Hue has long been famous not only for its colorful Hue Festival events but also for its natural scenery and people here. With countless landmarks associated with history length, Hue city has attracted a large number of tourists visiting the country. Referring to Hue, people will immediately think of the unique royal architecture and Hue is often a little sad. But Hue is not as boring as we think it is because there are many interesting places to eat and drink waiting for you to come there. If possible, you should spend at least once in your life visiting Hue.
1. THE MOST INTACT PALACE
If you have ever been to Hoa Lu ancient capital (Ninh Binh), Co Loa, Thang Long (Ha Noi), which used to be the capital of Vietnam and now become a ruin, you will see the ancient relics of Hue still remains preserved in its entirety. With palaces, strongholds, temples, tombs, pagodas and many gardeners with a few hundred years of age, the ancient capital of Hue has a peaceful and quiet beauty.
Visitors to Hue will admire the masterpieces of golden palaces, magnificent temples and shrines, solemn mausoleums, taciturn landscapes. Besides, Hue is bustling, is an attractive feature when looking for a peaceful place but not too sad.
Hue Citadel was built under King Gia Long and Minh Mang, located in the north of Huong River, facing the south. Hue Citadel is a unique combination of traditional Vietnamese architectural principles, Eastern philosophical ideology, the theory of Yin – Yang and Five Elements and influences of Western military architecture.
2. THE MOST UNIQUE TOMB OF KING
Tombs of the Nguyen Dynasty obeyed the principles of Feng Shui: rivers, mountains, ponds, lakes, streams. The layout of the tomb is divided into two main parts. The tomb area where the king’s remains are buried, the other area is the place to build many temples, electricity, upstairs, communal house, etc. so that the king, when he was still alive, sometimes left the palace to enter here to entertain. Therefore, each mausoleum of Hue is not only a historical and cultural relic but also a landscape, a unique architectural art among Hue ancient capital.
Tour Reference: Hue Classic Tour 1 Day (Imperial Citadel, Minh Mang Tomb, Khai Dinh Tomb, Thien Mu Pagoda)
3. THE MOST VALUABLE ROYAL ANTIQUES IS ALWAYS STORED
Located in the Citadel, Hue Royal Antiquities of Museum was established in 1923, with the first name being Musee Khai Dinh. After that, it was renamed five times and in 1993, was renamed the Hue Museum of Royal Antiquities. At this museum, you will admire and learn about thousands of artifacts including ceramics, wood, copper, vitreous enamel, stone, bone, ivory, horn, stone sculpture… displayed here.
4. SUCCESSFULLY RESTORE SOME SPECIAL ROYAL FESTIVALS
Imperial court festivals in Hue used to be national festivals organized and conducted by the government. There are dozens of different festivals, big and small, celebrated every year in the ancient capital land. They were strictly and seriously regulated by the government, even recorded as a charter. From the king to the people, from the royal family to the people, they must obey those strict rules. Today, visitors to Hue will have a chance to see the reenactment of the royal festivals.
5. HUE ROYAL COURT MUSIC
Royal court music, one of Hue’s unique cultural and artistic beauties, has been recognized by UNESCO as a masterpiece of intangible heritage and oral traditions of mankind. This is the only traditional royal music preserved in this ancient capital. Visitors can enjoy musical talents with elaborate instruments performed in Hue.
Previously, the music of the feudal court was performed on festivals such as the coronation, death, or other solemn festivals during the 5 Nguyen dynasties.
6. HUE FOLK SONGS (CA HUE) ON THE HUONG RIVER
Ca Hue is a valuable and spiritual “dish”, an elegant pleasure that any visitor to Hue would like to have the opportunity to enjoy. The cruise glides on the Perfume River under the romantic moonlight or under the shimmering lights on either side of the river, and it’s wonderful to hear Hue folk songs.
Hue folk songs on the Perfume River usually start at 7pm. The dragon boat journey from Phu Van Lau to Trang Tien Bridge, through the capital so that visitors have the opportunity to experience unique perspectives on the history and culture of the ancient capital.
7. TRADITIONAL AND DIVERSE HUE ROYAL CUISINE
Referring to Hue cuisine, people often think of royal court cuisine, a culinary style conceived to serve the Nguyen court for more than a century. Hue royal cuisine always expresses the quintessence, sophistication and elegance. Hue people still retain a part of the image of eating and drinking in the royal court, so coming to Hue you will enjoy the unique cuisine. Hue ancient capital used to be the land of kings, so the dishes were ordinary but when they came to Hue, they were processed in a different style, much more attractive and luxurious. The most famous dish in Hue is Hue beef noodle, mussel rice, pancake and so on.
8. HUE PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS WARM, FRIENDLY AND GENTLE
Every Hue people carry their own unique essence. Visitors to Hue will be fascinated by the extremely charming “ao dai” of Hue girls. The people of Hue are a little bit thoughtful, simple and less changed in the hustle and bustle of outside development society. Any detail, even the smallest things, will make you feel good. It could be a picture of a street vendor, an old man dri nking iced tea… With a gentle, lovely mixed with shy personality, a voice to captivate people of Hue people, all of these attractions have created an inexplicable beauty, which is very popular with tourists. Tourists coming to Hue can feel the closely and friendly of people here. Hue people always smile on their lips when meeting others. It creates a beauty for Hue tourist land.
9. THE WEATHER IN HUE IS VERY SPECIAL
People still say the weather in Hue is like a girl’s personality. If you’ve ever fallen in love with a girl, come to Hue once and feel it is true. There are days when it is sunny, but it is also easy to rain and has been raining for a long time. There were early days in the morning and it was heavily raining but in the afternoon, the sunshine is extremely hot.
View more: Rainy Season in Hue
10. HUE OWNS MANY UNIQUE PAGODAS
Buddhism in Hue has developed very strongly, so Hue has many big and sacred temples with many different forms and meanings.
The most famous pagoda in Hue is Thien Mu Pagoda. This temple has an ancient architecture, located on the banks of the Perfume River and has attached to Hue for hundreds of years since Nguyen Anh chose Hue as the capital.
View more: THE 20 BEST THINGS TO DO IN HUE