Hue Vietnam, Central Coast

Once one of the royal capitals of Vietnam, Hue has been a beacon of all things beautiful for hundreds of years. There is a lot to see and experience while in Hue, from the famously delicious Vietnamese food to the “Perfume River”, named after the sweet smell of orchids, that fall into the water in the autumn.

The architecture of Hue is the definition of decadent and can be seen from the theatres to the noble citadels and to the tombs of the past emperors that dot this small city. The streets are lined with intricately designed buildings, colorful markets, and mossy pagodas that come together to form a gorgeous, culturally vibrant, river-side city.

Hue was used as the capital city for the noble Nguyen family who controlled the southern dominion of Vietnam. Throughout Vietnam's turbulent 18th century, Hue was passed through different hands until settling as the capital for the newly unified Vietnam under Nguyen rule in 1802. The Nguyen dynasty controlled the city until the second world war before the French invasion, American meddling, and the eventual movement of the Vietnam capital to Saigon.

Now, Hue is being recognized as a must-visit destination in Vietnam, and this revival has spurred the city into new flourishment of culture, experience, and delicious food.