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This journey invites you to walk in the footsteps of emperors, embrace age-old traditions, and witness the delicate artistry born from centuries past. From ancient citadels to royal enamelware, from weathered stones to broken porcelain shards that still shimmer with grace — Hue whispers its stories not through pages, but through every corner where history was once lived.
We begin with a discovery of Minh Mang tomb, which is 12km from Hue, on the west bank of the Perfume River.
Begun in 1840, construction was not complete when Minh Mang died. His successor, Emperor Thieu Tri continued this task according to his father’s plans.
It took ten thousand soldiers and artisans to finish the project. Fully completed in 1843, the tomb comprises of about 40 monuments of various sizes which was designed on an symmetric axis running from Dai Hon gate to the foot of La Thanh (Surrounding Wall) behind the tomb.
Returning to the city, we’ll visit the private gallery and workshop of Mr Do Huu Triet to discover the ancient art of Phap Lam, an art-form that uses ceramic enamel to cover laminated copper.
Phap Lam Hue is a unique form of enamel art that flourished during the Nguyen Dynasty, blending intricate metalwork with vibrant enamel glazing techniques. Introduced in the early 19th century under Emperor Minh Mang’s reign, Phap Lam was once a royal craft reserved for decorating imperial palaces, pagodas, and ceremonial objects. Crafted from copper and coated with richly colored enamel, each piece was meticulously fired at high temperatures to achieve its lustrous, long-lasting beauty.
Though the art form nearly vanished over time, it is now experiencing a quiet revival thanks to the dedication of a few passionate artisans in Hue. Today, Phap Lam is more than just decorative — it is a living heritage, preserving the elegance and cultural legacy of Vietnam’s imperial past.
Enter the ancient Hue Citadel and the Forbidden City.
The poetic and beautiful Hue of Vietnam was chosen to be the capital of the Southern Kingdom under Nguyen Lords’ Dynasty, and officially became the nation’s capital under Tay Son Dynasty, King Quang Trung. The citadel palace complex is located on the North bank of Huong River (Perfume River), inside Hue city.
It is a huge complex covering an area of 520ha and comprising three circles of ramparts, Kinh Thanh Hue (Hue Capital Citadel), Hoang Thanh (Royal Citadel) and Tu Cam Thanh (Forbidden Citadel). The rule of the last Vietnamese Emperor lasted until the mid-1900s. At the time, the Purple Forbidden City had many buildings and hundreds of rooms. It suffered from termite and cyclone damage, but was still very impressive. Many bullet holes left over from the war can also be observed on the stone walls.
Conclude this splendid day with a visit to Thien Mu Pagoda, which overlooks the Perfume River and is the official symbol of the city of Hue. Thien Mu means “elderly celestial woman”, and refers to an old legend about the founding of the pagoda.
From here, cruise back to Hue centre on the legendary Perfume River. The views on both sides of the river with the citadel, town, gardens, pagodas, towers and temples, provide good photo opportunities while enjoying this short 45 minutes cruise.
