Hue

This ancient capital city was the cultural and intellectual centre of Vietnam. The ruins of the Old Imperial City, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed protected complex of courtyards and palaces surrounded by moats, impressive temples and libraries. Along the banks of the Perfume River are monumental tombs of former Emperors with a tranquil setting of forested-hills and lakes.

As Vietnam’s imperial capital between 1802 and 1945, Hue has much more to showcase than its 340,000 population would indicate. The city is well known for its monuments and architecture and ideally lies on the banks of the Perfume River in central Vietnam, about 700km south of capital Hanoi, 1100 km north of Ho Chi Minh City. Travel along the Perfume River from Hue and you will see a plenty of interesting monuments, such as the tombs of several emperors. The Thien Mu Pagoda, the largest in Hue, is the city’s official symbol.