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Hue, the Forbidden City and the emperor tombs

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Hue is home to three major tourist attractions in Vietnam: the Citadel with the Royal Forbidden City, the Royal Tombs and the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone). The city has a long history and became capital of the Nguyen Dynasty in Vietnam in between 1802 and 1945.

Hue, the Forbidden City

Hue is located in central Vietnam, not far from the Gulf of Tonkin. Because of its location it played an important role in the history of Vietnam. The city has a history of turmoil, especially in the Vietnam war. In the Tet Offensive (Vietnamese New Year) of 1968, during the Battle of Hue, the city suffered considerable damage not only to its physical features, but its reputation as well.

This was both from American firepower and bombings on the historical buildings as well as the now infamous massacre at Hue committed by the Communist forces. A piece of history many people prefer to forget these days.

Many of the historic monument gave Hue the rightful place in UNESCO's World Heritage City sites. Start of your journey in Hue is probably the Citadel, with inside Vietnams' Forbidden City. The Forbidden City was modeled to the Forbidden City in Beijing China but it is smaller and less impressive.

In the Vietnam War much has been destroyed although restoration works keep continuing. Destroyed or not, the Forbidden City, once housing concubines, emperors and others close to the emperors is still worth a visit. Even in the present state you can see some of the former glory of the feudal lords.

The Citadel and Forbidden City were built by Gia Long Emperor in 1804, the first of Nguyen dynasty in Vietnam. Each emperor added some of it's own glory to the city until the last Emperor Bao Dai. The Perfume River crosses the city center. A good way to enjoy Hue and the former glory of the city is to join a boat trip.

River trip on the Perfume River in Hue

Most of the monuments are build along or near the river. You can visit several tombs of emperors like Minh Mang, Khai Dinh and Tu Duc. The Thien Mu pagoda is not only the largest pagoda in town, but it also symbol of the city. Almost all are build on the west side of the Perfume River.

Another must visit is the Hue Museum of Royal Fine Arts which has a great art collection but also contains artifacts from the Royal Forbidden City.

Forbidden City Hue

Accommodation and Hotels in Hue

Hue can be surprisingly cheap. Of course you will most of the time be able to find rock bottom cheap accommodation but in Hue cheap and quality seem to go better hand in hand then in many other places. We have some recommendations for your at our Hotels in Hue page, check it out.

DMZ, - Demilitarized Zone

The DMZ is worth a visit. Check our DMZ page for details and why you should visit.

Inside the Forbidden City, reminders of the violent past

Getting there and away

Many travelers visit annually Hue. As a UNESCO World Heritage City site, Hue gets the attention it deserves. The railway station is located just south of the city center. The trains to Vinh, Ninh Binh and Hanoi are comfortable enough. For travelers who prefer the bus, they can use the An Cuu bus station on the east bank of the Perfume River.

Cyclist going south, please read my recommendations here.

If you have to save some time somewhere, this is the time. There is little of interest in between Hue and Ninh Binh. But in case you decide to cycle, here are the distances to cover:

• Hue - Vinh 370km
• Vinh - Nin Binh - 199km

Bigger cities in between Hue and Ninh Binh are Quang Tri, Dong Hoi (172km to Hue, 195 to Vinh) Ha Tinh, Vinh, Thanh Hoa. Calculate for this journey about 5-7 days.

Alternative, you can drop your bicycle on the train and skip this area.

Hue has an airport which connects you daily to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

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