Perfume River Night Market - Hue, Vietnam

Dragon Boats on the Perfume River

One of the popular attractions in Hue are the dragon boats, which take visitors on a tour of the Perfume River. But that is a story for another day. I provide this daylight photo of the river for perspective. Come nightfall, a market pops up along this stretch of the Perfume River. The market meanders along the sidewalk through the park as you head toward Trang Tien Bridge.

Perfume River Night Market, Hue

If you are hungry for a snack, the area is populated with plenty of small street food stands. Some are actual stands, while others are merely a hibachi fired up on the sidewalk with a selection of barbecue delicacies for sale. You can find a wide selection of souvenirs as you traverse the market. There are artists who will sketch your picture, you can purchase the standard varieties of cheap novelties or even have a belt made. I had a belt made. Some of the shops are located in small structures along the walkway. I ventured into this shop and had a leather belt custom made for around five dollars. I picked the leather and buckle and the craftsman knocked out a belt in about two minutes time.

Leather Shop

If you are tired of shopping, there are some restaurants nearby along the riverfront. One is shaped like a lotus. Or, you can buy a treat from any of the street vendors. Or, you can hang out and listen to a local band give a live performance. This band was doing a variety of music, most of it from the west. They did a cover of an Eagles tune among their repertoire. I don't remember which song they performed, but I recall that they were pretty good. We stood along the edge of the sidewalk and listened for a little while. The crisp night carrying the sounds over the normal bustle of the market.

Live Music

As we walked on past the market, we took some time to enjoy the river at night. There is some gaudy neon, like the ubiquitous beer sign that lights up at night. The beer advertising is everywhere in Hue, it seems. The Trang Tien Bridge is also lit up at night, but in a much more attractive way. And not so bright as to obscure the paper lanterns that locals (and tourists) send out into the Perfume River.

Lanterns on the Perfume River, Trang Tien Bridge

The photos are all mine. Taken at night with an iPhone. So the quality of the night time photos is not that good. But you get the point. My wife and I continued to walk along the river and eventually resorted to taking a cab back to our hotel. Lots of walking that day. It was a pleasant evening, with a soft breeze coming off the water. We did a little bit of shopping, enjoyed some music, had a nice dinner and said "good bye" to Hue. As this was our last night there. I'm not sure which nights the Night Market is open along the Perfume River, but if you have a chance to visit, it is a fun experience.