Hue Imperial City and attractions

Hue city is always the most desirable destination, and it is the city to which the Vietnamese like to travel. There is no place like Hue, it is dominated by the citadel, a walled fort with a moat which was constructed during the early 19th century. Within these walls lie the Forbidden City, former home of the royal family and the different ministries of the Royal Court which governed the whole country.

The green and peaceful city of Hue has become a big and invaluable museum because it still retains the original city plan of the Nguyen dynasty, the last dynasty in Vietnam. Historical sites abound from the corners of small charming streets to the incredible area of the Citadel, and from the banks of the Perfume River to quiet villages in the rural areas of the city. Therefore, vestiges of the ancient capital of Hue have been classified by the government as a very precious property, and in December 1993, Hue was recognized as a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Since it was the capital of Vietnam for more than a century, Hue had gathered the best handicraft people and artists in the country to serve the King and the royal family. Today, their heritage still exists in incredible and sophisticated art found in the Citadel. The Royal Art, Nha Nhac, has been recognized by UNESCO as the first non material World Heritage designee in Vietnam. The handicraft villages in Hue still remain, and they have inherited unique techniques from the royal times. They still produce the best wood carving, bronze casting, embroidery and Bonsai art in Vietnam. It is no surprise that Hue is so well-known in Vietnam for art and handicrafts.

The Vietnamese regard Hue as the pinnacle of Vietnamese fashion, language and cuisine. The women of Hue, wearing the traditional Ao Dai and conical hat, are reputed to be the most beautiful in all of Vietnam. The Hue accent is regarded as the most distinct and pleasing to the ear. The food, from very well-known royal dishes to popular local food such as Banh Khoai or Com Hen, is said to be the tastiest.


Attractions in Hue

	Hue royal antiquities museum Hue royal antiquities Museum with ancient beauty, displays more than 300 rare artifacts of Nguyen dynasty, providing visitors an overview of royal life in Hue ancient citadel. In addition, the main building of the museum is Long An palace, a great architectural work of ironwood, with 128 finely carved columns; interior and exterior are decorated very delicate, rich artistic and elegant.
	Gia Long tomb Gia Long Tomb is also known as Thien Tho Tomb, including a complex of many tombs in the royal family, the key is the tomb of King Gia Long and Thua Thien Cao queen. The architecture of the tomb seems simple, but overall very large, up to 11.234 m perimeter. The tomb is a wonderful blend of ancient architecture and the nature, creating a poetic and quiet space.
	Minh Mang tomb Minh Mang Tomb is an imposing mausoleum area, with picky architecture, harmony with nature, and owns the depth ideological values. The tomb is a complex of 40 architectural works, including palaces, castles, temples... are arranged symmetrically on a long axis of 700 m. In addition, the decoration on the buildings is nearly 600 crossword, carved the poems of Vietnam in early 19th century, as a literature treasure.
	Thieu Tri tomb Thieu Tri Tomb also known as Xuong Tomb, turned northwest - a direction hasn't ever been used in the large architectural works of Hue at that time. The tomb also uses hills and mountains surrounding to make an extensive wall of nature. Overall, Thieu Tri Tomb has a simple beauty, behind based on the mountain, the front is a flat ground with lush trees, and paddy fields stretching from Huong river to Lim bridge, creating a tranquil scenery.
	Tu Duc tomb Tu Duc Tomb with picky architecture, charming landscapes and is one of the most beautiful tombs of the Nguyen emperors. Each architectural work in the tomb carries a different style of visual art, not duplicate and very lively. The way of distributing areas and buildings, is out of the common symmetry way in other tombs. Tu Duc Tomb also has liberal architectural lines, evoking aesthetic emotions and reflect the soul of a poet king.
	Khai Dinh tomb Khai Dinh Tomb also known as Ung Tomb, has become a symbol, a pinnacle of the porcelain and glass visual art. Compared with other emperor tombs, Khai Dinh Tomb has a much smaller area (117m x 48.5m) but very feats and time consuming. Khai Dinh Tomb architecture is different with the traditional architectural of Nguyen Dynasty by the novelty, and is the resulting of mixing different architectural styles.
	An Dinh palace An Dinh Palace is the palace of King Khai Dinh when he was still crown prince until to become the king. Khai Tuong house is the main structure of the palace, with 3 floors, built with new materials and follow European castle style. The floors are decorated very picky, especially the interior of the 1st floor with the valuable and art wall paintings.
	Thien Mu pagoda Thien Mu Pagoda is the famous ancient pagoda of Hue, with beautiful architecture and large scale in a quiet and poetic scenery. The pagoda is a group of many picky buildings, which highlights Phuoc Duyen tower. In addition, here also maintained many antiquities with high value of art and history, as the Buddha statues or paintings, couplets... marking the golden period of history.

