The Perfume River and Thien Mu Pagoda

The river is the axis of the city rather than a sight in itself. The citadel faces it from the north bank; hotels, cafes and the pedestrian streets line the south bank; Truong Tien bridge, first built in 1899, joins the two. Upstream, the river winds past Thien Mu, Hon Chen temple and the landings for the tombs; downstream it reaches the Tam Giang lagoon and the sea.

Thien Mu Pagoda dates from 1601, when Lord Nguyen Hoang, the first of the Nguyen lords, ordered it built on Ha Khe hill. Its emblem is Phuoc Duyen tower, an octagonal brick tower of seven storeys and 21 m added in 1844 under Emperor Thieu Tri. Two objects in the grounds are national treasures: the Great Bell cast in 1710 under Lord Nguyen Phuc Chu, recognised in 2013, and the stele of 1715 recording a restoration, recognised in 2020. It remains a working monastery with resident monks.

Expect company. The pagoda is on almost every city tour, and the boat landing below it can be crowded in the middle of the morning. The gardens behind the main hall are quieter than the tower terrace.

Ca Hue is the chamber singing of the old court and city, performed with zithers, lutes, the monochord and flutes. In the evening, licensed boats leave Toa Kham with a group of singers and musicians and drift mid-river while they perform, often ending with paper lanterns set on the water.

The rules set by the provincial culture department in 2018 required each programme to last at least 60 minutes, excluding translation, to use at least three traditional instruments, and to have at least seven performers on a single boat or eight on a double one. At that time 128 boats were licensed. The common complaint is not the music but the sale: tickets bought on the street can put you on a boat that only hears another boat's performance. Buy from a counter at the pier or through your accommodation, and ask how many performers will be on your boat.

Thien Mu is about 5 km west of the centre on the north bank. By road it is a short taxi or motorbike ride, and the road along the river is pleasant by bicycle in the cool months. By boat from Toa Kham, a round trip to the pagoda with time ashore fills one to two hours. Combine it with the western tombs on the same day, or with the Imperial City in the late afternoon.

An evening ca Hue programme lasts about an hour on the water. Allow time to reach the pier and to agree terms.

• If you dislike haggling: the price is agreed at the pier, and you will be approached by sellers.
• In the middle of a summer day, on an open boat with little shade.
• After heavy rain in October and November, when the river is high and fast and trips may be cancelled.
• If you want silence at the pagoda: mid-morning is its busiest time. Go early or near closing.
• If you need a toilet within an hour: most boats have none.