Located in the beautiful central-northern coastal plain, Hue combines the forces of the wind and water, locally referred to as "left Green Dragon / right White Tiger" in feng shui. The spectacular landscape is skillfully crafted as with an artists brush, features the Huong River, Ngu Mountain, Thuan An Beach, and Bach Ma National Park. Hue was chosen as the Capital city of Vietnam under the reign of Nguyen and was the center of politics, culture, and the economy throughout the 19th and first half of the 20th century.
Hue was recognized as a Cultural Heritage of the world by UNESCO on December 11th, 1993 with the statement below, “Hue vestige community is a typical example of designing a city and building a defensive capital, that shows the power of the former feudal kingdom in Vietnam during its peak in the beginning of 19th century.”
Hue is famous for the most grandiose architectural works in the country. Tourists have the opportunity to contemplate palaces, pagodas, temples, a citadel and rampart, mausoleums, and architecture of churches and pagodas that still keep their old solemn majestic feature. There are many traditional popular festivals, religious celebrations, fine arts, and the popular and imperial traditional arts. The Hue garden-house setting is an ideal ecological model between housing architecture and nature, which is always an attractive destination.
Hue culinary delights abound with plentiful and special food from the Imperial Palace, vegetarian food, to the traditional Vietnamese meal. All are a harmonious combination of beauty and delight to make Hue its own eating style known throughout the country simply by the city’s name. Hue also has many kinds of traditional handicraft products made from various materials into skillful works of art.
High tech business facilities designed to serve executive clients are constantly upgraded. Within the system of 4-5 star hotels in Huong Giang and Saigon - Morin and La Residence are the nicest compared to others such as Green, Celadon Hue, and Imperial. Phu Bai airport is only 15 kilometers away from Hue city and it is one of four international airports in Vietnam able to host Airbus and Boeing aircrafts. Chan May port became an international port as well being able to host ships up to 30,000 tons. Hai Van tunnel, 6,280 meters long, goes through Bach Ma Mountain and shortens the distance from Hue to Da Nang city.
With such great potential and advantages like this, Hue has become a famous tourism center of Vietnam and a destination of MICE programs.
Places of interest
Hue Citadel
The construction of the moated citadel, which has a 9,950m-long perimeter, was begun in 1805 on the northern bank of the Perfume River by King Gia Long. The Citadel was originally made of earth, but between 1818 and 1832 it was paved with a 2m-thick layer of bricks in the style of the French architect Vauban. The King’s official functions were carried out in the Royal Enclosure, a citadel-within-a-citadel with a perimeter of 2,450m. The Royal Enclosure has 4 gates, the most famous of which is Ngo Mon Gate (or Southern Gate) used as the main entrance. Within the Royal Enclosure is the Forbidden Purple City, which used to be the living quarters of the King. With more than 100 buildings such palaces, temples, fortresses, etc., the citadel is the most interesting place to visit in Hue.
King Minh Mang’s Tomb
The construction was planed during the king’s lifetime and built between 1841 and 1843 by his successor. The palace, the pavilion, the entrances are harmoniously built around two big lakes that make these more luxurious and peaceful. The three gates lead into the Honour Courtyard of the Tomb, Dai Hong Mon (Great Red Gate), Ta Hong Mon (Left Red Gate), Huu Hong Mon (Right Red Gate). From the Courtyard there are three granite staircases which are reached via the square Stele Pavilion, Dinh Vuong. The solemn emperor’s burial place is situated on a mound of earth covered with mature pine trees, behind Sung An Temple, some terraces and stone bridges.
King Tu Duc’s Tomb
7kms far from Hue city, King Tu Duc’s Tomb is surrounded by a brick wall. Tu Duc was the fourth king of Nguyen Dynasty. He had his tomb constructed in 1848 when he was still on the throne. The tomb was built according to the plan based on two axes: one for the mausoleum and another for the palace. The tomb comprises of an important number of buildings, man-made ponds full of nenuphars and lotuses, crossed by various bridges and covered by frangipanniers. This is one of the most romantic and splendid masterpieces.
King Khai Dinh’s Tomb
The ornate tomb of Khai Dinh, who ruled the country from 1916 to 1925, is perhaps a symptom of the decline of Vietnamese culture during the colonial period. Khai Dinh - the twelfth king of the Nguyen dynasty - is the father of King Bao Dai, the last emperor of Viet Nam. The tomb's construction started in 1920 and completed in 1931. It is unlike Hue’s other tombs. The combination of Asian and European Architecture and decoration marks the king’s special interest in European civilization. The multi-colored ceramics inlaid style makes his mausoleum gracious and magnificent
Bach Ma National Park
Just 45kms south of Hue, Bach Ma National Park, is home to old French hill station. Established in mid 1998, the park covers a rolling mountainous area of 22,030 ha. The forest, in addition to its indigenous flora, also has various species of plant originating in both the north and the south. Visitors can find exciting trekking routes and romantic hotels in this area.
