Unlike Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh and most
other Vietnamese cities,
Hue
somehow seems to have stood aside
from the current economic frenzy
and, despite its calamitous history,
has retained a unique cultural
identity. It's a small, peaceful
city, full of lakes, canals and lush
vegetation and some magnificent
historical sights - including the
nineteenth-century walled citadel,
the remnants of its once-magnificent
Imperial City and seven palatial
Royal Mausoleums. With all this to
offer, Hue is inevitably one of
Vietnam's pre-eminent tourist
destinations. It's also the main
jumping-off point for day-tours of
the DMZ.
In 1802, Emperor Gia Long,
founder of the Nguyen dynasty
, moved the capital from Hanoi and
built his Imperial City in Hue.
From then on, the Nguyen dynasty
ruled Vietnam from Hue until the
abdication of Emperor Bao Dai in
1945, though the French seized the
city in 1885, leaving them as
nominal rulers only. During the 1968
Tet Offensive the North
Vietnamese Army (NVA) held the city
for 25 days, and in the ensuing
counter-assault the city was all but
levelled. Seven years later, on
March 26, 1975, the NVA were back to
liberate Hue, the first big town
south of the Seventeenth Parallel.
The huge task of rebuilding received
a boost in 1993 when UNESCO listed
Hue as a World Heritage Site.
