Ho Quyen

About this audio guide

This guide to Ho Quyen in Hue follows the elephant-and-tiger arena Emperor Minh Mang built in eighteen thirty, after a near-fatal encounter on the Perfume River during his own birthday festivities. You'll hear why the contests inside were never a fair fight, and what happened to the tigers before they ever faced an elephant. It also takes in the mandarins on their stone steps and the crowds along the riverbank who came to watch the outcome play out.