Dong Ba Market
Located on the southeastern corner of Hue Citadel, Dong Ba market has been one of the most famous commercial centers in Vietnam for more than 100 years. Built in 1899 and then destroyed in 1968, the market was rebuilt on an area of 5 ha in 1986. Up to now, all the typical features of a traditional Vietnamese market are still there such as the sampan landing, the bus station and the bazaars. Dong Ba market is a paradise for snapshots of daily activities as well as for shopping with everything from souvenir items to bronze goods, Hue sesame sweetmeat, conical poem hats, etc.
Garden houses
Hue owes its beauty not only to the Perfume River, Mount Ngu Binh and royal mausoleums but also to garden houses. This kind of house is a prominent feature of Hue. Each garden house has an area of about 2,000m2. In front of the house, there is always a tile-covered gate. Around the house is a garden with all kinds of fruit and flowers. The highlight in a garden house is a small rock-garden which is an artificial wood and mountain made of rock, water and plants. The house and the garden, the people and the landscape, etc. all blend harmoniously in a colorful atmosphere. All shows the love of nature of the owners, which is one of Hue people’s characteristics. Visitors can visit some garden houses such as Lac Tinh Vien (65 Phan Dinh Phung St.), Princess Ngoc Son (29 Nguyen Chi Thanh St.), Y Thao (3 Thach Han), etc.
Hai Van Pass
In Vietnamese, Hai Van Pass means the pass of ocean clouds. It is located on Highway 1 between Danang and Hue. One can see a spectacular stretch of scenery here where mountains seem to fall into the sea. In the past, Hai Van Pass has been the site of a historic seesaw struggle between several nations in the region (Kingdoms of Champa, Vietnam, Laos, etc.).
Hon Chen Temple
Standing just on the bank of the Perfume River inclined to poetic dreams and 10km upstream of Hue, Hon Chen Temple for cult of Ponagar, the Goddess of the ancient Cham minority. After then, the Vietnamese continued the cult and name the Goddess as Heaven Goddess Y A Na. This Temple for Goddess appeared in this place centuries ago but within a very simply design. After then, reconstructed with larger and more beautiful architectural scale in 1886. The Hon Chen Temple is situated at a lovely site seated on the slope of the mountain Ngoc Tran with sheer cliff and mirroring in the deep blue water of the Perfume River.
Museum of Royal Relics
The beautiful hall that houses the Museum of Royal Relics was built in 1845 and restored when the museum was founded in 1923. This is a precious wooden construction of Hue’s unique palace architectonics. The house was built after “trung thiem diep oc” model (sloping successive roofs) with 128 pillars. The first sight catching visitors’ eyes is the walls inscribed with 1,000 poems written in chu nom – Vietnamese script. Most of the exhibits displayed here bear characteristics left by the last Vietnamese feudal dynasty. Here visitors can find the everyday utensils (such as clothing, sedans, gongs, etc.) of the King and the royal family and other aesthetics decorative works in the palaces of Hue. The museum is located at 3 Le Truc St. and open daily from 6.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.
Perfume River
A visit to Hue would be not complete without a boat excursion on the Perfume River (Song Huong). This 100km-long river owes its name to the fact that it flows through many forests of aromatic plants before reaching Hue, bringing with it fragrances of tropical flora. A boat cruise will offer visitors a general view of the daily life of Hue people. When night falls, the surface of the river glistens under the moonlight and the folk melodies of Hue make the lovely river even more poetic and musical. It is said that Hue is peaceful and tranquil mostly thanks to the Perfume River.
Thien Mu Pagoda
Thien Mu Pagoda, also known as Linh Mu Pagoda, was originally founded in 1601 by Lord Nguyen Hoang. This pagoda, built on a hillock overlooking the Perfume River, is one of the most famous architectural structures in Vietnam. The most striking feature of the pagoda is the 21m-high octagonal tower, the 7-storeyed Phuoc Duyen Tower. The tower was built by King Thieu Tri in 1844 and has become the unofficial symbol of Hue. Lying on Ha Khe Hill, 7km from Hue, the pagoda can be reached either by car or by boat. Visitors often come here late in the afternoon in order to enjoy sunset on the Pergume River and to attend the daily prayer service at 5 p.m.
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