Extend attractions in Hue

	Dong Ba market Dong Ba is the largest market in Hue and very colorful place. The market is the place to go for food, souvenirs and clothing, in which you'll see the Vietnamese live "the Vietnamese". While many aspects of Dong Ba market seem typically Vietnamese, it remains a cultural symbol in Hue, particularly as it showcases traditional delicacies and crafts...
	Truong Tien bridge Truong Tien bridge is gracefully reflected on Huong River for more than 100 years, witnessed many historical events of the ancient capital, and is one of the typical symbols of Hue. From Festival Hue 2002, Truong Tien bridge was installed a modern discoloration lighting system, and controlled by the software program. When afternoon to night, the bridge becomes brilliant with fanciful colored lights.
	Thuan An beach Thuan An Beach is 14 km from Hue, this can make for a pleasant seaside experience. The trip to the beach is easy and takes you through some nice villages and countryside. The beach with clean water and the locals friendly, although a Western face may attract attention from the food peddlers. Deck chairs and small seafood stands line the beach if a day in the sun in Hue suddenly takes your fancy. You pay for parking and then you can rent tents, camp on the beach, sink yourself in cool water and enjoy the fresh air.
	Bach Ma national park Bach Ma national park with more than 20,000 hectares of high mountain trails and sweeping valleys. The flora and fauna are diversified, with over 330 species of birds and a variety of mammals including tigers and leopards. Bach Ma is humid and rainy year-round, but the high elevation makes for cooler temperatures and it is known as the ‘Dalat of central Vietnam’...
	Tam Giang lagoon Tam Giang is the largest lagoon in Southeast Asia with a total surface area of 22,000 hectares and depths from 2-7m. Tam Giang Lagoon supports a range of wetland habitats and the livelihood of 300,000 people who live along the lagoon. The most beautiful moments on the lagoon are the sunset when it turns purple. A few fishing boats return home late and the whole surface of the lagoon ripples in the breeze...
	Lang Co beach Down the opposite slope of Hai Van Pass lies the beach town of Lang Co, a picturesque outpost consisting of a long strip with resorts and street vendors. Lang Co Bay is part of a larger natural set up which includes mountains, a river, a lagoon, an island, and Lang Co beach with 10km long stretches of palm-shaded white sand and crystal water...

Where to stay in Hue

Hue City has many types of stays with different prices, from budget motels, hotels to ancient villas. Reference price for the average room type 12 $ / night. Places to stay in Hue City concentrated in two areas :

- Tran Huy Lieu street, in front of Hue Citadel.

- Le Loi street, near Ba Thang Hai park. This is a busy street with shops, restaurants, bars and hotels.


Time to visit Hue

- The dry season from February to August. From June to September, phoenix flowers bloom throughout Hue City, and the weather often has drizzle.

- The rainy season from September to January next year. The rainfall concentrated from October to December.

- From 2000 to the present, every 2 years 1 time (even-numbered years), Hue Festival is organized magnificent and widely publicized in the press. In the festival, Hue became boisterous and colorful with many attractive performances.