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Hue is a city in central Vietnam on the Perfume River, famous as the imperial capital of the Nguyen dynasty from 1802 to 1945. Its walled Imperial City and the royal tombs of Tu Duc, Minh Mang and Khai Dinh are protected together as the UNESCO-listed Complex of Hue Monuments, while the riverside Thien Mu Pagoda is the city's emblem.
The city still moves at a gentle pace. Dragon boats drift upriver to the pagodas, monks chant in pine-shaded monasteries such as Tu Hieu, and the cooking is distinct from the rest of the country: spicy bun bo Hue, delicate rice cakes and dishes once served at court. The citadel was heavily damaged in the 1968 battle of Hue, and restoration continues.
Give the Imperial City a full morning, spend another day on the tombs and pagodas by bike, car or boat, and add time for the countryside. Bach Ma National Park, the Tam Giang lagoon and Lang Co Beach all make rewarding trips.
The Imperial City of Hue is the walled citadel from which the Nguyen emperors ruled Vietnam from 1802 to 1945, now the heart of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Enter through the Ngo Mon Gate, see the Thai Hoa Palace throne hall and the Forbidden Purple City. Allow half a day.
Truong Tien Bridge is the steel bridge across the Perfume River in central Hue, dating from the end of the 19th century and rebuilt after storm and war damage. It links the citadel side with the south bank. Walk across in the evening, when its arches are lit in shifting colours.
Dong Ba Market is the biggest market in Hue, set on the north bank of the Perfume River beside Truong Tien Bridge. Stalls sell everything from fish and fruit to conical hats and fabric, and the food section is a good place to try bun bo Hue. Go in the morning, when trading is busiest.
The Thanh Toan Tile-Roofed Bridge is an 18th-century wooden footbridge with a tiled roof in a farming village a short ride east of Hue, a rare survivor of its kind. Villagers still rest on the benches along its sides, and cycling out through the rice fields is half the pleasure.
The Tomb of Tu Duc in Hue was built during the lifetime of the longest-reigning Nguyen emperor, who used it as a retreat for writing poetry. Pavilions sit on a lotus lake shaded by frangipani trees, while his true burial place was kept secret. It is the most romantic of the royal tombs.
The Tomb of Minh Mang, south of Hue, is laid out along a single axis through courtyards, gates and bridges over crescent lakes, and is admired for its harmony with the hills. It lies near the meeting of two rivers, and arriving by boat on the Perfume River is a fine way to come.
The Tomb of Khai Dinh, completed in the early 1930s on a steep hillside outside Hue, blends European and Vietnamese styles in grey concrete. Stone mandarins, elephants and horses guard the courtyard, and the inner hall glitters with mosaics of broken porcelain and glass. Expect many stairs.
The Tomb of Gia Long, resting place of the founder of the Nguyen dynasty, lies among pine-covered hills farther from Hue than the other royal tombs. Restoration is slowly reviving its weathered gates and courtyards. Few tour groups make the trip, so you may have it almost to yourself.
Thien Mu Pagoda is the active Buddhist temple on a hill above the Perfume River whose seven-storey octagonal Phuoc Duyen tower is a symbol of Hue. Monks still live here, and a garden building holds the car that carried the monk Thich Quang Duc to his self-immolation in Saigon in 1963.
Tu Hieu Pagoda is a 19th-century Buddhist monastery among pine woods and a half-moon pond in the hills south of Hue. Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh became a novice and spent his final years here, and pilgrims come from many countries. Visit quietly, and you may hear the monks chanting.
Hon Chen Temple is a shrine built into a forested slope on the Perfume River upstream from Hue, honouring the goddess Thien Y A Na, a figure of Cham origin later worshipped by the Vietnamese. It is easiest to reach by boat, and its colourful shrines draw pilgrims during spring and autumn festivals.
The Nam Giao Esplanade in southern Hue is the open-air altar where the Nguyen emperors performed rites to honour Heaven. It is made of three stacked terraces, two square and the top one round, set among pine trees. A revived version of the ceremony is sometimes staged during the Hue Festival.
The Perfume River flows slowly through the middle of Hue and links many of its sights, so a trip on a painted dragon boat is a relaxed way to reach Thien Mu Pagoda and the royal tombs upstream. In the evening, riverside parks fill with locals, and some boats offer traditional court music.
Bach Ma National Park, south of Hue, rises from lowland forest to a misty summit where the French once built a hill station, now in ruins. Trails lead to viewpoints, rock pools and the tall Do Quyen waterfall. Bring layers, as it is far cooler than the coast, and start early to beat the clouds.
Tam Giang Lagoon is the vast system of shallow lagoons between Hue and the sea, crisscrossed by bamboo fish traps and dotted with stilt houses and small boats. Sunset at the Chuon lagoon village is the classic way to see it, and boat trips let you watch fishermen at work.
Lang Co Beach is a long curve of pale sand south of Hue, at the foot of the Hai Van Pass, on a narrow spit between the sea and a calm lagoon framed by mountains. It makes a scenic stop on the road to Da Nang, with simple seafood restaurants on the lagoon side. The sea is calmest in summer.
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