The Hien Lam Cac was built to honor the people who contributed to the founding of the Nguyen Dynasty. In the two halls located on either side of Hien Lam Cac, the unknown heroes are worshipped.
The area of Cung That includes several palaces. It was in this area that the daily life of the king took place. Of the original palaces only two remain today, the Dien Tho (the residency of the king's Mother) and the Truong Sinh Palace (the residency of the king's paternal grand mother). The King's and the Queen's residencies (Can Thanh and Khon Thai Palaces) were destroyed during the American bombings.
(Dien Tho Palace)
The complex of the Hue Citadel received a definitive global recognition when the UNESCO declared a it a World Heritage Site. Since then, some of the palaces in the citadel have been rebuilt with funds donated by this international organization.
To visit the Hue Citadel you have to pay for a ticket. Prices are lower if you have a Vietnamese Passport. The site is open everyday from first thing in the morning till five in the afternoon. If you cannot visit the complex in the morning, you may visit it in the afternoon. You will need, at least, three hours to see everything. You can hire an English speaking guide in an office left of the entrance.
The best time to come to Hue is during the dry season, from February to June. The Rainy season, from July to January, should be avoided. In September and October floodings are common. I was there in October, and a week after I left, tourists could not leave their hotel rooms for several days. Most trains, buses and planes were cancelled. Temperatures are mild year round. In July and August it may be a little bit too hot, but even during the hottest days temperatures are bellow the 90 Fahrenheit degrees (30 Celsius). The coldest month is february, with temperatures around the 65 Fahrenheit degrees (18-20 Celsius).
Cost of life in Vietnam is extremely low for western standards. This may change in the future, because the country is developing fast. Although prices are low, the fact that locals tend to pay less, upsets some tourists. Some visitors I met told me they always had the impression they were being cheated. During my stay in Vietnam, I could see how in some cases foreigners were charged more (taxis, museums, and hotels), but in many other cases they were charged the same (local cafes, restaurants). The question is that for some backpackers a good deal, means getting something for almost nothing. They want to get the "local" price, but sometimes and in some places local prices are not that cheap.
If you visit the Citadel, bring a good camera. There are many opportunities to take good photographs. If you are traveling with a digital camera, you can download the pictures in many of the internet cafes you will find throughout Vietnam. They will burn a CD for you with your pictures, or print them. You will be able to send them to your friends and relatives in these cafes. Internet connections are improving rapidly in this country. DSl and fast connections are very pervasive. Web cams and chat messengers programs are installed in almost every computer. Internet prices are very cheap. Less than a dollar for an hour.
In 1805 the founder of the Nguyen Dynasty, Emperor Gia Long, started the construction of the Citadel of Hue. Emperor Minh Mang expanded the complex further, with the current wall and the moat. Nowadays this is a huge complex, with a diameter of more than 6 miles (10 km).
If you ever visit a Vietnamese house, the first thing you have to do is take off your shoes. You will be given a pair of slippers. I guess locals do this because streets in Vietnam are usually very dirty.
The culinary offer in the city of Hue is not as varied as I would have wished. There were some nice restaurants Southeast of the Perfume River. On the Citadel side of the river you may also find some restaurants. In downtown Hue you will find some tourist restaurants with typical western food (pizza and pasta), but if I were you I would stick to the local dishes (they are delicious).
English is not widely spoken in any Vietnamese city. Hue is no exception. You will have no difficulty finding someone who speaks English in any tourist facility (hotels, bars, restaurants, shops, etc), but it may not be easy to talk to someone you meet in the street. Young people study English in the school, but most of them are not fluent because they do not have many chances to practice it. Older people speak Russian and French as a second language depending on their age. The oldest ones learnt French during the last days of the French domination. The generation that studied during the first years of the communist regime, learnt Russian. Other foreign languages are hardly spoken.
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