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Historically, Hue has been the heartbeat of Vietnam, a centre of political intrigue, cultural innovation, religious worship and educational excellence. Today, its main attractions are the splendid tombs of the Nguyen emperors, several notable pagodas and the remains of the Citadel. In May 2001 the first Festival of Hue was celebrated, with local and international cultural performers

at locations throughout the city, and this is now a biennial event in the calendar (to be

held next in 2006). Hotel accommodation is at a premium at this time, so book ahead

if you can. Tourism may just have saved Hue's cultural sites from oblivion. Between 1975 and

1990, all the old buildings were regarded as politically incorrect, signs of the "feudal

 Nguyen dynasty'. Everything was left to decay. It was only in 1990 that the localgovernment recognised the potential of the place and declared these sites national treasures'. In 1993 Unesco designated the

complex of monuments in Hue a World Heritage site, and restoration and preservation

 work continues. Most of the city's major sights have an admission charge of 55,000d; often there is

an additional charge for video cameras. History The citadel city of'Phu Xuan was originally built in 1687 at Bao Vinh Village, 5km

northeast of present-day Hue. In 1744 Phu Xuan became the capital of the southern

part of Vietnam, which was under the ruleof the Nguyen lords. The Tay Son Rebels

occupied the city from 178ft until 1802, when it fell to Nguyen Anh. He crowned

himself  Emperor Gia Long. thus founding the Nguyen dynasty, which ruled tilt-

country - at least in name - until 1945. In 18R5, when the advisers of 13-year-

old Emperor Ham Nghi objected to French activities in Tonkin, French forces encircled

 the city. Unwisely, the outnumbered Vietnamese forces launched an attack; the

French responded mercilessly. According to a contemporary French account, the French

forces took three days to burn the imperial library and remove from the palace even'

single object of value, including everything from gold and silver ornaments to mosquito

 nets and toothpicks. Ham Nghi fled to Laos, but he was eventually captured and

exiled to Algeria. The French replaced him with the more pliable Dong Khanh, thus

ending any pretence of genuine independence  for Vietnam.

The city's present name probably evolved from its former name, Thanh Hoa. The

word Hoa means 'peace' or 'harmony' in Vietnamese. The city has been called Hue

for more than two centuries now. Hue was the site of the bloodiest battles of the 1968 Tet Offensive and was the only city in South Vietnam to be held by the communists  for more than a few days. While the American command was concentrating its energies on relieving the siege of Khe Sanh, North Vietnamese and VC troops skirted the American stronghold and walked right into Hue, South Vietnam's third-largest

city. When the communists arrived, they hoisted then flag from the Citadel's Flag Tower, where it flew for the next 25 days;

the local South Vietnamese governmental apparatus completely collapsed. Immediately on taking Hue, communist political cadres implemented detailed plans to liquidate Hue's 'uncooperative elements.Thousands of people were rounded up in extensive house-to-house searches, condueled according to lists of names meticulously  prepared months before. During the 3''i weeks Hue remained

under communist control, approximately 3000 civilians - including merchants, Buddhist  monks. Catholic priests, and intellectuals,

 as well as people with ties to the South Vietnamese government - were summarily shot, clubbed to death or buried alive. The

victims were buried in shallow mass graves that were discovered at various spots around the city over the following few years.

When the South Vietnamese army units proved unable to dislodge the occupying North Vietnamese and VC forces, Genera'.

Westmoreland ordered US troops to re capture the city. Over the next few weeks, whole neighbourhoods were levelled by VC

rockets and US bombs. In 10 days of com- bat, the VC were forced to retreat from the ‘New City'.Over the next two weeks, most of the

area inside the Citadel was battered by the South Vietnamese air force, US artillery and brutal house-lo-house fighting. Approximately

10,000 people died in Hue during the Tet Offensive. Thousands of VC troops, 400 South Vietnamese soldiers and 150 US

marines were among the dead. but most of those killed were civilians. Long after the American War ended, one

American veteran is said to have returned to Hue and, upon meeting a former VC of ficer, commented that the USA never lost

a single major battle during the entire war, 'You are absolutely correct', the VC officer agreed, "but that is irrelevant, is it not?

journalist Gavin Young's 1997 memoir A Wavering Grace is a moving account of his, 30-vear relationship with a family from

Hue, and with the city itself, during and beyond the American War. It makes a good literary companion for a Stay in the city

Orientation

The city of Hue lies along either side of the Perfume River. The north side of the river has the Citadel and a few places to stay, making for a pleasant and quiet stop.However, it is the south side that has most facilities and a greater selection of hotels and restaurants.

The island on which PhuCat and Phu Hiep subdistricts are located can be reached by crossing the Dong Ba Canal near Pong Ba Market.