Huế, Vietnam: Hats and History.

With all our tailored purchases safely in the post, we made our way north to another World Heritage town, Huế. Huế was the capital of Vietnam from the 17th century, under the Nguyen dynasty, until 1945 when the Communists took over and moved the capital to Hanoi. Huế turned into a key battleground in the war, and the scars show, but most of the evidence of its illustrious history is still standing.

We made our way to the Citadel first, and inside to the Forbidden Purple City, where the Emperors lived with their Concubines and eunuch servants (couldn't trust a woman around the Kings or a man around the Concubines...)

We also enjoyed a day long dragon boat tour on the Perfume River, taking in an entertaining Vietnamese Kung Fu display first (though the expression on the face of the chap who lay on broken glass and had a breeze block smashed on his chest was a little disconcerting). The trip also took in the Tombs of two of the Nguyen emperors, Tu Duc and Minh Mang, the Thien Mu pagoda and a village where incense sticks and conical hats are made. All in all an excellent day, though Chris couldn't be persuaded to get a hat.