After a visit in 1981, the then Director General of UNESCO proclaimed Hue to be "a masterpiece of urban poetry". Famous for school girls in their white Áo Dài - Vietnamese national dress, and Nón Bài Tho - a conical straw hat hiding a secret poem, to the Vietnamese, Hue has ever been synonymous with romance and all that's beautiful.
Established as the capital of unified Viet Nam in 1802, Hué was not only the political but also the cultural and religious centre under the Nguyen dynasty until 1945. Today the majestic Perfume River meanders past the remains of the Imperial City, the Forbidden Purple City and the Inner City, as well as the tombs of several former emperors.
The stunning Tu Duc Mausoleum with its triple arched gateways, lotus filled ponds and pavilions, reflects perhaps the somewhat whimsical character of its host. Emperor Tu Duc was by all accounts a self-absorbed and romantic ruler, preferring to hide away amongst the tranquil gardens and pine trees of the Imperial grounds.
He also apparently partook of a delicately fragrant tea made from the dew of lotus blossoms and penned no less than four thousand poems, perhaps to amuse his one hundred wives and harem of concubines.
Harems and wives notwithstanding, Tu Duc’s tomb is just one impressive relic of Hué’s Imperial past to be found along the Perfume River.
Discover the ancient tombs, pagodas and forbidden citadels of Hué and the quaint, old town of Hoi An in this 5-day Hoi An & the Last Imperial Citadel tour.
