Hue

Understand

Hue is intimately connected to the imperial Nguyễn Dynasty, based in Hue, who ruled from 1802 to 1945, when the Emperor Bao Dai abdicated in favor of Ho Chi Minh's revolutionary government. The city went through tough times during the Vietnam War, when it was conquered by the Viet Cong and held for 24 days, during which the VC slaughtered around 1,000 people suspected of sympathizing with the South, and then subject to an American bombing campaign to retake the city.

Orientation

Hue is easy to get a grip on. The main landmark is the Perfume River (Hương Giang), with the old city and the Citadel on the north side and the newer city, including most hotels and restaurants, on the south side. Much of the riverside has wisely been done up as a pleasant promenade and park dotted with bizarre sculpt

Climate

Hue's weather is infamously bad: the Truong Son Mountains just to the south seem to bottle up all the moisture, so it's usually misty, drizzly or outright rainy. Things get even wetter than usual in the winter rainy season, especially from February to the end of March. To be safe, bring along an umbrella any time of year. Don't forget to bring a sweater and jacket in winter as it can get rather chilly, with temperatures falling to as low as 8 degrees at night. Alternatively, when the sun makes an appearance for a day or a week, it can reach 30 degrees.
It's usually quite dry during the summer months, when the temperature can reach the high 30's. Summer rains can be heavy but brief, and often arrive unexpectedly, whereas February rains can last for weeks. The best description for the weather in Hue would be "changeable".

By plane

 Hue's small Phu Bai airport fields daily flights to and from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, but flights are quite often disrupted by poor weather during the rainy season (Mid October - Mid December). The majority of flights are Vietnam Airlines but Jetstar Vietnam also runs a flight or two from Ho Chi Minh City and once a day to Hanoi. There airport is 25 minutes away by taxi. There is also a bus that will take you into the city & even drop you at your hotel for 40,000VND. The airport facility has recently been renovated.

Danang's airport, only two hours away by car now that the Hai Van Tunnel is open, is busier, and has more connections, but a major renovation is planned for Phu Bai, beginning in 2009, in order to accommodate more flights, bigger planes, and many more destinations.

By train

 Several trains a day to Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Danang (4 hours) etc. The journey down south through the Hai Van Pass is particularly scenic, and from Danang you can take a taxi or motorbike to Hoi An.

A second-class sleeper ticket from Ho Chi Minh City on the much superior 'express' SE2-SE6 train to Hue costs between 588,000 & 740,000 dong depending on the level you're on (1,2 or 3). Be warned the beds are quite hard, as there is not much of a matress (about half an inch thick), and it is placed over a plastic bench/seat. You can get other train types, but the little extra you pay is worth it several times over. It offers a wonderful travel experience. The traveler gets to sit, lie and sleep in a very small cabin for 23 hours with five other people (nearly always Vietnamese), eat four plain but tasty and filling Vietnamese meals, listen to a fine selection of Vietnamese pop songs on the PA, and see some incomparably beautiful countryside, particularly in the last section between Da Nang and Hue. It's an excellent way to see the country and meet ordinary Vietnamese, who are unfailingly friendly and helpful, even to travelers who have not bothered to learn a word of their language. The trip is especially recommended if you like babies.

Buy your tickets at the train station, it's well worth your effort. Hotels often over charge by doubling the prices (at least US$80 for softsleeper), often using excuses like it's high season or that they have to buy it at the black market.

By bus

Public buses from all the bigger cities (including frequent services to Hanoi and Saigon) connect to the main bus station (B?n Xe Phía Nam and B?n Xe Phía B?c). Most open tour buses include Hue in their itinerary, connecting to Hoi An or Da Nang to the south (4-6 hours) and Hanoi to the north (13-16 hours). The overnight Hanoi route is popular with locals, but beware of motion sickness among them.

    * Sinh Café, 7 Nguyen Tri Phuong St, [1]. Direct buses from Hoi An cost US$4 and leave twice daily: the 08:00-12:00 service stops at the Marble Mountains and makes the trip in 4 hours, while the 14:00-17:00 service manages the trip in three. Buses to Hanoi depart at 17:30 every day (US$9) with stops in Dong Ha and one or two other places.

From Vientiane You can book a sleeping or sitting bus for 180,000Kip (sleeping is the same price as sitting) to Hue or continue to Da Nang from the Southern Bus Terminal. The trip takes 15 hours to Hue so the sleeping bus is the better choice. Departure time for just Hue/Da Nang is 7pm although at Vientiene's southern bus station you'll also see other options heading south and you could probably take those as well.

You'll have a couple bathroom stops (bathrooms not necessarily available) and at least 2 or 3 eating stops.

