Hue - Vietnam's Imperial Capital

We arrived in Hue around 7:00am after a long night on the sleeper bus from Hanoi. Immediately, we could tell that the two cities couldn't be more different. Hanoi is a city of  7.5 million, the busy bustling political capital of the country. Hue, on the other hand, is a small town of 300,000. It's fairly rural, green, and slower-paced. Hue was the old seat of the Nguyen Dynasty, the last ruling imperial dynasty of Vietnam, and it's full of history, culture, and fresh air.

We are staying at a homestay inside the old walled imperial city, just a few meters from the walls of the Forbidden Purple City, where the Nguyen emperors lived. Hue is quiet and peaceful. It's hard to believe that this city on the DMZ was the location of some of the most brutal and deadly battles of the Vietnam War.

I really enjoyed our time in Hanoi, but I am so glad to be in Hue. Hanoi was fun, but exhausting. Hue is such a peaceful place. The air is cleaner, and it's much easier to walk around. It's such a beautiful city, and I can't wait to explore more.

When we arrived, it was too early to check in. Pinky and I walked to a local cafe with a view of the Imperial city and the surrounding moat and lotus ponds. After an iced coffee (a Vietnamese specialty) and a cup of tea (every cafe brings you a free pot of jasmine tea when you sit down), we took a walk around the old imperial city.

Hue is like a fort within a fort. There's the city on the outside, with cafes, hotels, guesthouses, shopping malls, schools, hospitals, businesses, etc. In the city's ancient town, there's a huge, square walled city, marking ancient Hue. That's where we are staying! Inside of that is another walled city, the Imperial City where the emperors once lived.

During the Vietnam War, Hue, which sat right between North and South Vietnam, was the location of the DMZ, and the site of some of the worst fighting. Between the country's imperial history and the brutal fighting during the war, Hue is said to be the most haunted city in Vietnam.

Hue was chosen as the imperial capital because of its climate and abundance of produce. Over the centuries, Hue became the food capital of Vietnam, boasting a number of unique royal dishes that can only be found here. It's also the most heavily Buddhist region of the country (in contrast to Hanoi, which we found to be heavily Taoist and Confucian). Hue was the home of famous Zen monk Thich Nhat Hanh, who was important in bringing Buddhism to the west. It is also the home city of Thích Quảng Đức, the monk who famously self-immolated in Saigon to protest the war.

Hue is a beautiful city, but it's also a refreshing change of pace from Hanoi. It is full of history - not all of it good, but all of it important to remember.