Hue Favorites

Favorite thing: It is not advisable from a health point of view to buy food on the train from Hue to Hanoi. Whatever they were serving didn't look too flash. It looked like some kind of deep fried cat or dog. Maybe it was chicken. Only the locals were buying. (That is, the ones that didn't bring their own food & portable stoves with them)

Walking down Le Loi to the station to buy our tickets, on the left-hand side (the other side of the road to the river) we came across an interesting supermarket underneath either a hotel or office block.

It was called "Greenmart". It sold all kinds of things, we picked up biscuits (like oreos & jatz), cheese, chocolates, drinks etc to keep us going on the train.

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Favorite thing: Hue is an ancient city, between 1802 and 1945 it was the imperial capital of the Nguyễn Dynasty, who rules southern Vietnam. The city has about 340000 inhabitants and plenty of sights to be visited. In the city itself there is the citadel (the former Imperial city) and plenty of beautiful temples and pagodas - as well as a colourful market.

Outside the city, along the perfume river, there are amazing royal tombs... those of the Nguyen emperors. All Hue monuments are listed in the UNESCO's World Heritage Sites.

Fondest memory: Hue is often looked down upon by visitors - most prefer to head straight to Hoi An, but I found it a lot more interesting, picturesque and by far less touristy... it is colourful and relaxing, too... and after reaching Hoi An, I wished we had chosen to stay longer.

I also liked the traditional fishing village on the outskirts of Hue, very interesting and untouched by tourism... with plenty of great photo opportunities.

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Favorite thing: The Perfume River is a river which divides Hue in two parts, and although it deosn't have a particular perfume, it's a beautiful river to navigate... it's also a scenic way to reach the famous royal tombs.

It starts in the Truong Son mountain range and ocne it reaches the outskirts of Hue it's quite a placid river with clear blue waters with only one dark stretch along the foot of Ngoc Tran Mountain, where there is the Hon Chen Temple... the reason? Waters there are really deep.

Fondest memory: What I liked best was the tranquillity of the area... the small villages on the river shores and the people living their daily life... often on a boat... either going somewhere, transporting goods or busy fishing. A simple but peaceful life.

Favorite thing: Hue was once the capital of the country during the Tay Son and Nguyen dynasties, the Imperial city is where the Nguyen emperors lived and ruled... it is the highlight of Hue town and has been recognized as a World Heritage site by UNESCO.

The Royal Citadel has 10 gates, but you can enter it only throught the main one, where you buy the tickets, and is surrounded by imposing walls and a moat. Inside there was also a forbidden city, which only the emperor could access... except for a few selected servants, which had to be eunuchs.

Fondest memory: There are many sights to be seen inside the citadel: some of the most important are the Noon Gate, Thuong Uyen (Royal) Garden, Trieu temple, Thai temple, Hien Lam pavilion, Hung temple and Phung Tien temple.

My very favourite is the former residence of the Queen Mother... a great building with excellent decorations, and a most delightful lotus pond with a wooden pavillion, where she often rested in the afternoon.

Favorite thing: Climate in Hue is different from the Northern and Southern.
In the coast and delta, the climate is divided into two distinguished seasons: The dry season, from March to August, with the highest temperature is 40C, and the rainy season, from August to January, with the average temperature is 20C. Hue's climate can be very cool and wet from December to March and then warms up as you move into summer. Fog and fine drizzle is a daily routine, even in the dry ceason.
So, don't say I didn't worn you!!!!
Always have your raincoat handy :-)

Favorite thing: Hue boats are themselves a part of the special Hue experience. Thanks to local entrepreneurs eager to exploit their city's past, a walk along the riverside reveals a galaxy of glittering lights suspended from forms that slowly coalesce into dragon-like shapes.
Dragon boats have outer hulls decorated to resemble a gorgeous dragon. In the past, no matter how rich a common person became, ownership of such a vessel was forbidden: they were exclusively reserved for royalty.
Nowadays, anyone who has the money can buy any boat they like, and there is no shortage of new dragon boat owners. A one-hour shuttle trip between Trang Tien Bridge and the Heavenly Lady Pagoda costs VND2,000 a person.

Favorite thing: The Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945) is the last of Vietnam's Royal families. In all, there were 13 kings, however, due various reasons, only seven had tombs. The seven imperial tombs were planned and constructed in a hilly region southwest of the Citadel. Gia Long, Minh Mang, Thieu Tri, Tu Duc, Duc Duc, Dong Khanh and Khai Dinh all had a tomb built. All tombs were constructed during the reign of the respective kings for which they were named. Each tomb was laid out with statues and monuments in perfect harmony with one another to form a poetically natural setting. The following elements were incorporated in all the tombs: walls, triple gate (Tam Quan Gate), Salutation Court, Stele House, temples, lakes and ponds, pavilions, gardens, and finally the tomb.
In 1957, Les Merveilles du Monde (France) published a list which included the royal tombs of Hue as part of the World's Wonders. Unfortunately, most of the artifacts in the tombs have been stolen by the French and local bandits

Favorite thing: One of the best trips you can make from Hue, if you have any interest in the Vietnam War, is the DMZ Tour. Both Sinh Cafe and Kim Cafe, among others, organise 1-day bus trips to the old border between North and South Vietnam.

I took the Sinh Cafe tour, which departed at 6am returned at 6pm and covered the following itinerary:

Highway 9: The Rockpile-Dakrong Bridge-Ho Chi Minh Trail-Bru minority village-Khe Sanh
Highway 1: Dong Ha-Hien Luong Bridge-Ben Hai River-the Tunnels of Vinh Moc and the Tunnel Museum

Price: US$8

You have to get up early for this one, but it's well worth it. Khe Sanh combat base is especially interesting, if you have read about the history of the Vietnam War or seen the film, 'We Were Soldiers'.

In the picture you can see the bridge over the Ben Hai River, which marked the border between North and South Vietnam.