They'll try to arrive at the Lao Bao border crossing before it opens at 7am. Here is where they'll collect everyones passports to get stamped out of Laos. Everyone needs to include a 15,000Kip fee (foreigners may end up getting asked for 30,000Kip) so have that ready in your passport ahead of time. You'll also have several ladies asking if you need to change any money. They'll come in the bus or roam around the bus stop. Be careful and shrewd with them. If you just hand them some kip without establishing what rate your getting or not even bother to count how much you gave you'll end up with a lousy 50% or 1:1 rate so you've lost half your cash! (Probably best not to exchange anything as you'll have no chance to actually buy anything with your Dong until you reach your destination. However, you might no be able to exchange your Kip when you're in Hue. So plan ahead!)

Meanwhile, as this is going on you'll be served some Vietnam coffee. All meals and the coffee break should be included in your ticket price and then you have to pay for anything additional that you order.

Once you reach Hue you can get dropped off before the actual Hue bus station and maybe save yourself having to ride into town on a hired motor bike. (Oct. 2010)

Get around

By taxi

Like other Vietnamese cities, Hue is flooded with cyclos and motorbikes, as well as a few meter taxis. Taxi drivers are usually honest, but make sure they turn the meter on: trips start at 15,000 dong for the first 2km and tick upward at 11,500 dong/km. Some meters run incorrectly (showing up to 10 times the distance actually travelled), so ensure you have a rough idea of the distance to you destination. If the meter is running too quickly, at the destination pay an estimate of the fair price and insist on calling the police if the driver will not accept the estimated non-meter price. The driver will back down. A metered trip out see two tombs, with waiting time, should come to around 300,000 dong (US$18).
With cyclos and motorbikes, all of the usual disclaimers apply: negotiate a price ahead of time, and don't be afraid to walk away if they're asking too much. No trip in Hue should cost more than 20,000 dong.

By bike

Hire a motorbike and join the locals as they swarm across the bridges and along the main roads at a leisurely pace. They're available for around US$5/day from hotels and shops.
Cycling is also a good option, with plenty of bikes available for no more than US$1/day.

By cyclo

 A cyclo is the local versions of the trishaw, with the passenger in front of the cyclist. Be prepared to haggle for reasonable prices as cyclo drivers tend to quote indiscriminately. It's a good idea to agree absolutely on your price before you go. Also make sure this is a return price, and not one-way. Of course, if you want to change your itinerary after you're already on the way, you should discuss how this might affect the agreed price with your cyclo driver right away. Otherwise, you may get a rude surprise when you arrive at your final destination, and the driver tries to charge you an exorbitant amount. Be aware that while most of the cyclo drivers in Hue are fair, and can be quite helpful, there are a few who are very unscrupulous. If you agree on the price as "100", make it very clear that you are agreeing on 100,000 Dong, and not 100 US dollars!

On foot

 Hue is quite compact, so you can reach most of the hotels, restaurants, and the Citadel easily on foot. Mr. Cu at Mandarin Cafe has prepared a free walking tour brochure & map. Make sure to stop by 24 Tran Cao Van St to pick up your free map (and enjoy some delicious banana pancakes). You'll need to arrange transportation to reach the emperors' tombs, though.

See

Imperial Citadel (Đại Nội)

The former imperial seat of government and Hue's prime attraction, this is a great sprawling complex of temples, pavilions, moats, walls, gates, shops, museums and galleries, featuring art and costumes from various periods of Vietnamese history. Thanks to its size, it is also delightfully peaceful - a rare commodity in Vietnam.
The citadel was badly knocked about during fighting between the French and the Viet Minh in 1947, and again in 1968 during the Tet Offensive, when it was shelled by the Viet Cong and then bombed by the Americans. As a result, some areas are now only empty fields, bits of walls, and an explanatory plaque. Other buildings are intact, though, and a few are in sparkling condition. For the rest, while restoration has been going on for 20 years, there is still quite a long way to go. Allow several hours to see it properly. Entry 55,000 dong open 06:30-17:00.

• Ngọ Môn. The main southern entrance to the city, built in 1833 by Minh Mang. The central door, and the bridge connecting to it, were reserved exclusively for the emperor. Climb up to the second floor for a nice view of the exquisite courtyard. The Ngo Mon Gate is the principal entrance to the Imperial Enclosure. The Emperor would address his officials and the people from the top of this gate.

• Thái Hòa Palace. The emperor's coronation hall, where he would sit in state and receive foreign dignitaries.

• Trường Sanh Residence. Translated as the "Palace of Longevity", the Truong Sanh Palace was the residence of King Tu Duc’s mother, Empress Tu Du, under the Nguyen Dynasty in the 19th century. It lies in Tu Cam Thanh, one of the two major parts of the Hue Citadel. Currently under renovation, the project, estimated to cost almost VND 30 billion (roughly US $1.8 million), includes the restoration of Lach Dao Nguyen, the Palace's protective moat, decorative man-made rock formations and mountains, bonsai gardens, and the palace gate. The restoration is expected to be completed in 2009, but this is doubtful. While not officially open to the public, it is possible to enter the grounds and should be seen, as even in it's overgrown state, it's beauty is recognizable.

