Overview:

Hue Imperial city was the capital of the Nguyen Dynasty, so it is considered one of the typical cities with the longest history and culture in Vietnam. Hue city with The Perfume River attract tourists not only by cultural heritage but also by poignant people and charming natural landscapes.

Where is Hue city – The Perfume River city ?

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/LCB99ns88XgESgEd8

Latitude: 16°28′00″N | Longitude: 107°34′45″E |  Total area: 72 sq km

How far from other cities in Vietnam

Danang

It’s only around 100 kilometers (62.5 miles) from Da Nang to Hue and it’s a journey that will take you through scenic mountains.

Hanoi

Travel distance from Hanoi to Hue in Vietnam is about 700 km by land.

Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon

Distance between Hue and Ho Chi Minh City is 636 kilometers (395 miles). Driving distance from Hue to Ho Chi Minh City is 932 kilometers (579 miles).

How to Go to Hue Citadel

From Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City

You can travel with many vehicles such as airplane, train, sleeping-bus. The best and fastest way how to get from Hanoi or Saigon to Hue is to use a direct flight, it takes only more than 1 hour by plane and flights are sometimes very cheap.

From Danang

You can take a daily bus, public bus or also a daily tour from Danang. There is railway between Hue city and Danang city also. Highly recommend a Private tour to Hue from Danang.

Introduction of the Perfume river

Huong River, also known in English as Perfume river is located in Hue city and considered as one of the most famous rivers in Vietnam as its beauty has been mentioned by innumerable writers and poets. The Perfume River is the symbol of Hue imperial city along with the Ngu Binh mountain that oversees it. A trip to the Imperial cityHue isn’t complete without appreciating the splendor of the Perfume River.

The name of the Perfume river

The Huong river runs through a forest that carries the flagrant odor of herbs, therefore the river is said to be sweet-scented. People in the city simply name the river after “Perfume” (Vietnamese: Huong) to describe the aromatic smell of the river.

Facts about the Perfume river

Those who have been to Hue city know that the Perfume river splits the city into two parts, the Northern and the Southern part. Nevertheless, the river stretches further, even to the ocean. The Perfume river has a length of 80 kilometers.

The Perfume river has two main creeks, originating from the Truong Son mountain. The “Ta Trach” creek starts from Dong Dai, running through 55 small and big waterfalls to Bang Lang fork. The other creek is known as “Huu Trach” running through 14 waterfalls and joined the Ta Trach creek at the fork.

The Perfume River runs through Hue city and various villages and then reaches its final destination, which is the ocean. Even though it is a faithful friend of Hue’s people, the river can sometimes turn her back on her friends during the flood season, causing a lot of damage to those who live close to the river. The water of the river is blue all year round but turns brown during the flood season.

Trang Tien Bridge

Trang Tien Bridge is undoubtedly the most well-known bridge of the city of Hue, Vietnam. With a long history and a unique architecture, the bridge has been an inspiration for scores of novels and poems that are recited nationwide. Trang Tien Bridge is also known as Thanh Thai bridge, Truong Tien bridge, Clemenceau bridge, etc. The northern head of the bridge is located in Phu Hoa district and the southern head is located in Phu Hoi district.

Things to do in Hue city

The Citadel

Like many of Hue’s historic sites, Hue Citadel is hardly ancient—construction of what you can see today first began in 1805, under the rule of Gia Long Emperor, the first of 13 Nguyen Emperors. The Citadel has been ravaged by war, looting and age, but remains a fascinating attraction well worth a half day of your time.
While generally referred to in tourism literature as “The Imperial Citadel”, much like a Matryoshka (Russian) doll, The citadel is actually three cities integrated together but divided into 3 classes. The all encompassing city is the Citadel, with its imposing brick walls forming a perimeter of almost 10km. Off centre within the Citadel lies the moat-enclosed Imperial City with the circumference of the moat coming in at around the 2.5km mark. At the centre of the Imperial City lies the Purple Forbidden City whose walled perimeter is around 1.3km in length.

7 Must-Visit Royal Tombs in Hue, Vietnam

There are seven known royal tombs in Hue, six to the southeast of the Hue Citadel on the other side of the Perfume River and a single tomb on the same side. Of these seven tombs, three are significantly more popular compared to the rest, due to their relative good condition and better accessibility. These are the tombs of Minh Mang, Tu Duc, and Khai Dinh.

