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Tourist Attractions In Hue

25/03/2020

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN HUE

From 1802 to 1945, the Nguyen Dynasty, the last ruling family, ruled Vietnam and got Hue as the capital for more than 100 years. But since then, Hue is still referred to as Vietnam’s Imperial City.

“I come to you when the heavy rain is pouring down from the purple sky of Huế…This first love I keep is forever and ever for you.” If you are ready to find your love in Hue (Huế), let’s pack your bag and go with me to search for it.

  1. The Imperial City and the Purple Forbidden City

The first tourist attraction in Hue is the imperial city and Purple Forbidden city. Mysterious and majestic, the Citadel of Huế (Hoàng Thành Huế) has been living immortally for 2 centuries. The Citadel as we know today stays the same as it was for hundreds of years ago with the so far away past covered in moss and history. The Imperial City and the Purple Forbidden City (Hoàng Thành và Tử Cấm Thành), also known as the Imperial Citadel (Đại Nội), are parts of Huế Citadel. For more than one hundred of years passing by, the Imperial Citadel has more or less remained its original appearance. Back in the day, the existential purpose of the Imperial City was to protect the most important palaces of the feudal court. There were also areas for the King’s queen mother and grandmother and such playing and studying areas for the princes. However, because of the change of time and century, these have been replaced with the holy shrines worshiping Nguyễn family. With the land area of more than 500 hectares, the Imperial Citadel is a combination of many houses and palaces such as Ngọ Môn, Thái Hòa Temple (Điện Thái Hòa), Diên Ngọ Palace (Cung Diên Ngọ), etc. In 1993, it is also one of the heritage sites in the complex of Huế’s Monuments recognized by the UNESCO as the World Cultural Heritage.

  1. Huong River

Huong river is the second tourist attraction in Hue. Such a beauty and mystery, the charming river bids farewell to Trường Sơn Mountain (Núi Trường Sơn) and makes its journey to the dreamlike city. Hương River (Sông Hương) is like a pretty girl that I want to call as “Huế’s Lover”. In a literary work of the author Hoàng Phủ Ngọc Tường with the title “Who named the river?”, he wrote: “Among the most beautiful rivers in the countries that I have heard about, it seems that only Hương River belongs to the sole city. Before making its way to the serene delta, it has been an epic sound of the jungle, boisterous in the shade of the hundred-year-old trees, furious through each canal and fall, whirling as a storm in the mysterious bottom of the cliffs and sometimes becomes gentle and amorous in the everlasting resplendent red of the Rhododendron”. If so, what could be more romantic than sailing on the wonderful Hương River at night and listen to the ceremonial songs of the ancient Huế?

  1. Hue Museum of Royal Antiquities

Hue’s Royal Antiquities Museum was recently relocated to a newly renovated palace at its previous address by the citadel. It may be the best available collection of ornaments from dynastic times but it’s a disappointment.

Hue Royal Antiquities Museum is located inside Long An palace. This is the earliest museum established in Hue with the first name ‘Musee’ Khai Dinh’. Precinct of museum has an area of 6.330m2; the main zone is in the middle of museum with an area of 1.185 m2 and storage, garden… Long An is situated in Bao Dinh palace established in 1845 Bac Ngu Ha. It is the place that Thieu Tri (1841-1847) accommodated and relaxed.

The building is erected by 128 ironwood columns. The front part has 7 compartment with 8 beams sculptured in dragons. The precious items in the museum mostly have a date back Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945) and 17 collections in total.

On August 24, 1923 King Khai Dinh (1916-1925) issued a decree on establishing the Khai Dinh Museum, the forerunner of the present-day Hue Royal Antiquities Museum. The purpose of setting up the museum was defined clearly, i.e. talents of a nation are reflected through the fine arts works that describe social activities, rituals, political and daily events…

From the very beginning of its existence, the museum was entrusted with the duty, “to revive generations of artisans who had built up the glorified Hue royal court.”

Hue Royal Antiquities Museum, now under the administration of the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre, has preserved and displayed nearly 10,000 antiquities relating to the life during the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945). The main showroom is Long An Palace, which is considered one of Vietnam’s most beautiful, existing palaces.

When visiting Hue Royal Antiquities Museum, visitors will have a chance to enjoy the masterpieces made by Hue artisans over 700 years of development in the imperial city of Phu Xuan – Hue.

  1. Mausoleums

Huế’s Mausoleums are distinctive ancient architectures with an imperial and royal design. It is one of tourist attractions in Hue. Commonly, each mausoleum is located apart from one another so you should take a cab (about 300.000 VND from the center of Huế City) or drive there yourself. The mausoleum complex consists of many small mausoleums such as Tự Đức, Minh Mạng and Khải Định. Going to this mausoleum complex, you will be lost back to the ancient time as if you have just made your own time travel.