• Forbidden Purple City. Directly behind Thai Hoa Palace, but it was almost entirely destroyed during the 1968 Tet Offensive and only the rather nondescript Mandarin Palaces on both sides remain.

Tombs of the Emperors

The other great attractions in Hue are the Tombs of the Emperors, which are located along the Perfume River south of the city. They are accessible by taxi or bike from the city, but the best way to see them is to hire a river boat and go for a cruise. Plan to make a full day of it.
Group tours usually cost about US$2, which includes an excellent (really!) lunch aboard the boat, but does not include admission to the tombs (55,000 dong apiece; cheaper for locals, of course) or the cost of a motorbike from the wharf to each tomb. If you're with a group, the price should be set by the tour company at roughly 25,000 dong for each round-trip. Choose a tour with as few stops as possible. Some companies lard up their itineraries with visits to silk farms and a few pagodas, promising to fit everything in neatly, however tour companies aren't noted for their time management, and you'll wind up rushed along and frustrated for at least one of the tombs.
If you're travelling on your own, boat hire or a motorbike and driver should cost somewhere around US$20, again not including tomb admissions. All of the tombs can be walked to from the wharfs in anywhere from ten minutes to half an hour. The paths are mostly obvious, but you still probably shouldn't try it without a map or a terrific sense of direction. Most of the tombs are open from 7:30AM or 8AM to 5:30PM, depending on the season; note that the tour groups arrive around 10AM and leave around 3PM in order to get back before dinner, so plan accordingly to avoid the crowds. You'll be glad you did.
The tombs are also easily reached by bicycle, although there is a shortage of good maps of how to reach them. Ask your hotel about bicycle rentals and maps, and be cautious on the crowded and potentially potholed roads. This is probably the most inexpensive (and enjoyable, if you enjoy cycling) way to reach the tombs.
The tombs themselves are worth the cost and effort. They mostly date from the late 19th or early 20th centuries, when the Emperors had been reduced to figureheads under French colonial rule and had little else to do than build themselves elaborate tombs. The finest of them are the Tomb of Tu Duc, the Tomb of Minh Mang and the Tomb of Khai Dinh, all of which are excellent examples of Vietnamese Buddhist aesthetics and architecture. The older ones have been allowed to crumble into picturesque semi-ruin, although some are now being restored.
In order of age:

• Tomb of Gia Long (40km) - the most remote of the tombs, quiet and fallen into disrepair as Gia Long, the first Nguyen emperor, was notoriously despotic.

• Tomb of Minh Mang (12km) - in this opulent complex, the main buildings are arranged on an east-west axis, including a courtyard surrounded by warrior statues and several temples and pavilions. Several bridges cross two lakes before the axis ends before the vast burial mound (which is circled by a fence). The mausoleum features large gardens and lakes: a pleasant place to sit and relax. If you're dropped off by boat note that there is a stretch of souvenir sellers to navigate during the short walk to the mausoleum entrance.

• Tomb of Thieu Tri (8km) - built in 1848.

• Tomb of Tu Duc (7km) - Constructed from 183364 to 1867, the complex served as a second Imperial City where the Emperor went for "working vacations". Tu Duc's contemplative nature and poetic spirit is reflected in the landscape and arrangement of the 50 buildings that at one time stood here. A vast, sprawling complex set around a lake, with wooden pavilions and tombs and temples dedicated to wives and favored courtesans (Tu Duc had 104 to choose from). The courtesans' quarters are in ruins, with only outlines and crumbling walls left amid waves of overgrown grass and silence, but other areas are stunningly well-preserved. The Emperor's tomb itself, tucked away in the back, is surprisingly modest - the final courtyard is nearly empty with just a stone coffin in the middle. (The tombs of Empress Le Thien Anh and Emperor Kien Phuc, who briefly ruled in 1884, are also located here.) Try to dodge the crowds for this one.

• Tomb of Dong Khanh - built in 1917.

• Tomb of Khai Dinh (10km) - dating from 1925, this is the best preserved of the lot and, while comparatively compact, quite grand at first sight. While it follows the classic formula of forecourts leading up to the tomb of the Emperor, complete with statues in attendance, architecture buffs will spot some European influences. The tomb itself is completely over the top with incredibly detailed and opulent mosaics of cavorting dragons. Try to get to this one early, as it is a favorite stop for Asian tour-bus groups. Also, you may want to leave the tourist path and head up the hill on the right side of the tomb, where a small temple stands. You will have a great view of the tomb and the valley it faces.

