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Hue songs highlight dragon boat trips on Huong river

Taking a ride on a dragon boat along the Huong (Perfume) river is an amazing experience for visitors to the former imperial city of Hue. The boat trip gives visitors a chance to not only see famous places in Hue but also enjoy the beautiful melodies of traditional songs.
Dragon boats, which used to be a means of transport exclusively for the kings, are now a unique water vehicle for tourists in Hue. The fare ranges from 100,000-700,000 dong (roughly 4.5-30.5 US dollars) depending on the time of the trip and accompanied services.
A boat trip along the Huong river allows visitors to see beautiful scenery and explore famous relics such as the tombs of kings Minh Mang and Khai Dinh from the Nguyen dynasty, Thien Mu pagoda and Hon Chen temple.

At sunset, visitors on the boat can feel the peaceful atmosphere along the river banks and see the sparkling city shining brightly. That is the right time for them to enjoy the sweet melodies of Ca Hue (Hue songs) sung by charming Hue women who are known for their sweet voices and gentleness.


Taking a ride on a dragon boat along the Huong river is a unique experience. 


 The boat excursion attracts domestic and foreign visitors alike. 


 The boat tour takes visitors to famous sites of the former imperial city. 


Visitors can take the ride on a large boat or rent a private one.


The boat terminal on Le Loi road.


At sunset, visitors can feel the peaceful atmosphere along the river banks.


Truong Tien bridge over Huong river sparkles at night. 


Sweet melodies of Ca Hue are a highlight of the boat trip. 


The songs are sung by charming Hue women known for their sweet voices. 


Souvenirs for sale aboard.


Releasing flower lanterns is a beautiful cultural feature in Hue.


The boat trip is a nice experience for visitors to Hue.

Ca Hue is a form of classical Vietnamese music from central Vietnam, particularly in Hue. The melodies of Ca Hue stir people’s souls with sorrowful or delightful moods, while the lyrics contain life stories. Local artists have preserved Ca Hue as a cultural treasure of the former imperial capital throughout history.
 
Ca Hue is a traditional music genre which combines folk and royal court music. Ca Hue has around 60 basic songs which are performed with traditional Vietnamese musical instruments, including the dan tranh (16-string zither), dan nhi (two-string fiddle), dan nguyet (moon-shaped lute), and sanh tien (coin wooden clappers). 

By Nguyen Luan

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