Monday, December 31, 2007

The Most Popular Places for Tourists

By : Douglas Scott

Hue is located in Thua Thien prefecture and is in the central part of Vietnam. The city is located in central Vietnam on the banks of the Song Huong. The city is one of the most popular places for tourists in Vietnam. Hue was the capitol of Vietnam, from 1744 when the Nguyen dynasty controlled southern Vietnam. In 1802 Nguyen Anh, the last of the Nguyen Lords, defeated his northern rivals and proclaimed the city capital of a reunited Vietnam, changing its name to Hue. The dynasty lasted until 1945, when the last emperor abdicated.

Hue's complex of monuments is listed among the UNESCO's World Heritage Sites, The city is the wettest place in all Vietnam.

Dong Ba market is on the north bank of the Perfume River, just over the Truong Tien bridge. It has hundreds of stalls selling almost everything. Dong Ba Market provided the platform for the conventional crafts in the city. All along Le Loi Street, you will find souvenir stall.

Hue is also an important centre for Buddhism and hundreds of temples and pagodas exist around the city.

Hue is one of the best places to enjoy the Vietnamese New Year celebrations of Tet. One of the high lights is a midnight firework display. The fireworks are set off in front of the citadel on the north bank of the Perfume rive.

The Perfume River is a river which divides Hue in to two parts, and although it does not have a particular perfume, it is a beautiful river to navigate. It is also a scenic way to reach the famous royal tombs. It starts in the Truong Son mountain range and once it reaches the outskirts of Hue it is quite a placid river with clear blue waters with only one dark stretch along the foot of Ngoc Tran Mountain.

Experience the Perfume River on an evening boat trip hosting a traditional folksong performance, a tradition that goes back to the rule of the emperors.

The Citadel was the imperial palace from the early nineteenth century until the mid twentieth century. Emperor Gia Long, who ruled Vietnam form 1802 to 1819, based it on the Forbidden City in Beijing. It consists of three walled enclosures. The outermost enclosure contains an area of 6 square kilometres, which was once filled with hundreds of buildings. Many of the palace buildings were destroyed during the Tet offensive of 1968. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and restoration work is taking place.

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