| Huê (Huế) | |
 | |
| Information | |
| Country |  Vietnam |
|---|---|
| Area | 70,67 km² |
| Population | 455 230 hab. () |
| Density | 6 441,63 inhab./km² |
| Postal code | 530000–539999 |
| Spindle | UTC 07:00 |
| Location | |
 16 ° 27 ′ 49 ″ N 107 ° 35 ′ 27 ″ E | |
| Official site | |
Huê is the old historic capital of Vietnam at center from the country.
Understand
Hue (from Vietnamese Huế) is the former imperial capital of Vietnam (1802-1945). It is located in the center of the country, just south of the famous 17th parallel, not far from the sea. The Sông Hương river (Perfume river) crosses it and separates the old city to the north from the modern city to the south.
Hue is today the capital of the province of Thừa Thiên and lives mainly from fishing and tourism. Its population is around 340,000 inhabitants. It is served by Phú Bài International Airport and Hue Train Station.
The fact that it was the imperial capital of Vietnam, the aristocratic culture of the mandarin court, the finesse of its poetry and its intellectual agility give Hue a special character.
To go
By plane
The city is connected to Hanoi and Saigon,
On a boat
No maritime communication
By train
Hue is located on the Hanoi-Saigon main line and is therefore particularly well served; Of great interest is the night train departing from or arriving at the magical land Halong Bay of Ninh Binh, one of the country's major tourist centers.
By bus
Countless solutions, especially by open bus. However, the portion between Hanoi and Hue (10 h distance) is very monotonous; it is therefore preferable to do it by night train or by plane
By car
Same answer as for the buses.
Circulate
See
- 1 Imperial city – The old imperial city (Đại Nội in Vietnamese1) is located within the walls of the Royal Citadel (Hoàng Thành in Vietnamese1). Built on the banks of the Perfume River from 1805, it is surrounded by a wide moat which substantially delimits a square on a perimeter of more than 10 km as well as walls of 6 m high on a perimeter of 2,5 km. The width of the walls reached in places 20 m. The citadel is accessible through 10 fortified gates, each with a bridge. Inside the enclosure formed by the citadel, are the two sets of the Imperial City and the Forbidden Purple City, separated by seven barriers. The site suffered in the 1968 attack and lost several buildings. It was essentially the Forbidden Purple City, that is, the buildings where the emperor and his family lived, that was wiped out. There is the Ngo Môn gate (Porte du Midi) pierced with 5 entrances, where the emperor announced his decisions; the Palace of the Supreme Harmony, throne room with 100 columns lacquered in purple and yellow; and the Imperial Museum which houses royal clothing, furniture and porcelain. Everything is located in a park. The Forbidden Purple City also includes many pavilions and palaces linked by many long galleries, as well as the Royal Theater where performances of traditional music from the Court of Hue (Nha Nhac) are still given today, recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of the World in 2003. Since 1993, this set of monuments has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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- 2 Trang Tien Bridge (Cầu Trường Tiền or Cầu Tràng Tiền in Vietnamese) – The Trang Tien Bridge spans the Perfume River in the heart of the city of Hue. It is composed of 6 steel arches of 67 meters away which makes it a bridge of 403 meters length for 6 meters of width. Historically, in the same place, a rattan bridge was first designed during the time of King Lê Thánh Tôn, and then it was replaced by a wooden bridge. At the time of King Thành Thái (1897), under the French protectorate, the construction of a new metal bridge was entrusted to Gustave Eiffel. After two years of construction, the king's name was given to it: Thành Thái bridge. In 1904, the bridge was badly damaged by a storm, then was repaired two years later using reinforced concrete. After the exile of King Thành Thái, the bridge was renamed "Pont Clémenceau", after the name of Georges Clémenceau who was French Prime Minister at the time. The bridge was renovated in 1937 and renamed in 1945 "Nguyễn Hoàng bridge" after the name of the contemporary king. During the Indochina war, the bridge was mined and destroyed in 1946, then repaired in 1953. During the Tet attack of 1968, the third and fourth arches were destroyed, the Trang Tien bridge was only repaired. in 1991. Since 2002, the Trang Tien Bridge has been equipped with a colorful lighting system for the Hue Festival.
Along the river
On a hill on the right bank of the Perfume River is the Thien Mu Pagoda. It is an octagonal tower with 7 floors and 21 meters high built in 1844 by Emperor Thiệu Trị. Each floor represents a human appearance of Buddha. The buildings currently house 5 monks and 7 novices.
