Once life in Hue settled into a rhythm, we began to explore beyond our courtyard.

Along the Imperial Walls

Daily walks along the Imperial City walls soon became part of our routine.

While Hue was not as busy as Hanoi, there were still enough motorbikes on the roads and sidewalks to make walking awkward at times. But the narrow park along the canal surrounding the Imperial City walls quickly became our favourite place to walk each day.

Walking through that green space felt like moving between two layers of Hue: the quieter residential streets on one side and the old imperial structures on the other. My favourite spot on this walk was the west gate of the Imperial complex, a beautifully tiled structure.

In the daytime it sparkled in the sun, while at night it became more subdued and slightly mysterious under spotlights. At all times of day, it quietly reflected in the water, doubling the beauty.

Everyday Scenes in the Old City

Although it only took about five minutes to reach the canal through the old city streets, that short stretch was always entertaining — ever-changing pictures of daily life.

We passed a small shop repairing motorbikes, where the owner clanged away on rusty chains. College students gathered on the street during breaks, standing in clusters and talking. We sometimes walked past a schoolyard full of children lined up for early morning activities, all wearing uniforms with red neck kerchiefs.

In the evenings, small hole-in-the-wall eateries did brisk fast food-style business, while women in front of the market sold fruit and chatted long into the night.

We also saw many shops renting traditional-style clothing, both for men and women. Dressing up in these outfits for photos seemed even more popular in Hue than in Hanoi, and the business was clearly thriving. Although it was sometimes slightly annoying to encounter these groups everywhere, the Imperial City setting did lend itself naturally to this kind of clothing.

Life Along the Canal

During our daily walks along the Imperial City walls, we also noticed how casual life was in the old city. In the daytime, locals would put out racks with drying laundry or huge trays of drying vegetables right along the canal. In the evening, children would play soccer — barefoot — and young people would sit behind small tables drinking in the small plazas in the park.

Occasionally, motorbikes would cut through these spaces as if they were extensions of the road, although this was rare enough to remain noticeable each time it happened.

Most of our daily life happened within a relatively small radius of the Imperial City walls. But gradually, our walks became longer, carrying us further through the old streets, across canals, and eventually beyond the walls separating the old and new parts of Hue, as we slowly learned our way around the city.

Layout of Hue

It took us some time to understand the layout of Hue.

There were only a few places where it was possible to move in and out of the old city, with access mainly through narrow gates cut into the thick walls and adjacent bridges.

Both the gates and the bridges created the same issue — in most cases there were no proper pedestrian walkways, forcing people on foot to press against the wall or bridge edge while motorbikes and cars passed very close beside them. Only the central gate and bridge near the main entrance to the Imperial City had a narrow pedestrian walkway; the others did not.

Beyond these outer walls, wide green spaces stretched toward the Perfume River, separating the older districts from the newer parts of the city across the water.

I was intrigued by the river’s unusual name. Apparently, it comes from the orchards further upstream. When they were in bloom, flowers fall into the river, perfuming its water. It was January, so we could not confirm this, but the name alone gives the river a certain romantic quality.

Discovering the Perfume River

One evening, soon after arriving in Hue, we decided to go for a riverside walk.

Once past the outer walls and canals, the city suddenly opened up.

A wide green area stretched along Lê Duẩn Road on the southern edge of the old quarter. On the other side of the road, a long tree-lined promenade followed the north bank of the Perfume River.

This seemed to be one of the main gathering places in Hue. Locals walked, jogged, exercised, and picnicked, with people sitting beside the water as evening set in.

Near the centre of the promenade stood two historical pavilions. Phu Van Lau, closer to the road, was once used for displaying royal court documents. Nghinh Luong Dinh, closer to the river, had been reserved for the emperor’s river outings. Now both seemed to function mostly as places for photographs, rest stops, and evening gatherings.

After spending some time there, we decided to explore another side of the river, so we crossed over by Phú Xuân Bridge.

The contrast with the narrow crossings through the Imperial walls was enormous. The Perfume River was wide, and although the bridge carried heavy traffic, at least there were proper pedestrian walkways on both sides. It was still noisy and polluted, but it felt considerably safer.

On the south side of the river, there was another promenade, partly at river level and partly on the higher bank above it. There were fewer trees than on the north side, but in the evening this hardly mattered.

We walked through the gathering darkness, watching city lights reflect in the water.

Life on the Water

The Perfume River was busy with life. Dragon boats threaded the waters back and forth carrying tourists. Sometimes it was a sightseeing cruise, other times a party complete with dinner and performances on board.

But even more interesting was another side of river life.

When we crossed back to the north side over Trường Tiền Bridge, we saw locals night fishing in long wooden boats, quietly paddling down the Perfume River below us. Other small boats carried goods along the river.

The river was still the centre of city life, much as it must have been hundreds of years ago.

The Temple of Literature

As our walks grew longer, we began exploring further west along the Perfume River.

One afternoon we visited the Temple of Literature. Earlier in the trip we had already been to its namesake in Hanoi, so we were curious to see how different it would be in Hue.

The temple was located almost outside the city, on the bank of the Perfume River, surrounded by vegetable plots. We walked there and at first thought the place was closed, but eventually Valery found an open gate and we entered.

This place was so different from the one in Hanoi.

The location itself was beautiful. The temple sat on a hill overlooking the river, and I could just imagine how it must have looked in its heyday, with steps leading from the river up the hill toward the temple and sweeping views below.

Sadly, there was not much left of that grandeur now.

The great entrance gate was still standing, along with dragon-decorated stairs climbing the hillside, even if both clearly needed restoration. Inside, much of the complex was now ruined or gone completely.

But the scholar stelae were still there, standing like witnesses to the grand intellectual achievements of the past.

Thiên Mụ Pagoda

From there we continued walking toward Thiên Mụ Pagoda.

It could not have been more different.

Where the Temple of Literature felt deserted and half ruined, the pagoda was in good condition and quite crowded.

Inside, a prayer ceremony was taking place. Monks in yellow and orange robes were chanting while one of them beat a drum.

Curious, I sat outside on a mat with other visitors and tried to take it in.

At first the chanting felt disjointed, but as I closed my eyes and let it wash over me, I began to hear some harmony in it.

I hadn’t expected it to be such a meditative experience.

From River Calm to Old City Chaos

Afterwards we walked back along the Perfume River promenade, hoping for a sunset, but it was overcast.

Sometimes the sun was breaking through the thick clouds, enough to spill light over the grey water and make the picture feel briefly brighter.

When we made it back to the old city and passed through the bridge and under the wall, the regular city noise assaulted us — we were back.

Walking the narrow streets, we watched in amazement a very long procession of bicycle taxis, all drivers in the same green jackets, carting tourists around the old city. It was a common sight in Hue, but for some reason it amused us every time we saw it.

When Hue Became Familiar

Over time, finding our way around Hue became easier. The canals, walls, bridges, and river gradually formed a map in our heads.
We did not see all of the city in these walks, but we began to understand how it worked.

With this understanding, it was time to do what most visitors come to Hue for — visit the imperial sites, pagodas, and historical landmarks scattered across the city and beyond.