Huế is a city in central Vietnam that was the seat of Nguyen Dynasty emperors and the national capital from 1802-1945. A major attraction is its vast, 19th-century Citadel, surrounded by a moat and thick stone walls. It encompasses the Imperial City, with palaces and shrines; the Forbidden Purple City, once the emperor’s home; and a replica of the Royal Theater.
Hue is easy to get a grip on. The main landmark is the Perfume River (Hương Giang), with the old city and the Citadel on the north side and the newer city, including most hotels and restaurants, on the south side. Much of the riverside has wisely been done up as a pleasant promenade and park dotted with bizarre sculptures. The tombs are located further south in the outskirts of Hue.
population: 344,581 (2012)
Area: 27.68 mi²
Climate
Hue's weather is infamously bad: the Truong Son Mountains just to the south seem to bottle up all the moisture, so it's usually misty, drizzly or outright rainy. Things get even wetter than usual in the winter rainy season, especially from February to the end of March. To be safe, bring along an umbrella any time of year. Don't forget to bring a sweater and jacket in winter as it can get rather chilly, with temperatures falling to as low as 8 degrees at night. Alternatively, when the sun makes an appearance for a day or a week, it can reach 30 degrees.
It's usually quite dry during the summer months, when the temperature can reach the high 30's. Summer rains can be heavy but brief, and often arrive unexpectedly, whereas February rains can last for weeks. The best description for the weather in Hue would be "changeable".
Safety
Hue is a safe city, and there is not much to worry about. As is common with other cities in Vietnam, at night time caution should be used with any offers of transportation. Motorbike drivers will drive up and offer to bring people to prostitutes or drugs and can get quite surly. Cyclo-drivers, especially in Pham Ngu Lao area, should be avoided, as there are recent cases in which travelers have been mugged, beaten and robbed by these people. Be suspicious of locals asking where you are from and then claiming to have family living there. The scam goes something like this. They will ask you to sit down for lunch/dinner/coffee with them and talk. After eating they will offer to pay for the meal and just ask that you buy them a local bottle of wine to drink at their temple. When you arrive at the local store the shop owner will say the wine is 7,000 dong and then when you attempt to pay she will say 700,000. Be suspicious also of women that need to change euro coins into dollars. After counting several times ther amount of euros, they try to keep some coins when they give you the money to change.
Cuisine
The cuisine of Huế forms the heart of Central Vietnamese cuisine, but one of the most striking differences is the prominence of vegetarianism in the city. Several all-vegetarian restaurants are scattered in various corners of the city to serve the locals who have a strong tradition of eating vegetarian twice a month, as part of their Buddhist beliefs. Another feature of Huế dishes that sets them apart from other regional cuisines in Vietnam is the relatively small serving size with refined presentation, a vestige of its royal cuisine. Finally, another feature of Huế cuisine is that it is often very spicy.
Activities
 Hue Cooking Class |
 Le Ba Dang Art Museum |
 Le Family Rider |
Accommodation
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