If the royal tombs and the imperial city are well-known for Hue City – the old capital of Vietnam, for people who love Hue, the Perfume River (Huong Giang) is like the hearts of their love. The Perfume River is beautiful because the calm blue water flows gently through each cuddling strip of land. It has brought with it a rich stream of fresh flavors, alluring the souls of Hue people and many green seeds in the old capital’s land.
Tourists traveling to Hue can choose different ways to discover the beauty of Huong Giang. But either way, if you haven’t stepped down the walking Street along the Perfume River, and iron-wood bridge to feel the “sweetness of the wind”, or the aroma of the water blowing from the river, you will certainly lose a part of the extraordinary value of your trip.
General about Walking Street Nguyen Dinh Chieu
Located along the southern bank of the Perfume River, parallel to Le Loi Road, Nguyen Dinh Chieu walking street extends from the foot of Truong Tien bridge to iron-wooden bridge (Cau Go Lim) through Phu Xuan bridge.
Different from the walking streets of tourist area (Vo Thi Sau, Chu Van An, and Pham Ngu Lao), Nguyen Dinh Chieu street is merely for walking, sightseeing, relaxation, public art, and street activities. There are no vehicles, no horns, and the surrounding houses. The street is separated from the urban life by a system of parks, such as University of Education Park, Phan Boi Chau Flower Garden, and Tu Tuong Park. Interspersed with these parks are French architectural buildings used as the art centers and museums. Several ancient houses were built along the street to create diversity for cultural space. Besides, there are also more kiosks to introduce and sell handicrafts, famous specialties in Hue, which helps to promote and improve the quality of local products of Hue tourism.
Green trees need to be mentioned as an indispensable element to make the most famous walking path in the ancient capital. Also, there are names that have entered the hearts of people and become symbols for the poetic beauty of the Perfume River: Trang Tien Bridge connecting both sides of the river, the red poinciana tree (Cay Phuong Do) at the foot of Truong Tien bridge; Buddha tree standing at the Phan Boi Chau flower garden; white frangipani flowers along the French buildings, Bang Lang Tim (Lagerstroemia speciosa summer purple flowers) along the road, … All existing here perhaps have the mission of creating a very peaceful walking street in Hue City.
Where anyone also wants to come!
It’s no exaggeration to call Nguyen Dinh Chieu street is a place where anyone wants to come at least once because it is not difficult to recognize people come here of all ages, genders, and different personalities. They are free to do their own activities and hobbies.
Older people choose to walk, exercise and talk about their grandchildren with their old friends. The young are more interested in performing or practicing arts and sports, which belong to their forte: playing shuttlecock, guitar, singing, characterizing, painting, portrait painting, chess, skateboard, canoe racing on the river, etc. Children are busy to play with their new friends. Couples tell their endless stories. Sometimes, the poet listens to the breath of the wind and water, or gets nostalgia about his twenties with a schoolgirl. And, many other people walking on Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street enjoy cool temperature, watch the people going up and down, and breathe the fresh air blowing from the Huong River.
Of course, it is impossible not to mention the presence of a large number of tourists who come to enjoy the scenery of the Perfume River and Trang Tien Bridge. Some of them spend time buying small souvenirs. Other travelers are finding the most suitable photo frames, or are curious to learn the character’s unique ability to stand motionlessly. And surely, whoever you are, you’ll never find yourself lost in the middle of this peaceful walking street.
The street is not just for the evening.
If the pedestrian streets of Pham Ngu Lao, Chu Van An, and Vo Thi Sau are licensed by the authority on weekends’ evenings, Nguyen Dinh Chieu walking street has an absolute time for everyone. At any time of the day, you can come and enjoy the spiritual values that this beautiful space has to offer.
If you like to wake up early in the morning, do not miss the opportunity to catch the sunrise on the Perfume River with views from Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street, and on the iron-wooden bridge (Cau Go Lim). A genuinely tranquil Perfume River wakes up with a poetic beauty enough to make many people fluttering. At this time, many local residents are enjoying the wonderful relaxing moment of a new fresh day of this area, which gives them full of life power. This is a unique way to charge abundant energy for many people to welcome the long working day coming up.
Advice for you: always remember to bring a camera. You will capture the frame like that. In addition, the cash equivalent of 2 USD sometimes becomes useful to get a cup of coffee. What a wonderful time for those who want something to sip and watch the time moving and the city life by Trang Tien Bridge and the Perfume River!
When the new day enters with the sunlight starts covering, the pedestrian street also begins to step into a different tone. The tone of the colorful long dresses ( Ao Dai) is showing off under the beautiful background created by the river, trees, small streets, and peaceful life.
The photographer passionately instructs the model to pose for lovely photos. Some women who are over fifty years old still look for bright purple and pink dresses to take pictures to keep their time staying with them. Sometimes, new couples also appear with wedding dresses to add more colors to the happiness of daily life. Just standing there and watching the silhouettes of them around are enough to realize how sweet, casual, but charming, Hue is.
When night comes, the walking path becomes bright with the lights, and laughter of many people. Indeed, this is the time when people gather most of the day at Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street and the iron-wooden bridge. Perhaps everyone understands that after a long stressful day, they need a nice place to relax, breathe fresh air. This place becomes a common meeting area without an advance appointment.
If you are a tourist and spend most of the day visiting monuments, tombs, and radios, the evening will be an ideal time for strolling at Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street, iron-wooden bridge, watching Trang Tien Bridge with colorful lights at night. Here, you can easily buy tickets for the cruise on the Perfume River, listen to Hue folk songs, or participate in some street art activities.
Two seasons are also happiness.
Regardless of the rainy or sunny season, this site will bring you unique emotions. The sunny season is a time of blooming of the red summer flowers, yellow scallops, and purple Lagerstroemia. All together cover the city a picture of nature full of life strength. Nguyen Dinh Chieu Walking Street and iron-wooden bridge become the most exciting rendezvous to enjoy the beauty that nature has bestowed on Hue.
Rainy season. It is indeed the season that makes the idyllic scene with exceptional features for the ancient capital. The rain flutters on the branches, lightly parks on the grass, making the entire Huong River sinking in a vague light screen that is both far and near. It evokes something of loneliness, and a deep feeling in the heart of a lovesick man, but also full of shyness, and embarrassment, like the first dating.
One thing is for sure, regardless of the season of the year or the time of day, Nguyen Dinh Chieu Walking Street is always the best place in Hue to take photos and admire the Perfume River. You do not pay for a fee to enjoy the pleasant atmosphere, the beautiful scenery. You can feel friendly feelings of the local people here. With all of these available, it will be an unfortunate omission if you travel to Hue without stopping by this site.