  1. Hòn Chén Temple

“Dien Hon Chen” as its called locally, and commonly known as the Goddess of Vietnam temple, is located on the banks of the perfume river by the sides of the jade Cup Mountain, and is about 10kms away from Hue town enroute to the Min Mang Tombs. It is a very interesting tourist attraction in Hue.

The Hon Chen temple originally was built for the cult of Po Nagar, the Goddess of the ancient Cham minority. After then, the Vietnamese descendents of the cham culture continued the cult and named the Goddess as Heaven Goddess Y A Na.

This temple for the Goddess is said to have appeared in this place centuries ago, but with a very simple design, and was later reconstructed with a larger and more beautiful architectural scale in 1886.

This temple houses some unique artefacts and colourful designs. Its location on the Perfume River by the Jade Cup mountain make a visit here all the more pleasant.

  1. Thiên Mụ Pagoda

Thien Mu pagoda is a famous tourist attraction in Hue. The oldest pagoda in Hue is Thien Mu Pagoda whose establishment is associated with the early actions of the first Nguyen Lord in Dang Trong (South Vietnam).  This legend relates how, when Nguyen Hoang was sent to Thuan Hoa (now Central Vietnam) to rule this area, he himself made a survey of the terrain to choose a site for settling down. As he rode his horse upstream along the Huong River side he saw a small hillock beside the river, whose terrain looked like a dragon turning its head back. This hill was called Ha Khe. The local people told a story that every night an old lady in a red blouse and green trouser appeared here saying that a true Lord would come to this place and build a pagoda for the prosperity of the country. Thus this place became known as Thien Mu Son (Heavenly Lady Mountain).

It seemed that the grand ideas of Lord Nguyen Hoang matched the people’s desires so he ordered a pagoda to be built on the hillock, facing the Huong River and to be named “Thien Mu Tu“ (Thien Mu Pagoda).  In fact, a pagoda of the Champa people had previously stood on this site – a relic mentioned in the book O Chau Can Luc written by Duong Van An in 1553. It was not until 1601 that the pagoda was built following the decision of Lord Nguyen Hoan.

With the development, prosperity and spread of Buddhism in Dang Trong, the pagoda was rebuilt on a larger scale in the reign of Lord Nguyen Phuc Chu (1691-1725).  In 1710, this Lord ordered that a big bell with an inscribed teaching be cast. And in 1714, he again had the pagoda renovated and many great architectural structures added. These new additions included the Thien Vuong, Dai Hung and Thuyet Phap buildings, Tang Kinh Pavilion, Monks’ rooms and a house for religious meditation. Many of these buildings no longer exist today.  Nguyen Phuc Chu himself wrote a narrative description describing the construction of the buildings here, praising the philosophy of the Buddhism, and relating the merits of the Buddhist monk Thach Liem, who was instrumental in helping Lord Nguyen boost Buddhism in Dang Trong. The inscribed stele was placed on a big stone turtle with simple decorations which enhanced its beauty.

  1. Vọng Cảnh Hill

The name of the hill is borrowed from Chinese literature which means “sightseeing hill”. Its name is originated from the fact that the royal nobles used to come here to contemplate the beauty of nature’s painting. The hill is located 7 km to the Southwest of Huế City’s center with its foot bordered on the bank of Hương River. From Vọng Cảnh Hill (Đồi Vọng Cảnh), you can easily see the poetic vision of the city with the beautiful mausoleum areas and the attractive Hương River running through Huế City. The hill has now been rebuilt to tourist park with the land area of more than 219 hectares. It is presently even easier to access for tourists so that they can go to the hill by both land and waterway. Camping and other cultural activities are also included in the new park. The hill is a famous place for dating and photography so it will be even more romantic if you come here with the one you love.

  1. Ngự Bình Mountain

Ngu Binh mountain Hue (also known as Bang Son or Binh Son), An Cuu Ward, Hue city. It is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Hue. Ngu Binh mountain is about 6.4 km from Hue Imperial City. Tourists can follow the instructions: tourists follow Le Huan street to Le Duan and turn right on Da Vien bridge. Visitors will meet Bui Thi Xuan street, run another section and then turn right onto Dien Bien Phu street.

Tourists take Dien Bien Phu to Dang Huy Tru. Go straight to this road, visitors will reach Ngu Binh Mountain. Travel time is about 17 minutes. After arriving, visitors send their car and stroll to the top of the mountain. The road up the mountain flat, easy to walk, the two sides covered with shady. Guests can enjoy walking and sightseeing on the road.

Along with Perfume River Hue, Ngu Binh mountain Hue is the present of Mother Nature, symbolizing for Hue nature. The locals here also call Hue as the Huong River- Ngu Mountain. On a nice day, from the Ngu Binh Mountain, you can contemplate the whole city with sparking palace, ancient pagoda and Huong River. Seeing to the East, white sand-bank of Thuan An beach along with the blue of Dong Sea creates the beautiful picture that people will have an unforgettable impression.

