ONCE UPON A TIME TRAVEL IN … HUÉ (VIETNAM)

Our travel experience to the imperial city of Hué was a surprising one.  We had only planned a day and half there, but we wouldn’t have minded staying a little longer.  From what I gather, you’ll either love or hate the city of Hué.  That’s why people recommend either not going at all or just spending a day there.  

In my opinion, you really ought to go there, even if it’s just for one day.  The city of Hué is a scenic and a lot calmer place than the other places we visited during our travel through Vietnam.  It is also rich in history and is a survivalist, having been at the epicenter of the American War (Vietnam War).

A BRIEF HISTORY

Referred to as the Imperial City in Vietnam, the city of Hué was the stronghold of the last Vietnamese dynasty.

In fact, it was the capital of the Nguyen Dynasty from 1802 to 1945.  During that period, a citadel was built and completed in 1833.  It has a 10km circumference.

For these reasons alone, the city of Hué was listed a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993.

Colonialism and War

During the French colonial period in Vietnam (1887-1947), the city of Hué remained the seat of the Imperial Palace until 1945.  It was during that time that, Bao Dai, Vietnam’s last Emperor abdicated. The Democratic Republic of Vietnam was then established, making Hanoi its capital.

However, Bao Dai was nonetheless proclaimed Head of the State of Vietnam and made Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) its capital.  It is believed that he is the one who coined the name Vietnam, in 1945.

Unfortunately, the city of Hué was also the battleground during the longest and bloodiest battles of the American War (Vietnam War).  During the Tet Offensive in 1968, Hué suffered considerable damage not only to its physical features, but its reputation as well, due to a combination of the American military bombing of historic buildings held by the North Vietnamese, and the massacre at Hué committed by the Viet Cong forces.  (source Wikipedia).

Oddly enough, this massacre was never referred to nor mentioned during our visit of the Vietnam National History Museum in Hanoi nor in the Remants of War Museum in Ho Chi Minh City.

HOW TO GET THERE & AROUND

The city of Hué is located in central Vietnam on the Perfume River banks, only 8km off the coast of the South China Sea.  It’s literally where North meets South. Hué is about 700km away from Hanoi and 1100km from Ho Chi Minh City.

The closest airport to Hué is located 14km South of the city.

You can use 12GOASIA to find out which route will work best for you, your budget and your schedule. It’s a great Site to use to organize your trip, anywhere in Asia. 

By Train

Our travel to Hué was done with an overnight train from Ninh Binh.  It was an 11-hour train ride and believe it or not it went fast.  That’s probably because I was sick all night and not because of the rocky shaking of the train.  Yes, I managed to get food poisoning just before hopping on an overnight train!  Honestly, it wouldn’t be real travel for me if something ‘adventurous’ didn’t happen during a trip.  Therefore, that was it!

We rode in a first class, 4-person sleeper cabin with amenities such as FREE Wifi, beer, soda, pastries and a comfortable bed.  The cost was 100$CAD per person. It might sound expensive, but honestly it was worth the expense for the comfort.  Besides, I was traveling with my 76-year-old mother, so slumming it in second class or cramming ourselves onto a bus was not really an option.  Little tip: if you can, sleep on the bottom bunk.  It’s more comfortable and accessible, especially if you need to get up often during the night.

Another advantage of riding 1^st class, is having access to a lounge at the train station that is way more comfortable than the standard one.  There is also someone actually telling you where you need to go, when to go and which wagon is yours.

One thing you need to know though is that the train stops all the time.  Therefore, make sure to set an alarm so as not to miss your scheduled stop.  Luckily ours was at 9:30 am, so we were already up.   

Hué train station

Hué’s train station is small but its façade is so charming. In fact, it was constructed in 1902 during the French colonial era.  Amazingly, the building survived the Battle of Hué during the American War relatively unharmed, which can’t be said for the Imperial Citadel.

If you arrive by train, this station will set the tone for what you’ll be seeing in Hué in terms of its past and its architecture.

Upon your arrival, be prepared to be greeted by a heard of taxis.  Make sure that they either have a meter and keep your eye on it OR negotiate a price.  If you are staying where most major hotels are, a cab ride should cost around 100 000VND (give or take).  As always, make sure to have the exact change or close enough for the cab ride, if you don’t want to get scammed.

