To understand Hue in central Vietnam, it is important to note that this city has played an important role in Vietnamese history for the past hundreds of years. History is what makes Hue what it is: a new city on one side of the Huong River (romantically, though inaccurately, called the Perfume River), and a collection of ancient pagodas, imperial buildings, and tombs on the other.
And the past is how Hue makes a living today, which accounts for the aggressive cycle drivers, the many tour providers, and the crowds of tourists that roam this sleepy city in central Vietnam.
Hue past and present
Hue was the former feudal and imperial capital of Vietnam under the Nguyen emperors. Before the Nguyens, Hue belonged to the Hindu Cham people, who were later displaced by the Vietnamese as we know them today.
The book on the Nguyens was closed in Hue, as the last Emperor Bao Dai handed over the reins of power to Ho Chi Minh at the Noon Gate of the Purple Forbidden City on August 30, 1945.
This was not the end of Hue’s troubles, as the conflict between the communist north and the capitalist south (what we now call the Vietnam War) turned central Vietnam into disputed territory. The 1968 Tet offensive spurred the occupation of Hue in North Vietnam, which was countered by the forces of South Vietnam and the USA. In the resulting ‘Battle of Hue’, the city was destroyed and more than five thousand civilians were killed.
Years of reconstruction and rehabilitation have gone some way to restoring Hue to its former glory. Hue is currently the capital of the Binh Tri Thien province, with a population of 180,000.
The southern half of Hue is a quiet and bustling community filled with schools, government buildings, and charming old 19th-century homes and a scattering of temples. The northern half is dominated by the imperial citadel and the Forbidden Purple City (or what remains of it); Around the Dong Ba market, next to the citadel, shopping areas have sprung up.
Visiting the citadel of Hue
As a former imperial capital, Hue is notable for its many royal structures, which have earned the city international recognition as Vietnam’s first UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 1993. (Read about 10 World Heritage Sites from the UNESCO in Southeast Asia).
Hue’s high-ranking royal relic is the Forbidden Purple City , the home of the Nguyen Emperors until 1945. From the early 1800s until Bao Dai’s abdication in 1945, the Forbidden Purple City, enclosed by the high-walled Citadel , was the center of Vietnamese governance and politics. (For a look inside, read our Hue Citadel, Hue, Vietnam walking tour.)
The Citadel is approximately 520 hectares in size; Its high stone walls and the Forbidden Purple City behind them, once hermetically sealed against outsiders, are now open to the public.
There are many open spaces inside the Citadel where the imperial buildings used to be. Most of these were destroyed during the Tet Offensive, but a continual renovation program promises to restore the Citadel’s former glory.
The treasures of the Nguyen dynasty, or some of them, can be seen in the Museum of Royal Fine Arts , a wooden palace located in the citadel, in the area called Tay Loc Ward.
You’ll find exhibits showing everyday items from the Forbidden Purple City in its heyday: gongs, sedan chairs, clothing, and utensils. Finely crafted bronze, porcelain tableware, ceremonial weaponry, and court gala show visitors just how extraordinary a Nguyen courtier’s “ordinary” day could be.
The building itself dates from 1845 and stands out for its unique architecture: a traditional type called trung thiem diep oc (“successive sloping roofs”) supported by 128 pillars. The walls are inscribed with brushed letters in traditional Vietnamese script.
The Museum of Royal Fine Arts is located in the Citadel at 3 Le Truc Street; Hours of operation are from 6:30 am to 5:30 pm, Tuesday through Sunday.
Mysterious Royal Tombs of Hue
Imperial buildings, in keeping with the Chinese-inspired tradition, were designed to comply with the principles of feng shui. These buildings contained elements that were intended to maximize the structure’s auspicious position with the universe.
This adherence to ancient principles can be seen most clearly in the imperial tombs around Hue , all of which have common elements derived from feng shui. (Read our list of the top royal tombs in Hue, Vietnam.)
Of the seven known imperial tombs around Hue, three are significantly more popular compared to the rest, due to their relative good condition and easy access: these are the tombs of Minh Mang , Tu Duc, and Khai Dinh .
Hue Elevated Pagoda, Thien Mu
One of the oldest historical sites in Hue, predating the Citadel and tombs in age and veneration, is the Thien Mu Pagoda , a hilltop temple located about three miles from downtown Hue. . (Read our article on Thien Mu Pagoda).
Thien Mu overlooks the north bank of the Perfume River. It was established by a Hue governor in 1601 to fulfill a local legend: the pagoda’s name (which translates to “Heavenly Lady”) refers to the ghostly lady from history.
The seven-story tower of Thien Mu is one of the newest buildings in the pagoda: it was added in 1844 by Emperor Nguyen Thieu Tri.
Hue’s Garden Houses
Hue’s history as a center of imperial power is closely related to the stories of the area’s prominent families, most of whom built ornate houses in the city.
