In addition to the old imperial citadel, the imperial city of Hue also has several imperial tombs and memorials and one of the largest Buddhist monasteries in Southeast Asia.
We start with one of the several tombs of the old imperial dynasty “Lang Tu Duc” of the ruler of the same name, just outside the city center. Here are tombs in honor of the emperor, as well as the tombs of his first wife, his successor, a memorial for his concubines and a temple in a huge and beautiful park. The tomb of the emperor himself is not here and was kept secret as he wanted to protect himself from grave robbers. This went so far that the slaves who carried him to the tomb and buried him were beheaded on their return… 
The temple and monastery “Ni Xa Dieu Tram” of the Buddhist order “Plum Village”, which also runs monasteries around the world (also in Germany and France under the name European Institute of Applied Buddhism), is just a few minutes’ walk from the burial site. Here we meet up with Thanh Minh, a nun at the monastery and the sister of Cuong, a former colleague of Tobi. After a coconut and fruit and some shy introductions, the mood quickly thaws and she and another nun show us around the monastery and explain some of the traditions and teachings of the order. Afterwards, the three of us go to a park above the Perfume River and enjoy the evening atmosphere and the sunset with more fruit that Thanh has brought with her. But that’s not enough, she really wants to take us out for a “typical Hue meal”, which is why we call a cab and drive into the city together to a restaurant that we would never have found on our own (and of course we don’t have to explain the vegan food to Thanh 
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While Thanh says goodbye and drives back to the monastery, we enjoy a walk past the old imperial citadel and the festive market atmosphere just before the Vietnamese New Year. There are numerous food stalls, lanterns and even a kind of talent show – although the performances look a little amateurish 
The next day we visit the real highlight of Hue, the old citadel of the imperial city. The imperial family lived here until the early 20th century. Unfortunately, the Vietnamese fighters also entrenched themselves here during the Vietnam War, which is why the citadel was heavily bombed by the Americans. We therefore see a lot of rubble and ruins, but some of the most important buildings have been extensively restored or even completely rebuilt. So it is definitely worth a visit.
After a relaxing afternoon in a café and a nice bar, the next morning we take the plane back to Ho Chi Minh and continue by bus directly to the Mekong Delta…