By Private Car

Another option you can use to travel to and from Hué is by private car.  We booked a private car to take us from Hué to Hoi An with DAYTRIP at the cost of 110 Euros for my mom and me, including 3 scheduled sightseeing stops, all of our luggage, bottled water and gratuity. 

However, the entrance fees to the different sites are not included in the price.  This is a great way to travel in comfort and at your own rhythm.  If you decide beforehand that you want to do some sightseeing along the way, you can decide how long you want to allow yourself at each stop.

Getting Around

If you are staying where most hotels are, you’ll get around on foot to get to restaurants, bars, the citadel, and imperial city.  To access the other major sites you’ll need either a taxi, a private car, a motorbike or to go through a tour guide.

Compared to other cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, walking around Hué will seem like a walk in the park!  That doesn’t mean however that you shouldn’t be careful though.

Tuk Tuks can be found outside the citadel’s walls but cost a lot more than they do in Hanoi.  If you are in the mood to waste time negotiating, you can probably lower the price by 75%.  Tuk Tuks can be a fun way to discover Hué and its hidden gems, especially if you are traveling with kids.

WHERE WE STAYED

We stayed at the Orchid Hotel in Hué, about a 30-minute walk from the Imperial city and citadel.  The hotel is located on a relatively quiet street, not far from good restaurants and karaoke bars. 

If you let them know ahead of time your arrival time, your room can be ready before the scheduled check in time. Luckily, our room was ready by 10:30, which was perfect, especially after spending the night in the train’s bathroom.  All and all, the service is great, the staff is super helpful and accommodating.  The rooms are really spacious with all the necessary amenities.  Last but not least, the breakfast was very good, and they’ll actually make something for you to go along with the buffet service.

Upon your arrival and while you wait for your room to be ready, you can organize some excursion through the front desk.

WHERE WE ATE

As you might recall, I got food poisoning on my way down to Hué from Ninh Binh.  Therefore, eating wasn’t on my top priority while we were in Hué.  However, we did enjoy a nice Banh Mi sandwich in a French-style restaurant close to our hotel.  If it hadn’t been for my messy stomach, I would have tried something else, but I decided to stick to a sandwich and some much-needed French fries.  Bistro La Carambole is located close to where all the bars and restaurants are in the ‘New’ city and housed in a cute European style building.  The service was great.

WHAT TO SEE WHEN YOU TRAVEL TO HUÉ

There are plenty of things to keep yourself busy in and around Hué.  As we only had a day and half there, we didn’t see everything but have no regrets on what we did see.  An extra day or two would have been great for some day trips from Hué.

In order to access all of the places listed below, aside from the Citadel, you’ll have to grab a cab, hire a private chauffeur, rent a motorbike or bicycle or go on an organized tour.

Royal Tombs

There are 6 royal tomb monuments around Hué dedicated to 9 of the 13 rulers of the Nguyen Dynasty.  Most of them were built during the emperor’s lifetime.  Just like for temples, proper clothing etiquette should be respected.  This means, no shorts or tank tops.

The following are the two tombs that we visited during our travel to Hué.

Mausoleum of Emperor Khai Dinh (1h)

Khai Dinh was the 12^th emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty.  His mausoleum was built in 1920 and took 11 years to complete.  Despite being smaller than the other tombs, it is seen as the most outstanding one.  This is due in part to the use of modern components such as concrete, slate and wrought iron and the fusion of diversified architectural styles.

In fact, Khai Dinh was a revolutionist in art and architecture. He is remembered for his style of blending together eastern and western architecture.  A lot of examples of his work can be found within the Citadel.  As such, he imported many materials from countries such as Japan and France for his tomb.

The interior of the mausoleum looks like a mosaic rainbow exploded.  Whereas, the exterior is all dark, and almost somber.  The rainbow room is where he is buried, 18 meters under.

In front of the palace, there is a concrete stele monument with stone statues representing the King’s bodyguards, mandarins, elephants, and horses.

The 127 steps leading up to the front court are guarded by dragons.  If you pay close attention to the eyes of the dragons, you will notice a stone or gem.  At times, it just looked black but pending on the light it looked green.  Could it be jade?

