Hue

Hue is in the central belt of Vietnam, and was for a period in the 19th /20th century the capital. A lot smaller than Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi, it has a relaxed and cultured feel to it. Badly effected by war, it is going through a significant and long term ("50 year") restoration process for many of the historical areas. This was boosted by Unesco "World Heritage Site" listing in 1993 and much of the renovation is being sponsored by overseas support.

The city is dominated by the Perfume River and the Citadel that sits on its banks. This is one of the areas that is receiving greatest attention and as i walked round there were a number of workman in action. It seems to be undertaken in a unrushed and considered way. The Citadel is a vast area and consisted of living , religious and administrative areas for the Emperor- started at the beginning of 19th century. Pictures are here.

Outside of Hue are a number of historical sites - pagodas, temples and mausoleums. I spent a day on a guided tour which covered the four most popular sites. All are impressive in their individual way and certainly a peaceful change to the noise of Ho Chi Minh City. What slightly surprised me was the age of some of the buildings, i had not expected to be walking around sites constructed in the early 20th century - they all had a much more historical feel to them. If you think that the war with America was 40 years or so later, it just seems slightly strange. Pictures here.