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Hue, the former imperial city, will soon be the stage for diverse cultural activities expected to attract local and international visitors during the Hue 2004 Festival in June.
In most people’s minds, Hue evokes imperial palaces, tombs, pagodas and temples, each building having its own architectural style, typical of different historical periods and dynasties. That is the traditional, conventional image of Hue. However, there is another aspect of Hue, just as real and as attractive as the ancient imperial city of Hue. There is the other Hue for tourists to discover and love: Hue, the serene and the dreaming city of green gardens.
Hue can be proud of its Ngu Binh Mountain. From the top of Ngu Binh Mountain, tourists can enjoy a panoramic view of the city, of the Truong Son Range in the west, the Eastern Sea in the east, and lush fertile rice fields at the foot of the mountain. Hue would not be Hue without the Huong (Perfume) River. Generations of poets and artists have fallen under the charm of the irresistibly romantic river and have celebrated its beauty and power of seduction in their works.
Coming to Hue, you will have opportunities to discover the two sides of Hue, depending on which side of the Perfume River you stand. On the northern bank is the meditative, nostalgic Hue with its ancient buildings, remnants of a glorious past. On the southern bank you will find yourself right in the middle of modern Hue, the dynamic developing tourist center of Central Vietnam. Hue is also renowned for its beautiful gardens. On their first visit to Hue, many visitors’ first impression is of a delightfully fresh and cool place thanks to a myriad of gardens. Gardens are found everywhere: around old serene imperial palaces, encircling solemn temples and pagodas, and gracing those small lovely houses of ordinary Hue people.
Hue’s gardens are not just things of beauty, they are the expression of the unashamedly sentimental and poetic soul of the people of Hue. In the streets you will meet gentle people with elegant, soft-spoken manners, people maybe not with flowers in their hair but certainly with poems in their hearts.
So come to Hue this summer, you will not regret it. You will understand why, like Oxford - the city of dreaming spires - Hue can be called the city of dreaming gardens, of serene peace-loving people. In the special atmosphere of Hue, the meditative city, you may also discover more of your own soul.
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