Access

It is about a 20-minute drive outside of Hué and the entrance fee is 150 000VND.  As it’s just steps and all uphill, it isn’t accessible to strollers or wheelchairs.

We visited this tomb as part of our first stop with our private chauffeur from DAYTRIP during our journey from Hué to Hoi An.

The tomb of Tu Duc (1h30-2h)

This place is absolutely gorgeous.  We were there in the afternoon around 3pm and few people were around.  If you can, grab a guide at the entrance or discover on your own.  The entry fee is 150 000VND.

Before the passing of Emperor Tu Duc (4^th Emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty), the buildings on the grounds were used as his secondary residence.  Construction began in 1864 and lasted 6 years with over 100 000 people working day and night to accomplish this spectacular result.

Weird fact:  The Emperor is not buried there. The actual place where his remains are buried along with its treasure remains unknown.  In order not to have ill-intentioned people try to find out where he was buried and spoil his grave, the 200 grave diggers were beheaded.  What a ‘leave no witnesses’ moment.

Citadel and Imperial City (3 hours +)

This 19th-century citadel is a major attraction in Hué and encompasses the Imperial City, with palaces and shrines.  Starting in 1805 and until the passing of Khai Dinh, the architecture style kept evolving with western influence.  This was partly due to the fact that many emperors went and studied in Europe.  The Emperor Khai Dinh is remembered for sponsoring many ornate palaces and as a revolutionist in art and architecture. Below are some of his famous East-West “fusion” works within the citadel.

Ravaged by the wars in 1948 and 1968, a lot of the Citadel and Imperial city was destroyed. Nowadays, restoration and reconstruction are finally underway to bring it back to its former glory.

Some notable buildings

The main gate, Noon gate, was built in 1833 and is now fully restored. There are 5 entrances inside the Noon gate.  The opening at the center was for the Emperor and on either side of it was for soldiers and civilians.  Then, on the left and right wings, there was an entrance for horses and elephants! I took a peek to see what kind of opening was needed for an elephant and I can confirm that an elephant could pass. On top of the Noon gate, there is a pavilion that was used for ceremonies by the Emperor.

The Citadel was divided into quarters with places for worship, residence, internal affairs, royal gardens, and the forbidden purple city.

Thai Hoa Palace was the most important building used to celebrate royal occasions. In terms of architecture, there is an upper and lower roof with dragon, sun and moon symbols.  Chinese poems are carved in the columns for peace and prosperity.

The library is quite exquisite as are all the various gates and temples you’ll come across.

Island tigers guard the Citadel on either side of it on the Perfume River.  They are referred to as the blue and white tiger.

Access

The entry fee is 200 000VND, but if you plan to visit some tombs as well you can buy a combo deal and save some money.

The Citadel is fairly accessible to everyone, but make sure to bring a hat, sunglasses and plenty of water.  There are a lot of grounds to cover, not a whole lot of shade, but plenty of seating.  It’s best to go there early in the morning to beat the crowds (before 10 am) and when the temperatures are cooler.

Perfume river

The Perfume river was given its name over 100 years ago. It is due to the scent of flowers that dropped in the water from upriver orchards. As the strong floral scent was carried through the river during autumnal months, it resulted in locals naming it as Perfume River. (Wikipedia)

To enjoy the river, you can take a dragon boat cruise.  Ours was expensive, 10$ per person for 1 hour and a drop off in front of the Citadel.  If that wasn’t bad enough, they try to constantly sell you something on the boat which becomes really annoying quickly.  However, we booked through our hotel and were the only ones on the boat.

Our boat took off at 8am and it was great to see people going about their morning routines on the river.  It wasn’t uncommon so early in the morning seeing people doing their laundry or even brushing their teeth.  Also, the mixture of old and new architecture and poor and rich along the riverbanks is astounding.

If you don’t have a lot of time, don’t take the cruise, unless it is taking you to different places to visit.  One advantage of taking the cruise is that you don’t have to walk and if you have kids, it can be a relaxing time for everyone.

Thien Mu Pagoda

The Pagoda of the Celestial Lady (Thien Mu) is a historic temple and the unofficial symbol of the city of Huế. The pagoda sits on top of a hill facing towards the northern bank of the Perfume River.

It is located around 5 kilometres away from the Citadel and is FREE to get in.

