Hue

We flew to Hue in the central part of the country  This city of 500,000 has been a main cultural,  religious,  and education center of Vietnam for centuries.   Hue is 50 miles south of the former DMZ. During the Vietnam War, it had some of the fiercest fighting during the Tet Offensive of 1968. 80% of Hue was destroyed in 23 days of fighting.   17,000 military casualties were incurred....US Marines and a combination North Vietnamese soldiers and Viet Cong.
Historically, Hue was the home of the first dynasty during the 17th century.  The Imperial Enclosure in the Citadel includes the Forbidden Purple City which is being reconstructed after the war damage.

Inside the Forbidden Purple City

We took a boat ride on the Perfume River and famous 7-story Thien Mu Pagoda.

On the Perfume River

 

Exterior and interior of the pagoda

We then had lunch with Buddhist nuns at the Dieu Thanh Pagoda.

Some interesting details about Vietnam:
Of the 91 million population,  only 36% are Communist Party members.  Most young people are not interested in becoming Party members, according to our guide Jacky.
Education is not free in Vietnam unless your family makes less than the equivalent of 1-2 dollars per day.  Otherwise, it costs about $500 per year for students in kindergarten - high school. If a student passes a college entrance exam, tuition is about $2,000 a year.  There are more expensive private schools.