  1. An Hiên House Garden

Located to the North of Hương River and not far away from Thiên Mụ Pagoda, An Hiên House Garden (Nhà Vườn An Hiên) is a paragon of Huế’s house garden designed in concord with nature and perfectly conforms to the principle of Oriental Geomancy. Before 1895, it was the palace of a princess – daughter of Dục Đức Emperor. With the land area of 5000 m2, the house is fully covered in the lush greenery and becomes even more modest behind those grass and trees. As long as you make to the entrance, you will see a big horizontal lacquered board engraved with the Chinese name of the house garden.

  1. Trường Tiền Bridge

Connecting 2 riverbanks of Perfume River, Truong Tien Bridge, also known as Trang Tien Bridge was inaugurated in 1899 with its length of 402.60m and 5.40m wide. The bridge was designed in Gothic architecture with new techniques and materials of the West at that time. The bridgehead in the north is situated in Phu Hoa ward, the rest is located in Phu Hoi ward, which is right at Hue city center, Vietnam. Along with Ngu Binh Mountain, Perfume River, Truong Tien Bridge is considered one of the characteristic symbols in Hue. Although Hue Imperial City is home to numerous architectural works ranked the world cultural heritage, Truong Tien Bridge is still the unique and typical image. The bridge retains the gentle soft smooth beauty… like the soul and the gentle, quiet personality of people in Hue, as well as the gentle poetic characteristics Perfume River. Truong Tien Bridge is worth one of the fascinating tourist attractions in Hue alluring the large number of tourists.

Like Long Bien Bridge across Red River in Hanoi, Truong Tien Bridge is one of the first bridges in Hue crossing Perfume River, which is adjacent the citadel. This is also one of the first bridges in Vietnam built in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century by the French with the steel structure consisting of 6 steel girders. The image of curved spans reflected into the river or into the blue sky, the image of “ao dai” (Vietnamese traditional long dress) of Hue girls on the bridge, the boat on the river under the bridge, the canopy of flamboyant at 2 bridgeheads and the image of the bridge brightly shimmering in the night… are forever beautiful memories, lyrics and romantic language of dreaming Hue. Discovering Truong Tien Bridge is definitely one of the most unforgettable things to do in Hue. Truong Tien Bridge thus becomes one of the indispensable tourist sites in the journey of exploring Hue travel attracting tourists.

With the long-lasting history of over 100 years, Truong Tien Bridge has undergone many ups and downs with the development of Hue. When completing its construction, this was a solid steel bridge with civilized structure and construction techniques of the Western. Truong Tien Bridge was the pride of the people in Hue. However, the bridge used to destroy by natural disasters, war and was remodeled several times. Most notable is its restoration in 1991 lasting until 1995. The bridge had many important changes after the restoration. Accordingly, the balconies of the hallway at the location of the piers were removed; the width of the bridge was narrowed (from 6,20m to 5,40m as today); gray is used instead of the original color of the bridge – metallic color; the bronze plaque mounted at the bridgehead with “Trang Tien Bridge” instead of “Truong Tien Bridge” created a lack of consensus on the bridge’s name. Thanks to its historical significance, Truong Tien Bridge is worth one of tourist Hue attractions alluring both domestic and international tourists.

  1. Bạch Mã National Park

I must say, the trip to Bạch Mã National Park (Vườn quốc gia Bạch Mã) is an unplanned journey when the beauties lie within wherever you are. Bạch Mã, same as many other national parks, is famous for its wild and original beauty of nature. Vọng Hải Monument (Đài Vọng Hải) is the highest point of Bạch Mã and from there you can see Lăng Cô and Hồ Truồi Bays (Vịnh Lăng Cô và Hồ Truồi), etc. About 5 km from the peak, there are Ngũ Lake (Ngũ Hồ) and Rhododendron Fall (Thác Đỗ Quyên). Ngũ Lake is actually a complexity of 5 different lakes and the third of which may be the most beautiful. Up from above the third lake is an extremely enchanting fall, you can also enjoy the cool water of the lake before continuing your journey. The Rhododendron Fall is quite far from Ngũ Lake with the height of about 300 m. From the fall, you can cast your eyes to the gorgeous and magnificent mountain ranges. The fall was named Rhododendron because on its two sides are the beautiful Rhododendron flowers that bloom in March.

  1. Thuận An Beach

Thuận An Beach (Biển Thuận An) is definitely a destination that you cannot miss after a tiring day of sightseeing and exploring. Lying next to Thuận An Seaport (Cửa Biển Thuận An) where Hương River runs to Phá Tam Giang, Thuận An Beach is a famous place for Huế’s people, especially in the summer. The beach is located about 15 km from Huế City so you can take a cab or drive there easily. Besides, you can also have a chance to get a glimpse of a beautiful painting with the blue sea on one side and the city on the other. In addition, Thái Dương Temple (Điện Thái Dương) worshiping Thái Dương Goddess and Âm Linh Temple (Điện Âm Linh) worshiping the Whale God are also near there in case you want to take a visit.

(Author: Huyen Nguyen)