The Mieu Temple devoted to ten Emperors of the Nguyen dynasty, courtyard and Incense burner. Hue Citadel / Imperial City, Hue, Vietnam

On the death anniversaries of the emperors, the reigning emperor and his retinue would perform the appropriate ceremonies at The To Mieu. The lacquered altars in the main gallery each honor one of the Nguyen Emperors. The altars originally numbered only seven – the French overlords prevented the Nguyen emperors from installing altars to honor anti-French emperors Ham Nghi, Thanh Thai, and Duy Tan. The three missing altars were included in 1959, after the departure of the French.

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Photography © Quintin Lake, 2010