Despite the departure of the emperors, some of the garden houses remain standing today, maintained by the descendants of the mandarins or nobles who built them. Among these houses are Lac Tinh Vien at 65 Phan Dinh Phung St., Princess Ngoc Son at 29 Nguyen Chi Thanh St., and Y Thao at 3 Thach Han St.
Each garden house has an area of approximately 2,400 square yards. Like royal tombs, garden houses have several aspects in common: a tiled door in front of the house, a lush garden surrounding the house, commonly laid out with a small rock garden; and a traditional house.
Get to Hue by plane, bus or train
Hue is almost equidistant from the extreme north and south of Vietnam, about 400 miles north of the city of Ho Chà Minh (Saigon) and about 335 miles south of Hanoi. Hue can be reached from any direction by plane, bus or train.
Travel to Hue by plane. Hue’s Phu Bai “International” Airport (IATA: HUI) is about eight miles from Hue city center (about half an hour by taxi), and handles daily flights to and from Saigon and Noi Bai Hanoi Airport. . Flights can be affected by bad weather.
The average taxi fares from the airport to the city center is about $ 8. Returning to the airport from the city center, you can travel in the Vietnam Airlines minibus, which leaves from the airlines offices. at 12 Hanoi Street a couple of hours before the scheduled flight.
Travel to Hue by bus. Hue is connected to major cities in Vietnam by a well-traveled public bus network, buses entering Hue from southern destinations such as Hoi An and Da Nang end at An Cuu Station, which is about two miles to the southeast. from downtown Hue. Buses from Hanoi and other northern areas end at An Hoa Station, about three miles northwest of downtown Hue.
The Hanoi to Hue bus route is a 16-hour journey, which takes place at night. Buses leave Hanoi at 7pm and arrive in Hue at 9am the next morning. Buses traveling the southern route between Hoi An or Da Nang take a maximum of 6 hours to complete the trip.
The ‘open loop’ bus system is another popular alternative on land. Open tour bus services allow tourists to stop at any point along the way, but require you to confirm your next trip 24 hours before traveling. The open tour system allows great flexibility for tourists who want to travel at their own pace.
Travel to Hue by train. The “Reunification Express” stops in Hue, making several trips a day between Hanoi, Danang and Ho Chi Minh City. (more info here: Vietnam Railway Corporation – off site) Hue Train Station is at the southwestern end of Le Loi Road, at 2 Bui Thi Xuan Street, about 15 minutes from the city center.
The most comfortable trip to Hue has to be the first class sleeper Livitrans from Hanoi. Livitrans is a private company that operates a separate car connected to certain train lines. Livitrans tickets are 50% more expensive than comparable first-class berths on the regular line, but offer more comfort.
Tourists in the Livitrans car cruise the 420-mile Hanoi-Hue route in style: comfortable air-conditioned bunks, clean sheets, electrical outlets, and breathless mints (though little to no food). A one-way Economy class ticket from Hanoi to Hue on Livitrans costs $ 55 (compared to around $ 33 for the regular soft sleeper).
Getting around Hue
Cycles, motorcycle taxis, and regular taxis are easy to find in Hue.
Cyclos and motorcycle taxis (xe om) can be quite aggressive and will annoy you in business, whether you ignore them or give in and pay. Cyclos / xe om prices vary, but a reasonable price is about VND 8,000 for every mile in a motorcycle taxi – negotiate down for longer trips. Pay around VND 5,000 for every ten minutes in a cycle, or less if you reserve more time.
Bike Rentals – Bikes can be rented from most big-name guesthouses at a price of around $ 2 a day. If you’re more ambitious, you can sign up for a Hue bike tour with Tien Bicycles (Tien Bicycles, official site, off-site).
Dragon boats: Boat rides on the Perfume River can be arranged for around $ 10 per boat for a half-day trip. A boat can carry eight people. You can also join a full-day trip for around $ 3 per person, available at most tourist cafes in the city. The boat dock is at 5 Le Loi St., next to the floating restaurant.
Read about how to visit the royal tombs in Hue, Vietnam.
Hue Hotels – Where to stay while in Hue
Hue has no shortage of budget backpacker hotels, comfortable mid-range hotels, and a couple of luxury hotels. Most of the cheapest places are centered around Pham Ngu Lao and the adjacent streets, which represent the backpacker section of the city. There are also more hotels available at the eastern end of rue Le Loi.
Choose one of Hue’s luxury hotels if you want to sleep in a bit of history; at least two of the hotels listed below once served as residences to occupy French officials during the colonial period.
- Compare Hotel Prices in Hue, Vietnam using TripAdvisor
Best times to visit Hue
Hue is in a tropical monsoon area, experiencing the most rainfall in the country. Hue’s rainy season occurs between the months of September and January; The heaviest rain falls in the month of November. Visitors get Hue at its best between March and April.