On the west bank of the Perfume River, we find the mausoleums of the Nguyễn emperors (1802-1954); the largest (Ming Mang, Khai Dinh, Tu Duc, Gia Long) were in fact a summer residence of the emperor who had built it, which explains why they include many buildings (reception hall of the mandarins , throne room, lodgings of the emperor and his family (and of the many concubines), pagodas, temples, etc. When the emperor died, he was buried in the complex (but not where his tomb is located for avoid looting - it is not known where they were buried) and the mausoleum was permanently closed, the new emperor starting the construction of his own mausoleum.
- 3 Tự Đức tomb (Lăng Tự Đức) – a very large complex with pavilions on stilts, solid buildings, funeral courtyard with statues of civil and military Mandarins, horses and elephants in gray stone.
- 4 Tomb of Khải Định (Lăng Khải Định) – first concrete tomb, a mausoleum that stands out for its architecture and very kitsch interiors.
- 5 Tomb of Minh Mạng (Lăng Minh Mạng) – recall the Chinese Mings tombs with its pavilions, ponds and superb gardens.
- 6 Royal Tomb of Đồng Khánh (Lăng Đồng Khánh)
- 7 Royal Tomb of Gia Long (Lăng Gia Long) – The latter is the largest (it covers 4000 ha) but many buildings were destroyed by American bombardments during the Vietnam War; it is further south and difficult to access without a car and above all a guide.
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Elsewhere
- 8 Tu Hieu Pagoda (Chùa Từ Hiếu) – About 80 monks live there, in a beautiful peaceful setting of forest and ponds. The superb Than Toan covered bridge, one of the 5 remaining in Vietnam, is by far the most beautiful; it is out of the way to the north of the city, in the middle of the rice fields.
Make
Adopt the bicycle (good physical condition without more because few climbs) and the boats on the river to walk and visit the monuments. For a day, go first by bike to the citadel (2-3 h tour) and then at Thien Mu pagoda, then take a boat that will take you with the bikes to the tomb of Minh Mang (discuss the price, 1 h navigation, approximately 250 000 VND per person); then from this tomb, cross the river and go up the small country roads going from the bridge to the center of Hue, visiting mausoleums on the way (notably Khai Dinh and Tu Duc). The best way to visit Hue is to stay there for 2 full days.
Learn
To work
Buy
This is the region of the producers of incense with 2 scents, cinnamon and sandalwood: you will probably see many manufacturers drying incense sticks on the road. In addition, there are the conical hats with a poem that invite travelers to come and visit Hue. The woven paintings of XQ are also meaningful gifts.
Eat
Hue is famous for its “Imperial Cuisine”, which can only be found in some mid-price and luxury restaurants.
Cheap
Many street restaurants, especially around the central market
Average price
Húe's specialty are garden restaurants; the Y-Tao Gardens inside the Imperial City, the Carambole Garden just outside, the Carambole and Ushi in the center
Luxury
The magnificent Ancient Hue in Kim Long, the old aristocratic district of Hue.
Have a drink / Go out
- Perhaps not the most traditional, but the Cafe On Thu Wheels is a cool bar, full of backpackers and run by Thu, a little Vietnamese girl. Ask her if she can show you her original method of decapping beers. This bar also offers a motorbike tour.
Housing
Cheap
Average price
Luxury
Communicate
Manage the day-to-day
security
As everywhere in Vietnam, one of the safest countries in the world, where violent crime is practically non-existent and never against tourists, no fear to be had except pickpockets in places where there are crowds (markets, especially at night)
Around
It is possible to rent motorcycles with driver to visit some of the surrounding sites. The tour is done during the day.
- The pagoda Thiên Mụ (Chùa Thiên Mụ : the celestial lady): a beautiful pagoda located near the foot of a temple in which many monks live. The temple grounds are very well maintained and very Zen. You have certainly seen the photo of a Buddhist monk setting himself on fire: it is from this temple that he left in 1963 and you can see the Austin Mini that he used to get to Saigon.
- The tomb of Minh Mạng (Lăng Minh Mạng) on the mountain Cấm Kê. Minh Mạng was the second emperor of the dynasty Nguyễn.
- The tomb of Tự Đức (Lăng Tự Đức), the fourth emperor of the same dynasty.
- The pagoda Từ Hiếu (Chùa Từ Hiếu): a little shabby, but also nice.
- The Van Canh lookout, on the right just before arriving at the mausoleum of Tu Duc, with its French and American bunkers, and from which you can enjoy a beautiful view of the Perfume River and the mountains inside
