TOP PLACES TO VISIT IN HUE CITY
The city Hue lies in the center of Vietnam and has remained as the capital city for a considerable period of 143 years. There are a lot of places to visit in Hue as it is a hub of museums, tombs, rivers, and pass. At the time of the Vietnam War, the city which had to suffer badly was Hue. The Battle of Hue, known as the lengthiest and noxious battles, ruined many of the historic sites.Yet, this province in Vietnam rose from the ashes like a phoenix. It has a reputation of a more popular tourist destination in comparison to any other province or capital in Vietnam.
The Imperial City
Famously being one of Vietnam’s seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Imperial City of Hue has long been a must-see attraction for tourists visiting a hidden charm of Vietnam.
The Imperial City of Hue was actually a walled fortress and palace belonged to the ancient city of Hue which was a capital city of the Nguyen Dynasty for 140 years date back from 1805 until 1945.
The grandeur architecture was planned to be built in 1803 by Gia Long – an emperor who founded the Nguyen Dynasty. During 27 years from 1805 to 1832, the Imperial City of Hue was finally completed under the reign of Minh Mang, making it the most massive structure being built in the history of modern Vietnam involving thousands of workers, millions cubic meters of rock and huge volume of burden workload. It locates on the northern bank of Huong River, turning South with total land area of 520 ha. The place was made UNESCO Site in 1993 with the remained buildings being actively restored and preserved after the destruction from the Vietnam War.
The Imperial City of Hue has a circumference of 10 kilometers with the height of 6.6 meters and 21 meters thick with forts being meanderingly arranged, accompanied by cannons, artilleries and ammunitions. Initially the fortress was built solely by soil, only to be replaced by bricks afterward. Surrounding the city is the complicated canal system served not only as a protection but also as a waterway with nearly seven kilometers.
There are total of ten main majestic gates leading to the Imperial City of Hue, which can be divided into two main parts excluding houses and mansions: The Citadel and The Forbidden City. The former served to protect the important palaces inside while the latter was where the emperor and the royal family stayed as well as the court’s workplace. All the typically traditional Eastern architectures including majestic palaces, tombs and museums stand accordantly together to make an utmost amusing attraction right in the heart of Vietnam.
Thien Mu Pagoda
It is an iconic monument located at the background of the Hue City symbolizing the imperialism of the ancient city. One of the best places to visit in Hue, this seven-storied pagoda is an icon of traditional Vietnamese architecture. Even after being destructed a number of times, the charm and beauty of this place have not faded at all. It is still considered as a religious heritage and one can easily locate monks wandering here and there.
The Perfume River
Slowly making its way amidst Hue, the tranquilizing Perfume River gives a stark contrast to the hustle and bustle of the city life. The river is named after the tropical aromas which it attains from the rich flora and fauna. The river is fenced by historic monuments of the city and the cool breeze and flowing water help in creating an enchanting aura. One of the beautiful places to visit in Hue, people prefer spending time on the banks watching boats sailing on the water. While you can see joggers running by the banks in the morning, small shops and restaurants open up in the evenings. Families come here to spend some quality time while some musicians play lovely music.
The Emperor’s Tomb
The ancient city of Hue was the abode to the emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty which was one of the longest ruling emperors of this ancient city. One of the places to go in Hue, the tombs of these 7 rulers can be traced along the banks of Perfume River. It is said that Tu Duc, designed his own tomb, with a lake and a small island within it. However, the Emperor decided to be buried at some other place in a secret location which has never been revealed. This tomb was actually built before the death of Emperor.
The Thanh Toan Bridge
One of the main attractions of the ancient Hue city, this archetypal sumptuous footbridge is situated in the countryside. One of the beautiful places to visit in Hue, this bridge was constructed in the 18th century and consists of both Japanese and Chinese features. The core aim of this bridge is to unite the two villages. This bridge also becomes the point of congregation for the villagers thereby making it an adequate place to sit and observe the life, chat with the local people. This bridge is surrounded by lush greenery and some rice fields also.
Bach Ma National Park
A renowned national park is located at an elevation of 1450 meters at the Bach Ma Mountain. Because of the cool climate and lush greenery, the French folks constructed some 100 villas over here. This park is well known for its biodiversity and an assortment of habitats which makes it one of the most recommended places to visit in Hue. This park is bifurcated into sections: tropical evergreen monsoon forest which is located below the height of 900 meter and sub-tropical evergreen forest which is located at a height of above 900 meters. They consist of waterfalls, decomposing French Villas, hiking trails.
Hon Chen Temple
Hon Chen Temple is situated on a lovely slope of Ngoc Tran Mountain, 10km upstream from Hue Centre. The name “Ngoc Tran” means Pearl Bowl, originating from the bowl-shape of the mountain. That also gives the temple its name: Hon Chen.
However, others claim that the temple was originally called “Hoan Chen” (Return the Bowl). Legend has it that a turtle returned the pearl bowl that Emperor Minh Mang had dropped onto the river, when he visited the temple. Then, it was renamed as Hue Nam Temple (the temple that gives pleasure to the King of Vietnam) by Emperor Dong Khanh. This was in recognition of Thien Y A Na Mother Goddess’s help prior to Dong Khanh’s coronation.