If you arrive around 4pm, you can listen in to the monk service which is actually pretty intriguing.

There are a lot of steep steps that lead to the Pagoda.  However, if you go up on the right-hand side of the entrance to the pagoda up the ‘road’ it will be less tiresome than climbing up those stairs and less crowded.

We went there as a scheduled stop with our private chauffeur we had that afternoon that cost us 40$CAD for 2 people for 4 stops.  One of them was the Tomb of Tu Duc, this Pagoda and the following two places of visit.

Abandoned Water Park (2 hours)

What?   Let me reassure you that you read that right.

This short-lived waterpark built in 2004 for about $3 million dollars has now become an unofficial must-see destination for anyone who likes to go off the beaten path.

Despite being officially closed to the public, if say you encounter a guard and drop a 50 000VND bill (for 2), you should be able to access it.

So why on earth should you bother going?

I took my 76-year-old mom there, and despite being skeptical, she thought it was pretty cool once we were there.

If you have kids and want to let them run around without the fear of them being run over this is a good place as any and it is QUIET. Going there is almost like going to Jurassic Park after it got run down by the T-Rex, but on a much smaller scale.  Of course, you need to be careful, walk on the paths only and inside the abandoned building watch out for broken class.

It’s just something different to do, especially if you are fed up of seeing temples and pagodas.  Sometimes, you just have to mix it up.  I recommend putting this on your list of things to see if you have the time.  You’ll need to rend a motorbike or grab a taxi to get there.  Just ask your hotel concierge to organize the trip for you.  It’s about a 20-minute ride from the Citadel.

Thuy Xuan village (30 minutes)

This village is located near the tomb of Tu Duc and is where they make the conical hat and incense.  For centuries this village has been functioning as such and has been covering the altars of the entire country with their incense.

Do you know how incense is made?

Cinnamon paste is first rolled onto a colored stick and then it is rolled into the spice of your choice.  So simple!

As you go through Vietnam, you will notice people meditating or praying inside temples.  In Hanoi, they even do so on the sidewalks.  You can do it anywhere.  The custom is that you have to burn 3 incense before you begin your prayer. When finished you just burn 1.  The incense supposedly creates a bridge between here and the afterworld.

One package of incense cost around 150 000VND.

What’s with the conical hat?

This hat originally comes from Hué. It is meant to protect you from the sun when you work in the fields. You can also wear this hat while going about your day.  It is not a tourist gimmick even if, I for one, we love buying them.  A real hat will show in the light Hué’s symbols inside of it such as Thien Mu Pagoda.

It takes one day to make one.   They first have to bend the bamboo for the frame. Then the next day they cover it up and use a silk thread to saw it together.

It costs between 100 000VND to 300 000 VND depending on the size, the style and your negotiation skills.

FUN TIP:  Hué is the best place to buy the incense and the conical hats. They also make nice souvenirs to bring home.

Colonial buildings

Hué has a rich history. Therefore, you’ll be impressed by its amazing collection of colonial French architecture when you travel to Hué. Most of it can be found across from the Citadel.

I mentioned the train station before, but you also have a High School, a hotel and a bridge to name a few.  If you just walk along the main avenue along the Perfume River banks, you’ll easily spot them.

Gustave Eiffel designed the Truong Tien bridge that links the imperial city to Hué’s. colonialist past.

DAY TRIPS

As I said before, we didn’t have a whole lot of time in Hué.  So, we didn’t do any day trips.

If you are into history as I am, there is a day trip you can take to the demilitarized zone (DMZ), North of Hué.  You have to take a private guide to go there as you cannot go on your own.  There isn’t much left to see there, but with a guide, he’ll be able to put everything into context. At least, that’s what I read.  It will be a long day trip, leaving at 7 am and returning at 5 pm.  However, the town of Dong Ha is closer than Hué to the DMZ.  So maybe, you might want to overnight it.

Another day trip you can do is to Bach Ma National Park, if you want to do some hiking. Of course, another option is to go to Thuan An beach.

Finally, our day trip was a one-way one as we left Hué, did some sightseeing along the way and finished in Hoi An.

From Hué to Hoi An it is about a 3 to 4-hour drive one way. It is not worth doing as a roundtrip in 1 day.  You must spend at least 1 night in Hué or Hoi An to really enjoy it.