Hue Attractions

What to See in Hue

Hue once served as the capital of Vietnam. Even though this is no longer the case many Vietnamese still rate the city highly as a centre of historical and cultural value.

There are many pagodas, tombs and other types of buildings that link the past to present around Hue’s beautiful countryside.

Many of them were ruined (but luckily not totally destroyed) by war but many managed to escape without any damage. Such places include the Citadel, Thien Mu Pagoda and Long An Palace Museum.

The Citadel and the Forbidden City

This is a massive site. The wall that surrounds the citadel is six metres high and two-and-a-half kilometres long and dates back to the early 1800s. The architecture has a strong Chinese influence as the Chinese once ruled the area.

The complex was built following feng shui principles and was once the royal residence. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, there is restoration work going on as some of the buildings were damaged in 1968.

While there do not miss the Long An Palace Museum with its impressive collection of antiquities, including the Emperor's throne.

Thien Mu Pagoda

The Thien Mu Pagoda is the most famous pagoda in Hue. Built in 1844 by Emperor Thieu Tri, it features golden Buddha images at the base, along with a big bell cast in 1710, and a stone turtle holding a marble stele inscribed in the 17th century.

This pagoda is also famous for being the home monastery of the Buddhist monk Thich Quang Duc who, in 1963, traveled to Saigon and burned himself to death at a busy downtown junction to protest against the then government.

The Austin car he used to drive down to Saigon is on display within the pagoda too. Thien Mu Pagoda is 3.5km west of the Phu Xuan Bridge (the railway bridge).

Royal Tombs

Hue has long been recognised as being rich in Vietnamese history. There are many tombs in Hue’s countryside to see.

Visitors interested in its history should take a bit of time to admire the emperors’ tombs and most of them are located in large and beautiful grounds.

Such important tombs include Tu Duc, Minh Mang, Khai Dinh and Gia Long.

Thanh Toan Bridge

Thanh Toan is a tile-roofed bridge built about 200 years ago over the Nhu Y River. It is not big, about 17 metres long and four metres wide and is made of wood. There is a shrine inside the bridge set up for the lady who funded its construction. This beautiful and charming bridge is about 10 kilometers east of Hue.

Ho Quyen, Tiger Fighting Arena

The tiger fighting arena was built in 1832 under the Minh Mang dynasty to host fights between elephants and tigers. The good news is that the fights have not been held since the early 1900's but amazingly there are still some claw marks left on the walls. The arena is about three kilometers outside of Hue.

Voi Re Temple

Vietnam, like many Asian countries, considers the elephant as the symbol of monarchy. Voi Re Temple is located near the Tiger Fighting Arena.

Hue Tours & Excursions

Hue is a beautiful destination full of historical sites. The top landmarks in Hue include the Citadel city, the Forbidden Purple City and the Thien Mu Pagoda. Visitors should allow enough time to fully explore this ex capital of Vietnam. Other fun activities besides visiting the main attractions include cooking classes, boat cruises on the Perfume River and rural sightseeing as well as lounging on nearby beaches.