Huế

The shallowness of the Perfume River, which runs through Huế, and the shifting sandbars at its mouth precluded oceangoing vessels from sailing up the river as far as Huế.

Rice thus needed to be transported to the capital Huế for distribution to the northernmost part of the country, but organizing a convoy was not easy. […] But the rice traffic was so vital to Huế’s economy that the Nguyễn ordered boat owners to transport rice to Thuận Hóa twice a year up to 1714; […]

My grandmother was a great entrepreneur; in order to support her family, she opened up her front room to sell bún bò huế, the best noodle soup I have ever eaten. It originates from Huế (the city of temples, emperor’s palaces and dynasties in central Vietnam) and is spicy, bold and invigorating.