Everyday at 6 p.m. two pavilions in the front of the Hue Citadel, Nghinh Luong Dinh and Phu Van Lau, are lit up. The LED lighting makes them glow gorgeously. The two pavilions find a place on the VND50,000 bill.
The citadel, a UNESCO heritage site, was home to the Nguyen Dynastry, Vietnam's last royal family (1802-1945).
The Flag Tower (Ky Dai) in front of the Hue Citadel was built in 1807 during the reign of King Gia Long. Two years ago it was installed with a new LED lighting system.
The Hue government has revived the salute, firing four shots at 8:30 p.m. every Sunday, and 21 shots on Lunar New Year Eve or other special occasions like foreign national leaders' visits.
Truong Tien Bridge over the Huong (Perfume) River glitters at night thanks to an LED light system installed at a cost of VND10 billion ($430,000).
The bridge was built during the reign of Emperor Thanh Thai (reigning 1889-1907) and bore many different names before it finally became Truong Tien.
Many tourists and locals like to see Truong Tien Bridge, a symbol of Hue, glows violet as this color is often mentioned as a feature of Hue's beauty. Hue is well-known for images of women in violet traditional dress, ao dai.
Hue also sees action at night, with the walking streets of Vo Thi Sau, Chu Van An and Pham Ngu Lao bustling until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. This is a place where many people come to eat and have fun. On Sundays, they close at midnight.
At night many street food vendors come out to the sidewalks near Truong Tien Bridge, and locals enjoy their baked potatoes, snail dishes and Hue sweet soups.
Wandering the streets of Hue at night to enjoy street foods such as sweet soups, grilled corn and mussel rice is one of the major attractions.
Nguyen Dinh Chieu walking-only street on the southern bank of the Huong River is where many music groups come to perform, creating a vibrant atmosphere.
The VnExpress Marathon Hue on Sunday is expected to draw nearly 5,000 participants, livening up Hue and bolster tourism in one of Vietnam's most popular travel destinations. Le Duan Street is the starting and finishing point of the race.
