Hue
Travel Information
Hue was the capitol of Vietnam, the feudal sovereignty, from 1744
when the Nguyen lords controlled all of southern Vietnam from the
city. The dynasty of the Nguyen family lasted (in theory) from 1802,
when Nguyen Anh defeated rebels to control the city, until 1945,
when the last emperor abdicated. The city was severely damaged in
the 1968 Tet offensive during the American war, when house-to-house
fighting lasted for weeks, but many architectural gems remain and
are well worth a visit.
Hue is divided between the older fortified Citadel, containing
almost everything interesting, and the new, smaller sprawl that
has developed across the river. The new side contains most of the
facilities, the hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, and banks.
People come to Hue to see the old Imperial complex, the Citadel
and the Forbidden city, the pagodas, and the many tombs of the emperors
that lie a few kilometers south of the city. Each tomb is a walled
compound containing temples, palaces, and lakes.
Hue is a quiet, relaxing city, big enough to be interesting but
small enough to bicycle around. The food is great, the best in Vietnam,
and the women are supposed to be the most beautiful in the country.
The coastline between Hue and Natrang is unimaginably beautiful.
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