The dragon boat
To Thien Mu or the tombs.
CEphoto, Uwe Aranas — CC BY-SA 3.0 · P. Hughes — CC BY 4.0 · CEphoto, Uwe Aranas — CC BY-SA 3.0 · CEphoto, Uwe Aranas — CC BY-SA 3.0
The river that runs through Hue, rising in the Truong Son mountains and flowing slowly past the royal tombs, the Thien Mu pagoda and the citadel before reaching the Tam Giang lagoon and the sea. Its name is said to come from the scent of orchard flowers that fall into the water upstream in autumn. The classic way to see it is aboard a dragon boat, a wooden boat with a carved dragon's head at the bow, hired at the wharves near Truong Tien Bridge for a trip upstream to Thien Mu or further to the royal tombs. In the evening, boats take visitors to hear ca Hue, the city's traditional court and folk songs, performed on the water, and paper lanterns are set afloat on the river. In the centre the river is crossed by the Truong Tien Bridge, built by the French in 1899-1900 with six steel arches and lit in changing colours at night. The south bank has a riverside park and walking paths, lovely at sunset.
To Thien Mu or the tombs.
Performed on the water at night.
Six steel arches since 1900.
Central Hue; dragon-boat wharves near Truong Tien Bridge
A dragon-boat trip from the wharves near Truong Tien Bridge to Thien Mu Pagoda, or an evening listening to ca Hue songs on the water.
