Hue, Vietnam was the seat of the Nguyen emperors and was the imperial capital from 1802-1945.

The Perfume River divides the North and South sections of Hue. In the north, the Citadel, a walled fortress and the remains of The Forbidden Purple City, home to the Nguyen emperors. The South contains modern Hue, much of which had to be rebuilt after the Vietnam War.

As I passed by the Citadel and the remains of The Forbidden Purple City of the Ngyuen emperors I chatted about the recent intense weather.

Pedal boats in the shape of swans are popular at rivers and lakes throughout East Asia and Southeast Asia. 

Someone asked about a man I met working at a restaurant that made me a bottle opener with a bolt and scrape piece of wood.

The Truong Tien Bridge was designed by Gustav Eiffel, who was responsible for many bridges and buildings during the French Colonial Period. This is a wonderful setting at night viewing the multi-colored spotlights on the bridge from the Walking Street market. 

The current population of Hue is approximately 350,000.

As we passed under the Trong Tien Bridge my boat ride on the Perfume River was coming to an  end. This was a fantastic experience riding past the green banks of the river seeing the Citadel and other sites from my very own chartered dragon boat.  

Hue is a city that in a relatively short time has seen emperor rule, terrible loss and devastation from war, and an eventual acceptance of what had been seen by the Vietnamese Communist Party as the reminder of a feudel regime. 

Currently restoration of many of it’s historic sites is underway. A truly remarkable experience and perspective from Hue’s legendary atmospheric waterway-The Perfume River.