Hue or Hoi An, which city makes travelers more impressive? It is difficult to answer this question! Each city has its beauty, if Hue is all about Vietnam history and dynasties of the past, Hoi An is a small gorgeous city with many things to buy. Following are some comparisons between two cities: Hue and Hoi An.

Hue or Hoi An in term of architecture

Lying on the banks of the beautiful Huong River, Hue is the perfect choice for the history buffs. Hue holds the beauty of a Vietnamese feudal empire which had vanished. The architecture system – Hue citadel – located in the center of Hue is considered as the representatives of the authority of Nguyen monarchy. The citadel is the harmony of the Western quintessence and oriental architecture, which creates a charming view of the city. Moreover, the tombs of the Nguyen Kings are the great achievements of the landscape architecture. It is considered that tombs will be the heaven for its owner for the afterlife so each tomb is based on the personality of the owner. Some are majestic among the nature some are austere among the mountains and lake. Besides the historical places as Hue citadel or the King tombs, visitors can enjoy other wonderful places as Ngu Binh Moutain, Thien Mu Pagoda, Thuan An Beach, Lang Co Beach…And an importance place for going sight-seeing is Huong River. The River has the poetic beauty with the beautiful view.

While Hue is world-famous by The Citadel and the historical side, Hoi An ancient town is definitely favored by nature. Time’s gone but this ancient city still holds its Eastern oriental classic captivation as the first days being born. The first impressive point of Hoi An that the tourists can easily realize is the architecture. The city is the perfect combination of many cultures; from Eastern, there are Chinese century and Japanese in 16th and 17th while Dutch, Spanish and especially French are the representatives of the Western culture. The foreign culture and the traditional culture from the Indianized Kingdom Champa (which covered much of the current central Vietnam) makes Hoi An more charming and attractive. Instead of the imposing building, a series of old-architecture lanes and houses is a perfect idea for those love the classical styles. Houses are still kept as their initial building with plain roofs, the antique furniture and moss-grown walls.

Despite the rapid industrialization in the big cities, Hoi An still can survive in the new modern and high-tech era and keeps on its charm. There are some famous places in this old town that tourists must see. Initially, Japanese Covered Bridge – Chua Cau or Lai Vien Kieu located on the west of Tran Phu Street is the most famous remnant constructed by the Japanese people. Besides, Quan Cong Temple, Tan Ky House, Meeting Hall or Museum Culture are premium places to visit.

Cultural beauty of two cities

Besides the wonderful features in architecture, Hue is well-known for its ritual royal music. The two magnificent and skillful kinds of music: “Dai Nhac” and “Nha Nhac” are developed from the old 8 kinds of ritual music under Le and Nguyen dynasty and played only on formal occasions. And on December 1993, UNESCO has proclaimed The Royal Refined Music of Hue as the Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Once more time, Hue is proved to be the cradle of traditional music.

On the other hand, Hoi An is the prime land of local festivals. If you once step on Hoi An, you should not miss some great festivals in Hoi An. The most special one is the Full Moon Festival held in 14th of every lunar month – the night before the full moon. The lane will be decorated with colorful lights and lamps. Furthermore, Mid-Autumn Festival and lantern festivals are the most special and enchanting festivals of Hoi An. The ancient city is full of the cloth and paper lanterns, which creates the sparkling and romantic view.

Hue or Hoi An has its special food which is not only cheap but also tasty. Two cities seem to be equal in terms of architecture, cultural beauty and food; however, there is one point of Hoi An which can be more attractive in comparison with Hue. Hoi An is considered as the heaven for shopping, travelers can buy many souvenirs in this old town with the suitable price. Hue is a bit weaker at this point.

Hue or Hoi An? It should be decided after tourists consider the purpose of the travel, the individual taste and the length of the trip. If you want to understand more about the history of some vanished Vietnamese dynasties and can stay about 3 days, Hue is more suitable. However, if your aim for the trip is enjoying the stunning view, and your time is limited, only one day, for example, you should choose Hoi An as your destination!