Hue, in central Vietnam, was the former imperial capital. Supposedly “it boasts a long-lasting treasure trove of world-renowned ancient wonders, distinctive cultural traits, and delightful traditional cuisine”. Well yes, it has the Royal Citadel, perhaps not as much traffic as Hanoi and we ate some nice food, but other than that it was a little bit boring and underwhelming.
Our visit coincided with the the full moon lantern festival which was unique and fun to see the trees lit up with beautiful lights as well as yellow and red dragons dancing clumsily through restaurants getting tangled up in ceiling fans and wires. We unfortunately brought the rain with us, not ideal for a lantern festival.
The brown Perfume River didn’t reveal itself to be as beautiful as we had read. In fact it was a bit dull.
Hue has its fair share of city posters informing its citizens about what is good practice. Government buildings are usually painted red and yellow and have standard large signage.
Command of Border Guards of Hue.
Roughly translated - Loyalty to the post. Understanding the people ready to fight and sacrifice for the independence and freedom of the country.
Roughly translated - Determined to implement good urban civilised living code.
We visited the Citadel, but I’m not going to go through each of the tourist landmarks of the Imperial City. I thought the Citadel was charming and elegant, especially when devoid of large tour groups. It was best appreciated when you avoid the buggies of middle-aged tourists or the 40 person tour group invasion. Our priority was to be a step ahead and be ready to evacuate just before they block the exits.
School Graduation photographs were being undertaken in the Imperial City.
Couples dress up and visit with a photographer.
As the residence of rulers of the Nguyen Dynasty, I thought that the Imperial City was going to be all stately, prim, proper and touristy. I was thankful to see that not all the grounds were perfectly manicured and retained some rustic elements of moss-covered crumbling walls, overgrown gardens and beautiful old faded doors. It’s big enough to find some empty areas where you can have time to yourself.
Meanwhile, back in the town centre…
Love this swimming pool building.
For me photographically, I think asian towns are at their best late afternoon and at night. I love the light, the colours of the buildings and the illumination of everyday life.
Alteration Street
So a couple of days was more than enough. Glad I’ve seen Hue but pleased to be moving on. Probably a day too long.
Hue Train Station Waiting Room