text: [{"text_idx": "#000006", "text": "Cam Ranh to Nha Trang"}, {"text_idx": "#000014", "text": "Phan Thiet to Ho Chi Minh"}, {"text_idx": "#000031", "text": "Location of Bong Son Railway Station"}, {"text_idx": "#000034", "text": "Hue is medium sized city in Central Vietnam with around 450,000 permanent residents. Lots of tourists visit Hue to see the city\u2019s historical sites, and many come only for the day on bus tours. The city itself, however, is a laid back place with great facilities and a scenic location on the Perfume River. It\u2019s a nice place to stay even without visiting any of the tourist attraction."}, {"text_idx": "#000035", "text": "Hue is believed to have been founded at the start of the 1600s, and subsequently became the capital city of Vietnam in 1802. At that time the leader of the Nguyen family, which was instrumental in the founding of Hue, had ascended to the position of Emperor of a unified Vietnam and choose their home town as the location of the Imperial Court."}, {"text_idx": "#000036", "text": "The last Emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty abdicated in 1945 in favour of Communist rule from Hanoi. The importance of Hue declined instantly from that point onwards, with whatever political power they held at that point being transferred to Hanoi and Saigon in the South. The city\u2019s decline continued with the near complete destruction of the city\u2019s most important historical buildings during the Battle of Hue in 1968, when both sides fought with little consideration of the damage being done to Vietnam\u2019s cultural heritage."}, {"text_idx": "#000037", "text": "Since Vietnam achieved it\u2019s independence Hue\u2019s ruined city centre has been largely rebuilt and a significant proportion of the damaged historical buildings, particularly within the Imperial Citadel, have been restored or reconstructed. Modern day Hue is a thriving city with attracts lots of foreign visitors."}, {"text_idx": "#000039", "text": "Hue\u2019s principal tourist attractions are its Imperial Citadel and its many Imperial Tombs located to the South of the city centre."}, {"text_idx": "#000040", "text": "The Imperial Citadel covers a 10 square kilometre area right in the centre of Hue. Construction of this complex of palaces and temples began in 1804 and carried on until the end of the Imperial regime with each new Emperor adding new buildings. The citadel is surrounded by a 2 metre thick wall punctuated by defensive forts. The many decorated gates of the Imperial Citadel, however, are its most photographed features."}, {"text_idx": "#000041", "text": "As well as a massive palace, the Emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty also built increasingly elaborate and expensive out of town tombs. The cost of those vanity projects was a major burden on the local tax payers and a source of enormous resentment at the time, which contributed to the eventual dissolution of Vietnam\u2019s monarchy. The second last Emperor, Khai Dinh, built the grandest and most espensive of these tombs and it\u2019s well worth going to see. Khai Dinh\u2019s crypt in particular is visually stunning decorated with astronomically expensive crystal, glass and bronze work imported from Paris."}, {"text_idx": "#000042", "text": "The one major tourist attraction in Hue which pre-dates the city becoming the Imperial capital of Vietnam is the Pagoda of of the Celestial Lady, known locally as Thien Mu. According to legend the Pagoda of of the Celestial Lady makes the spot where a Nguyen decided on the location of the city helped by the advice of a local lady. The pagoda, which has 7 storeys, was completed in 1601. The riverside location is also notable and this is one of Vietnam\u2019s most beautiful temples."}, {"text_idx": "#000047", "text": "Vietnam Train GuideClick on the image above to read more about train services in Vietnam, including seat types, facilities and food on Vietnam Trains.Vietnam Train TimesClick on the image above for train times, station information and destination guides for popular journeys in Vietnam."}, {"text_idx": "#000048", "text": "Click on the image above to read more about train services in Vietnam, including seat types, facilities and food on Vietnam Trains."}]