the citadel notebook a Huế girl’s notes on her city & beyond
Mai and a friend in the pool, seen from behind hot day, cold water, best friends

Xin chào, I’m Mai!

Born in Huế, back home inside the old walls, and always planning the next trip.

I write about my city: the Citadel and its lanes, the people who still make things by hand, the food my grandmother taught me, and the trips I take from here. Slow, curious, and mostly on a bicycle.

Start here More about me

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The Ngọ Môn at dusk Huế in three days: my plan What I do when friends visit A gate inside the Citadel Where I’d stay An honest guide, every budget A chè stall at night What to eat, and where Soup for breakfast, cake for lunch Finishing a pagoda bell in Phường Đúc Meet the makers Casters, carvers, flower makers

Latest stories

fresh from my notebook
Tịnh Tâm lake from above HUẾ & THE CITADEL 48 hours inside the Citadel walls (and why you’ll want more) Gates at sunrise, lotus lakes at noon, and the lanes nobody shows you. A bowl of bún bò Huế EAT I tried bún bò Huế in three kitchens. Here’s my winner Lemongrass, shrimp paste and a very strong opinion. The royal theatre HERITAGE The royal theatre: Nhã nhạc for beginners The Nguyễn court’s music, listed by UNESCO in 2003: two short shows a day at Duyệt Thị Đường. A bell in a Phường Đúc workshop PEOPLE A morning with a bronze caster in Phường Đúc The foundry quarter that cast the emperors’ urns is still pouring. Lanterns and áo dài in a Huế street at Tết CELEBRATIONSCOMING SOON Tết in Huế: flowers, family and far too much food Yellow apricot blossom, paper lotus and my aunt’s bánh tét. A villa by its pool at dusk STAY Where to stay in Huế: my honest guide Inside the walls, by the river or out in the villages, for every budget.
The Imperial City from above inside the walls Huế, the Citadel & its heritage Gates, lakes, garden houses, court music, crafts and the stories behind them. My city, slowly. Read the heritage stories
From Bạch Mã, the view down to the coast towards Đà Nẵng beyond the walls Trips from Huế Weekend escapes, the central coast, the mountains, and the odd trip abroad, always with Huế as home base. See the trips

screenshot this

My little Huế list

morning Cycling the ramparts at sunrise, then a cà phê muối
lunch Bánh bèo and bánh nậm at the back of Đông Ba market
afternoon A garden house in Kim Long, if the family invites you in
sunset The Perfume River from Vọng Cảnh hill
night Court music, then chè hạt sen by the river
souvenir A paper lotus from Thanh Tiên

things I wish visitors knew

  1. Give Huế three nights, not one. Most people rush through on the way to Hội An.
  2. The Citadel is a neighbourhood, not just a monument: walk its lanes after 5 pm.
  3. October to December is the rainy season. Bring a poncho, then go anyway.
  4. Cover shoulders and knees in pagodas, and take your shoes off where others do.
  5. Breakfast is soup. Trust me.
On my Instagram @citadelnotebook
Mai and her bicycle by the Citadel walls A Citadel gate at sunrise Mè xửng Bánh nậm Đông Ba market Lăng Cô bay

Letters from Huế

A short letter twice a month: what’s blooming, what I ate, where I went. No ads, ever.