Eat

Hue is famed for its Imperial cuisine, originally prepared for the emperor and his retinue. Although the emphasis is more on presentation than taste, an imperial banquet is well worth trying.
The most famous local dish is bún bò Huế, a noodle soup served with slices of beef and lashings of chili oil. Another tasty local treat is sesame candy (mè xửng), which is peanutty, chewy and quite tasty if fresh, and goes for under 10,000 dong/box.
Nem Lui is a dish of sweet, minced pork around bamboo sticks grilled over hot coals. Banh Khoai is a "pancake" filled with bean sprouts, shrimp and pork. Bun Thit Nuong is delicious barbecued pork served with vegetables and noodles.

Budget

• Ancient Hue Royal Cuisine and Gallery : One of the biggest restaurant in Hue. Prices are good, foods are also excellent, extremely clean. All is served by a professional staff, international experienced chef. It is also a complex of ancient houses among huge garden area, which makes you feel comfortable once you come here.

• You and Me, 38 Tran Cao Van. This place is clean, has friendly staff, and seems to be popular with both locals and tourists. Try the local dish, banh khoai, or the restaurant specialty, banana pancake. Both are delicious and cheap. They have lots of other stuff on the menu, from fish to vegetarian noodles, and icy cold local Huda beer. Don't forget to admire the bonsai tree at the cash; the owner grows them.

• Bun Bo Hue, 11B Ly Thuong Kiet. (small and very local - far away from river on south bank). This eponymous eatery specializes in its namesake dish. 15,000 dong gets you a bowl with a generous, mouth-meltingly soft (if fatty) cutlet plopped on top. Others: Bún Mụ Rơi (Nguyễn Chí Diễu st), Bún Cây Đa (Nguyễn Sinh Cung st), Bún Nguyễn Du (Nguyễn Du st)

• Bun Cam, 38 Tran Cao Van st, Very popular with locals, but only opens for the early morning, about 6AM until they run out of soup. This is the real thing, local style, not adapted for the Western palate. Try it with their chili sauce, also a local specialty that shouldn't be missed. The lady sitting behind the soup cauldron is Cam, the cook and namesake of the business. She only speaks Vietnamese, but just look in the pot, like the locals do, and point at what you want. The price varies with how many different things you choose.

• Banh Khoai "Hong Mai", Dinh Tien Hoang - Nguyen Bieu corner Str. (Inside the Purple Forbidden City) is known as the best Banh Khoai(Pancake) in Hue. This is a family restaurant. Nem Lui (minced pork grilled with lemon grass on coal) and Banh Beo also recommended. Bánh Khoái Lạc Thiện (Trần Hưng Đạo st).

• Banh Khoai - 'Hạnh', 11 Phó Đức Chinh (small street between Ben Nghe and Tran Quang Khai),  054-833552. This is a family restaurant where the locals go to eat Hue specialities, cheap and very good food!. Ban Khoai - 15,000 dong, Nem Lui 25,000 dong.

• Brown eyes restaurant 1/34 Nguyen Tri Phuong - Tel: 054 832572 . You need cheap food and big plates? Go to Brown Eyes and you will be satisfied for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Suitable for young people.

• La Carambole, 19 Pham Ngu Lao,  054-3810491. This place looks like a tourist trap... and it is. Reports suggest that it may once have been great but it now seems as if the chef inherited the menu but has no culinary experience. Serves French food, Vietnamese food and pizza. All of which are subpar. 

• Friendly restaurant, D Pham Ngu Lao, an excellent choice with charming staff and a wide range of Vietnamese and European food. Opened in 2005 and owned by a Vietnamese family, Friendly restaurant is in the town's centre.

• Mandarin Café, 24 Tran Cao Van. Having been forced to move many times,the owner, Mr. Cu has purchased property and built on this new location to ensure that he won't haveto move again anytime soon. The owner is also a good photographer and many of his pictures hang on the wall. The food here is consistently good with local & Western favorites. Try his banana pancakes. They are as good today as they were 10 years ago.

• Phuong Nam Cafe, 38 Tran Cao Van - Tel: 054 3849317 is a nice little restaurant with decent but very cheap food and excellent fruit shakes.

Banh Bao, in the corner of Ben Nghe and Nguyen Tri Phuong. is an street vendor that sells wonderful Banh Bao 5000 dong

Splurge

 Tinh Gia Vien, 20/3 Le Thanh Ton, tel. +84-54-522243. Wonderful old Hue-style nha vuon garden villa on a quiet side street, formerly the residence of a princess, converted by a bonsai enthusiast into a restaurant serving Imperial cuisine. There are three set menus at US$15/20/25 ("big", "bigger" or "biggest", according to the menu) but all sets have 11 courses and are guaranteed to fill you up. The food wins full points for presentation, but is unfortunately somewhat toned down for the foreign palate.



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