With gentle
Perfume River and vestiges of feudal dynasties, Hue Citadel never fails to
attract tourists all over the world. Spending a whole day in Hue City will be a
wonderful experience on feeling thoroughly about one of the most ancient destinations in Vietnam. The schedule of the adventure
in the ancient city should be started with a breakfast bearing the local
tastes, and then walking to enjoy the serenity. In Vietnam tours around Hue, tourists often begin their day with a bowl of Bun Bo
Hue (Hue beef noodle). This is one of the most famous dishes of Hue cuisine.
That will be fantastic when enjoying the dish in its original place, which
might be different from versions in other localities. A hot bowl of Hue beef
noodle will bring more energy to tourists before exploring the city. If there
is no luxury of time to explore every corner of the city for several days,
tourists can fulfill their Hue day tours in 24
hours with the following top things to do.
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| City of Hue |
Let’s start Hue city tours by visiting royal tombs in Hue Citadel.
Hue Citadel is located in the north of Perfume River with an area of 500ha.
Here is the administrative and political center of Nguyen Dynasty and royal
living place of emperors and lords as well. Hue Citadel includes the citadel
and Forbidden Purple City. In 1993, Hue Citadel was recognized as a Cultural
World Heritage by UNESCO, which brought the pride to Vietnamese people. There
are a number of royal tombs in the citadel. Three most famous ones are Minh
Mang Tomb, Khai Dinh Tomb, and Tu Duc Tomb.
Minh Mang Tomb
is the first stopover to drop by. The architectural work was built in 1840 as
the rest-in-pea place of Minh Mang Emperor. The Minh Mang tomb measures 18ha;
and the "penalty area" surrounding the tomb is about 475ha wide. The
general structure is symmetrical balance surrounded by a Shinto line (belonging
to Shintoism) exuding the dignity. Besides, along the walking road around the
tomb, there are lush green trees and some pavilions to take rest and admire landscapes
such as Dieu Ngu, Nghenh Phong Pavilion, Tuan Loc Terrace, Quan Lan, and Hu
Hoai Pavilion... The next stopover is Khai Dinh Tomb. It is the mausoleum of
the 12th Emperor of Nguyen Dynasty - Khai Dinh Emperor. The tomb was
constructed in 1920 under the control of Le Van Ba, a high-rank court of Nguyen
Dynasty. Compared with previous emperors' tombs, that of Khai Dinh Emperor has
a modest scale, but it took more time to build. The tomb is the combination of
many schools of architecture such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Roman, and Gothique...
These features are reflected meticulously in the architecture.
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| Xung Khiem Ta |
Last but not
least, it is the tomb of Tu Duc Emperor. The tomb is an architectural complex.
The work has a unique and complicated architectural style reflected through the
Bat Trang bricked walkways running from Vu Khiem Gate, passing Khiem Cung Mon
Gate or passing a three-level stone row that leads to Khiem Cung Mon Gate. At
noon, it is recommended to stop at the south bank of Perfume River and enjoy
Nam Pho Banh Canh (Nam Pho noddle soup). This dish is the combination of soft
rice noodles added by crab pies and meat, creating a tasty sweet flavor of
broth. A bowl of this dish costs about 10,000 - 15,000 VND.
After taking a
rest, let’s vary the day tour by visiting Thien Mu Pagoda. Thien Mu Pagoda was
constructed in 1601 on Ha Khe Hill on the left bank of Perfume River. Up until
now, the pagoda remains its inherent majesty, purity and antique. The highlight
of tours in Hue is dropping by Tu Nhan Tower,
later changed as Phuoc Duyen Tower. The work was built as the order of Thieu
Tri Emperor. It is 21 meter high with 7 floors in front of the pagoda's gate.
It is one of typical symbol of the city.
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| Minh Mang tomb |
Vietnam tour packages in Hue will not
be completed if coming and missing to taste Com Hen (rice with mussel). Com Hen
is a famous local dish of Hue cuisine. That is an ideal option for dinner. The
ingredients of the dish consist of rice, salads, peanuts, sesame, shrimp sauce
and mussels. All creates a unique and tasty flavor. Enjoying the catchy dish
will help tourists have more experiences on the local cuisine. After dinner,
taking a Perfume River cruise is a fantastic idea. At night, Perfume River
becomes more romantic and elegant. This is the time for tourists to get on a
boat, enjoy a poetic river tour, and admire the serene local life. During the
time of sitting on boat, listening to beautiful Hue folk songs and enjoying
cool breezes will be unforgettable memories in the day tour.
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| Truong Tien Bridge |
In the rest time
of the day, trying to eat some sweet soup and then going for a walk will be
interesting experiences in Hue. The sweet soup world in Hue possesses different
flavors and colors. There are many kinds of sweet soup that you could not
remember all their names. This is the one of the most interesting snacks
releasing your hunger at night. Walking to enjoy serene life of Hue City along
Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street near the bank of Perfume River at night or popping in
shopping places to buy souvenirs and specialties for family and friends will
definitely leave memorable moments in tourists’ mind. Before ending the tour,
do not forget to drop candle flowers on Perfume River and contemplate lines of
shimmering candle flowers floating on the river. That image will never fade in
your memory about attractions in Hue.
