Huế

Sister cities

• Baranavichy

History

The region's history dates back some 2,800 years according to archaeological findings from the Sa Huỳnh culture, as well as from relics in the region. The oldest ruins in Huế belong to the Kingdom of Lâm Ấp, dating back to the 4th century AD. The ruins of its capital, the ancient city of Kandarpapura (lit. 'the city where Śiva burnt Kama'), is now located in Long Tho Hill, three kilometers to the west of the city. Kandarpapura might have only been established during the reign of Kandarpadharma (r. 629–640) and it was named after the king, certainly it may be not the name of the capital of former Lâm Ấp kingdom. Another Champa ruin in the vicinity, the ancient city of Hoa Chau is dated back to the 9th century. Đại Việt became an independent nation in 938 AD; four centuries of territorial conflicts between Đại Việt and Champa followed. The two provinces then changed their names to Thuận and Hóa. In 1306, the King of Champa, Chế Mân offered Vietnam two Cham prefectures, Ô and Lý, in exchange for marriage with a Vietnamese (Trần dynasty) princess named Huyền Trân. The Vietnamese King Trần Anh Tông accepted this offer. In 1307, Đoàn Nhữ Hài was appointed by the emperor, Trần Anh Tông, to administer the area. Settlers from the north (Thanh Hóa) migrated south and integrated with the people of the Kingdom of Champa. During this time, the settlement of Hóa Châu province began, which included the area of present-day Huế. Between the settlement of Thuận Hóa (1306) to the founding of Phú Xuân (1687), there were conflicts and uncertainties for the local people, which including the fall of the Trần Dynasty to the renaissance of the Hồ dynasty. In 1592, the Mạc dynasty was forced to flee to Cao Bằng province and the Lê emperors were enthroned as de jure Vietnamese rulers under…

Geography

The Perfume River (called Sông Hương or Hương Giang in Vietnamese) passes through the center of the city. The city also accommodates the Tam Giang–Cau Hai lagoon, the largest lagoon in Southeast Asia, which is long with a surface area of . The city is divided into four distinct zones: mountainous areas, hills, plains, and lagoons separated from the sea by sandbanks. It has a coastline of 128 kilometres (80 mi) with extensive beaches. The mountains, located along the western and southwestern borders, cover more than half of the province’s total area, with elevations ranging from 500 metres (1,600 ft) to 1,480 metres (4,860 ft). The hills, which lie between the mountains and the plains, account for about one-third of the territory and range in height from 20 metres (66 ft) to 200 metres (660 ft), with occasional peaks rising to 400 metres (1,300 ft). The plains occupy roughly one-tenth of the surface area, reaching elevations of up to 20 metres (66 ft) above sea level. The lagoons, located between the hills, represent the remaining 5% of the city’s area. Bạch Mã National Park is a protected area in the city of Huế. The area covers 220 square kilometres (85 sq mi) and is divided into three zones: a strictly protected core area, an administrative area, and a buffer zone. File:Sông Hương với hoa phượng.jpg|Perfume River File:Bach Ma NP2.jpg|Bạch Mã National Park File:Tam Giang and Sam-Thanh Lam lagoons.jpg|Tam Giang–Cầu Hai lagoon File:Mirador de Lang Co, Vietnam (29537339568).jpg|Lăng Cô File:Strand - panoramio (20).jpg|Phú Vang File:Hue DoiVongCanh.jpg|Vọng Cảnh Hill File:Vinh hien.jpg|Vinh Hiền Huế’s climate mostly resembles the rest of central Vietnam, characterized as tropical monsoon, but because of the topography and altitude,…

Most-observed species

• Oriental Magpie-Robin

  Copsychus saularis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  168
• Eurasian Tree Sparrow

  Passer montanus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  134
• Chinese Pond-Heron

  Ardeola bacchus (Bonaparte, 1855) · Aves
  95
• White-shouldered Starling

  Sturnia sinensis (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves
  68
• Common Tailorbird

  Orthotomus sutorius (Pennant, 1769) · Aves
  63
• Rock Pigeon

  Columba livia J.F.Gmelin, 1789 · Aves
  61
• Common Kingfisher

  Alcedo atthis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  55
• Spotted dove

  Spilopelia chinensis (Scopoli, 1786) · Aves
  52

Most recent

• M 4.3 — 2025-11-07
  41 km SW of Huế, Vietnam
• M 4.6 — 2019-11-17
  52 km SW of Hu?, Vietnam
• M 4.4 — 2017-01-27
  55 km SSW of Hu?, Vietnam
• M 4.6 — 2014-05-15
  32 km WSW of Hu?, Vietnam