"Hue - A quiet town on the Perfume River" Hue by betska

Hue Travel Guide: 616 reviews and 1,657 photos

The main reason for stopping by Hue is to see the many Royal Tombs, the remants of the ancient Citadel and Imperial City.

It is also the main jumping-off point to do DMZ tours.

Hue was the political capital of Vietnam from 1802 till 1945. This period , known as the "Nguyen Dynasty" was ruled by 13 different emperors. Eleven of these emporers are buried in Hue in tombs so popular with visitors.

Hue ceased to be the capital of Vietnam when the last of the emperors, Bao Dai, abdicated in 1945.

The combination of a huge fire in 1947, The Diem protests in 1963, the Tet offensive in 1968 and the Vietnam War in the 1970's all contributed to the destruction of many of Hue's buildings. Rebuilding has been going on now for more than 20 years, and received a boost in 1993 when Unesco listed Hue as a World Heritage site, which served to gain international funding for many renovation projects.

Hue boasts no fewer than 5 universities.

War memorial

Pros and Cons

Pros:Quiet. A bit boring if you aren't into tombs
Cons:Quiet. Not a bad spot to chill for a few days

Last visit to Hue: Mar 2008
Intro Updated Jan 3, 2009
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Reviews (11)

Ngo Mon - The Royal Gate - don't miss upstairs - Hue

The Citadel - part 2 Things to Do (3)

Walk through the Ngo Mon gate, and you are inside the Imperial City. In 1833 Emperor Ming Mang replaced the earlier,... more travel advice

First impression - the flag tower, or "Cot Co" - Hue

The Citadel - part 1 Things to Do (3)

In the early 19th century, Emperor Gia Long laid out this vast walled citadel. The thick outer walls are 7-10 metres... more travel advice

Dong Ba Market Shopping (1)

This rambling, covered market has a little bit of eveything. Fruit & veg, fast food, jewellery, conical "poem" hats... more travel advice

City Tour of the Tombs Things to Do (3)

To be honest. We didn't do the tomb trip. We needed some space so just chilled out in Hue, visited the market, played... more travel advice

Restaurants (3)
See All Good local cuisine
Hotels (1)
simple & clean

Travelogues (2)

1 - 2 of 2

Comments (7)

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omidamini Oct 18, 2010 at 10:48 PM

Thanks for helpful information.
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nora_south_africa Aug 7, 2010 at 6:43 AM

very practical tips thanx
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DennyP Aug 25, 2009 at 5:54 AM

Once again Betty your pen paints a great picture of your travels through this wonderful country..with great pics and informative tips...will be back to read more...cheers denny
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lynnehamman Apr 30, 2009 at 6:38 AM

Bets- very well written and informative tips, with pictures. I quite like visiting tombs- we saw so many in India. Also, the shopping tip is good.
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jumpingnorman Feb 13, 2009 at 9:01 PM

Interesting palace...I love these kinds of places...you are so lucky! Hopefully I'll see these someday...Norman :)
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hunterV Oct 25, 2008 at 12:10 AM

G'day, Betty! Thanks for your tip, mate! Take care! ~
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flyfreak Jul 30, 2008 at 11:36 PM

Hello bisky ;-) thanks for your Vietnam tips - one more question - what time of year would you recommend to travel there? nice greetings, patricia