"Romantic Hue" Hue by dinhyen

Hue Travel Guide: 615 reviews and 1,656 photos

Girl in ao dai, at the Mausoleum of Tu Duc

Hue, along with Saigon and Hanoi, are Vietnam's principal cities. Traditionally, Saigon is known for its laid-back, anything-goes atmosphere, Hanoi for its sophistication, and Hue for its beauty and romanticism.

Hue's attraction has much to do with the Perfume River. The river's gentle undulations take it from the rugged mountain range along the Laos border through rolling hills and lush farmlands and finally through Hue itself. The slow moving current is ideal for the graceful, slender boats which ply its waters.

Hue was the bastion of the Nguyen dynasty, the last dynasty of Vietnam. It was the first Nguyen King, Gia Long, who relocated the capital from Hanoi in the early 19th century. Here the monarchs built the citadels, palaces, mansions, gardens, temples, and mausoleums. So it is here that visitors may find the most abundant traces of Vietnam's royal heritage.

Despite its tranquility, Hue is not without its violent history. The city saw some of the most bloody battles of the 1968 Tet Offensive, with the sad result that much of the Citadel was destroyed. Today its largest buildings still remain, but the empty lot and the shattered foundations are grim reminders of the past.

Surprisingly Hue is not very large. The city lies on both sides of the Perfume River, both halves being joined at intervals by iron bridges. One of the bridges, Trang Tien, is most commonly associated with Hue in Vietnamese literature. There are many small, tree-lined boulevards that are ideal for an excursion on foot. The moped "revolution" that had claimed Saigon and partly Hanoi has not reached Hue. So for a least a little while longer, visitors can enjoy the tranquility that befits its beauty.

Inside the city, the most well-known attraction is the Citadel. Many other buildings with royal connection are located throughout the city proper. There are several temples and churches as well. Dong Ba Market is well-known throughout Vietnam. At night, you can take a mini-cruise on the Perfurme River and perhaps enjoy a traditional Hue musical performance.

For a day trip, we took a boat from Hue to visit many attractions located on the river banks. We first visited Thien Mu Pagoda, then stopped at an island shrine, spent several hours at Minh Mang's Tomb (the 2nd Nguyen king), dashed in for a quick tour of Tu Duc's Tomb (the 4th king), then finally hopped on the van for the drive back.

By the time we left, I missed it already.

TIP: Hue is pronounced as "hweh", not "hugh".

View of the Citadel from the inside. It is a massive building with halls and ramparts at the top where the king may review parades and processions.

A mansion within the Minh Mang's mausoleum complex. The hall is located high above ground so that the occupants would be able to enjoy the breezes.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Historical, architectural, religious, and cultural relics; charming city; friendly locals; temperate weather
Cons:Small airport
In a nutshell:My favorite city in Vietnam

Last visit to Hue: Jun 2002
Intro Updated Apr 15, 2003
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Reviews (19)

Performance on the Perfume River Things to Do (12)

We got in a boat and made our ways to the middle of the river. A troupe of singers and musicians performed about an hour... more travel advice

Ride the road of kings Transportation (2)

Or more likely peasants in this case. This is one of the side gates to the Citadel. The King would've used the main... more travel advice

Quoc Hoc High School Off The Beaten Path (5)

The most famous high school in Vietnam. They've got a much better website than mine. more travel advice

Trang Tien Bridge Things to Do (12)

Probably the most well-known bridge in Vietnam. I was told this iron bridge was designed by Gustav Eiffel (or his... more travel advice

Travelogues (3)

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Comments (25)

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sailor_p Jan 14, 2007 at 8:40 PM

Great tips and beautiful photographs! I look forward to visiting Hue next week!
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musicman1764 Oct 15, 2006 at 4:14 PM

looking for a cd or dvd of this tour. went in july 2006. do you have a copy? musicman41764@comcast.net david
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flightmedicine Apr 24, 2005 at 4:17 PM

Hue Airport is an old US Air Force Base. I flew out of there July 2004 and it has been greatly remodeled. Very nice.
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richiecdisc Mar 3, 2005 at 8:06 AM

Great to see what Hue looks like when it's sunny. It rained our whole time there so I used B & W to hide the gray skies. You didn't need to but your B & W's are stunning just the same!
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worldkiwi Feb 12, 2004 at 12:30 AM

Nice page... good intro... are there any nice beaches around this area? When's the best time to go?
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Janni67 Nov 25, 2003 at 2:27 AM

Great page with really good photos!
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aliante1981 Oct 6, 2003 at 1:28 AM

Nice page! Thanks for the pronunciation tip:))
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pez Sep 25, 2003 at 2:21 AM

Great photos and info. Very well informed. Tell them about Minh Mang wine! ;-)
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Sharrie Aug 12, 2003 at 4:36 AM

I saw a program on this last night so here I'm. Hey, the Emperor had 100+ wives!!!! Wow!
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yen_2 Jul 31, 2003 at 8:28 AM

Another beautiful page, Yen...The Citadel looks really stunning from your pics..I would love to visit this place someday..Btw, I love looking at your pictures $ pages as it look more lovely from your eyes=)