hue
Being as a unique attraction in Hue, Tiger arena is a fascinating place for your discovery. Coming here to learn interesting stories of emperors’ hobbies in the past during the feudal period is interesting. Tiger Arena was an entertainment place for the Nguyen emperors came and watched the battle between the elephants and tigers in the past. Oftently, the elephant is an imperial symbol and the elephants were always ensured victory. The tigers were caged at the arena, the teeth and claws were removed prior to each fight ensuring victory by the elephant in order to satisfy the emperor and his family who watched atop the arena walls.
It only takes 15- 20 minutes by car or motorbike to reach Tiger Arena. You can see this attraction is located in a prime location of Hue. Over 20 minutes of exploration will send you the glimpse of nostalgic period during royal monarchy.
2. Location, entrance fee and opening hours
Located in Thuy Bieu Ward, Hue City, Thua Thien Hue Province, Tiger Arena (or Ho Quyen) is an arena built in the early 19th century under the Nguyen Dynasty by the Minh Mang Emperor.
For a great effort to restore and protect the Hue Tiger Arena, buying an entrance ticket to visit Vietnam Tiger Arena is a must. It costs about 50,000 VND (roughly 2,5 USD)/ person. Children under 6 years old are free of charge.
The Tiger Arena Hue opening hour is from 7:00 to 17:00 every day even on Tet Holiday. So it is very convenient for you to plan your Hue City Tour.
3. The history of Tiger Arena In Hue
Before the construction of the Ho Quyen arena, the mortal battles between elephants and tigers under the Nguyen Dynasty were held on Da Vien Island on the Perfume River.
During this period, there were many dangerous incidents related to the match. In 1750, Lord Nguyen Phuc Khoat witnessed a bloody fight with 40 elephants killing 18 tigers. In particular, a tiger slaps the mahout, then he is trampled to death by his own trained elephant.
In the reign of Minh Mang Emperor, when he was watching the fight on the Perfume River, a tiger swam towards the dragon boat, fortunately, there was an army to protect it in time. Therefore, in the 11th year of Minh Mang’s reign, 1830, the Emperor had a solid tiger arena built in the land in Truong Da village, Nguyet Bieu village, west of the Citadel.
4. The fights between tigers and elephants in the past
The ceremony of organizing the match between elephants and tigers at Tiger Arena Hue is very solemn. Around the arena, there were soldiers and flags. Soldiers armed with weapons respectfully stood on both sides of the road, ready to spread flower mats to welcome the Emperor.
At noon, the Emperor and his entourage will get on a dragon boat. When the boat was close to the riverbank, the Emperor left the boat and went to a palanquin with four golden umbrellas and four golden parasols.
Going in front will be the musketeers, behind in order are bodyguards holding the Tam Tai flag, the Ngu Hanh flag, the Thap Nhi Bat Tu flag, the sword, and finally the court music team. The death battle at the Ho Quyen arena takes place every year and It just ended when the elephants killed the tigers already.
5. Tiger Arena Architecture in Hue
Ho Quyen arena was built in the shape of a donut with two rings of walls. The inner ring has a height of 5.9m, the outer ring is 4.75m high, tilted at an angle of 15 degrees to create a solid stance.
The perimeter of the outer wall is 145m, the diameter of the basin is 44m. Tiger Arena Hue Vietnam is embellished with malleable bricks, lime mortar, and bluestone.
The Tiger Arena stand is divided into 2 parts, for the Emperor and servents. The stand where the Emperor sat is located in the north, built higher than other positions. On the left are 24 ranks for the Royal Family and great ministers. The right side is for lower-rank officials and soldiers.
Opposite the stands is a system of 5 tiger cages with wooden doors that open and close by pulling strings from above. On the wall, there is a gate 8 meters high and 7 inches wide where elephants are brought into the arena. Hue Tiger Arena is considered a unique architectural work of Vietnam and the world, an attractive Hue tourist destination in the eyes of tourists.
6. How to get to Tiger Arena in Hue?
The location of Tiger Arena is in Thuy Xuan Ward, Hue city and it is accessible to visit by various vehicles such as private cars, taxis, motorbikes or even bicycles. Depending on your vehicle of transportation, you will reach the attraction by different times. Our recommendation is traveling by car services so you can explore other attractions nearby Tiger Arena such as Thuy Bieu Village, Hue Citadel, Elephant Temple and so on.
7. Conclusion
Hue is such a great city to discover diverse landmarks beside royal heritages. Various stories of the kings have left strong impressions to worldwide travelers. Hue Tiger Arena is a unique place for your exploration if you get some free time at our ancient capital. We believe the stories and history of royal architectures will be exciting to learn and discover. Explore Vietnam Travel company hopes this article is useful and informative for your trip preparation. Do not hesitate to contact us to design a travel program at any cities in Vietnam. Thanks for your reading.