After a day in Hoi An, we took a four-hour bus ride to Hue. It is closer to a three-hour drive, but many stop to explore Hai Van Gate, a defensive fortification used by many dynasties. Perched atop the mountain with expansive views, Hai Van Gate was very important to the frontier passage of Vietnam. It is free to enter and across the street are few open air restaurants catering to tourists.
About Hue
Founded as the seat of the Nguyen Dynasty in 1802, Hue served as the imperial heart of a unified Vietnam for over a century. This era of high Confucian culture and grand imperial construction eventually shattered during the mid-20th century, as the city became a brutal focal point of the Indochina Wars and the devastating 1968 Battle of Hue.
The city is split in two by the Perfume River, with the historic Citadel on the North Bank and the new city on the South Bank. We stayed at the Asia Hotel on the South Bank, where the city’s modern pulse, French colonial history, and vibrant nightlife converge. Having arrived in the late afternoon, we had a few hours to take a stroll before dinner.
Stroll the Banks of the Perfume River
Honestly, the sightseeing in the modern city of Hue didn’t knock my socks off. But the Perfume River with vibrantly painted dragon boats and Trang Tien Bridge that illuminates in shifting neon colors is brilliant, though not as magical as the Thu Bon River in Hoi An.
Places to Eat in Hue
The modern city did provide a variety of restaurants from bustling street stalls to trendy cafes that cater to a more contemporary palate. While I enjoyed authentic Vietnamese food at Madam Thu for dinner with our group, I was ready for something different by my fourth day in Vietnam. Dame Café serves a delightful avocado toast dish with tasty coffee in a crisp, yet cozy atmosphere.
Having spent the late afternoon and evening in the modern city of Hue, we spent the next morning cycling to historic destinations including the Tu Duc Tomb and the Hue Imperial City.
Cycling in Hue
Our cycling guide in Hue earned his pay! They say Hue is the calm and quiet city in Vietnam, but on the modern side, at least during rush hour, this was not our experience! We followed our tour leader, who frantically waved his arm high in the air to get drivers’ attention, right across oncoming traffic more than once.
Then at one point he turned to us and said, “Dismount. It is too dangerous to ride across this intersection.” Somehow, we made it through the busy city center unscathed and enjoyed a great ride through rolling hills with thinned traffic to Tu Duc Tomb situated 3 miles southwest of the city. Though I only had time for pictures on the way to the Imperial City.
Visit an Imperial Tomb
Tu Duc Tomb is one of many imperial tombs in Hue, though the longest reigning emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty designed his tomb as a summer escape, not just a cold monument. Tu Duc spent his vacation days composing poetry next to a lily pad lake in the shade of pine trees. The estate features several feng shui pavilions and a long stone wall that recounts his life’s story though no one knows his exact burial location to protect his resting place from grave robbers.
Tour the Hue Imperial Citadel
From Tu Duc Tomb, we rode our bikes through shaded alleyways, across a bridge, and along the Perfume River until we reached the Hue Imperial Citadel on the North Bank.
Constructed over nearly thirty years beginning in 1804, the Hue Citadel served as the sprawling administrative and spiritual epicenter of the Nguyen Dynasty for over a century. Its massive brick ramparts and deep moats were designed using a unique blend of traditional Vietnamese feng shui and French military architecture, creating a “city within a city” that protected the Emperor’s private Forbidden Purple City.
Though heavily scarred by the conflicts of the 20th century, particularly during the 1968 Tet Offensive, the site remains a resilient symbol of national identity and is now a meticulously restored UNESCO World Heritage site. The 520-acre complex features restored palaces like the Thai Hoa Throne Hall and spectacular gardens.
We were hardly in Hue for 24 hours before we arranged for a 13-hour overnight train ride to Hanoi with an additional four-hour drive to Mai Chau. If I were planning this fast-paced tour, I would likely skip Hue and spend more time in the lovely town of Mai Chau, nestled in a picturesque valley surrounded by karst mountains. To be continued…ETB
Published by