Located on a narrow delta on the central coast, Hue is bordered by the mountains to the west and by the sea to the east. Hue teems with architectural masterpieces including citadels, royal palaces, mausoleums and pagodas of the Nguyen dynasties (17-19^th century) on the banks of the perfume river. It was among the first two sites in the country to achieve World Heritage status.

Hue is a 90-minute plane ride from either Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City and is a 3-hour car ride from Danang.

 

Places of interest

 

The Citadel

A small, self –contained city of about 5.2sq km with about 100 buildings within the massive stone walls. One side of the perfectly square fortress is edged by the river, the Forbidden City, the former living quarters of the Imperial family.

 

The Imperial Tombs

The Imperial tombs are one of the highlights of Hue, and are more like small palaces than burial grounds. These tombs were built unique extremely. Therefore, Tombs are not only death but also place for Emperor’s excursions. Almost was designed toward to southwest of ImperialCity, structure included two main parts: place of worship and rest lasting place. Besides, some tombs also had lotus pond, artificial mountains, flowers garden, and pines hill……becoming a harmonious architectural group with natural landscape.

 

Tomb of Emperor Minh Mang

It is on Cam Ke hill in An Bang village, is on the left bank of the PerfumeRiver 12km from Hue. Perhaps the most majestic of the Royal Tombs is that of Minh Mang, who ruled from 1820 to 1840. Known for the harmonious blending of its architecture with natural surroundings, the tomb was planned during Minh Mang’s lifetime. The 3m high enclosure includes a grand court with stone staircases leading to a two-tired terrace which in turn leads to the Square Pavilion and tone stele.   

 

Tomb of Emperor Tu Duc

This tomb is located in an area of rolling hills and pine trees 7km outside Hue. The tranquil grounds are filled with trees, ponds and pavilions where Tu Duc would write poetry. Emperor Tu Duc had his tomb built 16 years prior to his death and actually wrote his own biography prior to his death.

 

Tomb of Emperor Khai Dinh

Khai Dinh's was the last Mausoleum built during the Nguyen Dynasty, and is arguably the most beautiful of all the royal tombs. Situated on one of the ChauMountains, amidst pine, cassava and sugar cane, Khai Dinh's tomb is surrounded by natural beauty. Its architecture is a blend of East and West. It took eleven years to build and was completed in 1931.

 

Thien Mu Pagoda

Thien Mu pagoda (also known as Linh Mu Pagoda), built on a hillock overlooking the Perfume River, is one of the oldest religious structures in Hue and is also one of the most impressive of Vietnam. Its 21-metre-hign octagonal tower, seven storey Phuoc Duyen Stupa, was built by  Emperor Thieu Tri in 1844 and has become the unofficial symbol of Hue with each level dedicated to one of the various human forms taken by Buddha. In the 1930s and 1940s the Thien Mu Pagoda became an important meeting place for Buddhists. It is best to visit the pagoda by sampan as it sits on the banks of the PerfumeRiver.

 

Tu Dam Pagoda

Built by a Chinese monk on the north bank of the PerfumeRiver in 1683, Tu Dam Pagoda was a popular gathering point for Buddhists during the protests of the 1960s. In 1963, South Vietnam's President Diem ordered Catholic armed forces to fire on a group of Buddhists. Thirty monks and followers were shot. Though the pagoda has been damaged numerous times during Hue's turbulent past, many areas have been rebuilt.

 

Hue Museum of Antiquities

Built in 1845, the French converted this former temple into a library, and then a museum in 1923. The museum now houses a collection of hundreds of poems, decrees, and valuable relics salvaged from the ImperialCity. On display in the museums front courtyard are various Nguyen Dynasty statues, gongs, and bells.

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