Minh Mang Royal Tomb

Address: QL49, Huong Tho, Huong Tra, Thua Thien Hue, Vietnam
Date of Construction: 1841-1843
Distance from Hue City Center: 7 miles downriver from Hue city
Admission Fee: VND 150,000  for adults.

Tu Duc Royal Tomb

Address: 17/69 Le Ngo Cat, Thuy Xuan, Hue city, Thua Thien Hue, Vietnam
Date of Construction: 1864-1867
Distance from Hue City Center: 4 miles downriver from Hue city
Admission Fee: VND 150,000 for adults

Khai Dinh Royal Tomb

Address: Khai Dinh, Hue city, Thua Thien Hue, Vietnam
Date of Construction: 1920-1931
Distance from Hue City Center: 6 miles downriver from Hue
Admission Fee: VND 150,000 for adults,

Thien Mu Pagoda

The Thien Mu Pagoda (also called the Linh Mu Pagoda) is a historic pagoda on the banks of the Perfume River in Vietnam’s historic city of Hue. Apart from their scenic riverside and hilltop location, the Thien Mu Pagoda and its environs are also rich in history, standing witness to almost four hundred years of tumultuous nation-building and religious belief in Vietnam.

Doing the DMZ from Hue

One of the more popular long day tours to do from Hue is a DMZ tour, which takes in some of the historic battlefield sites related to the Vietnam War.

Hue city Food And Cuisine

Tourists often come to Hue and visit local restaurants which serve specialities. They find a restaurant not only because of the hunger after the excursion, visiting the scenic and historic places in Hue, but more interesting, they come to learn the culture of this place through the art of food processing and culinary philosophy.

Com Hen – Tiny Mussel Rice

The first of the best Hue food to eat I would like to introduce in this article is the tiny mussel rice dish – a very famous food to eat in Hue that tourists should never miss! You are able to try it when you visit the beautiful sceneries everywhere: along the Perfume river, Thien Mu Pagoda, or go to visit Vy Da river, the Citadel, or visit the tombs of Minh Mang, Tu Duc …

Ingredients: Tiny mussel, Mint leaves, Pennywort, Coriander, Basil, Julienned banana flower, White sesame, peanuts (roasted), Dried pig’s skin, Hue’s penicilated shrimp, Rice, Fresh bean sprouts, Sour starfruit, Milled chili, ginger, salt, MSG, fish sauce.

Bun Bo Hue – Hue Beef Vermicelli

Hue beef vermicelli (“bun bo Hue” in Vietnamese) is the soul of Hue cuisine. The fame and delicious taste of this dish makes no discussion as it is on the list of the top 50 most delicious dishes in the world. Hue beef vermicelli contains a piece of pig’s leg, a piece of beef pie, a small piece of boiled pig’s blood, and of course a few thin slices of beef. The fresh herbals to serve with Hue beef vermicelli are also very fresh and plentiful.

Ingredients: Pig’s tale bone, Pig’s leg, Beef, Big-size vermicelli, Large onion, lemongrass, Lemon, fresh chilli, chilli powder, Penicilated shrimp paste, Brown cashew coloring powder, Fish sauce, salt, lard (cooking oil), Julienned banana flower, fresh bean sprout, scallion, coriander.

Banh Bot Loc – Starch Cake

Hue starch cake is very picky and meticulous in choosing ingredients, cooking process, and also the shape of the cakes. In the Hue ancient palace in the past, this cake was shaped in the form of bullion, wrapped in fresh banana leaves. Chestnut starch cake is small yet has unique taste. Hue chestnut starch is tough with the fragrance of chestnut starch, fleshy stuffing made from shrimp and milled pork meat, sweet and salty shrimp rousing, fatty and aromatic cooking oil with scallion, and Hue’s style sweet and sour dipping sauce.

Ingredients: Chestnut starch, Fresh shrimp, Chopped or milled pork meat, Spices: salt, sugar, MSG, pepper, cashew oil, fish sauce, rice vinegar, Fresh banana leaves, scallion, fresh chilli, Cooking oil, clean water.