6 Best Places to Shop in Hue, The Central Coast

With more than 20 years of experience in fashion and customer service, Bo is the person to turn to if you need a dress or a shirt tailor-made in four hours. A true professional who speaks fluent English and French, Bo consults with you about design, material, and budget, ensuring you end up with the custom-made piece of your dreams tailored in house. Hats, silk, and cashmere scarves as well as embroidered clothes are available.

Hue's main market, Dong Ba, situated north of the Citadel just beyond the central Hue bus station, is the place to go for street food, souvenirs, clothing, and knockoff brands. It's enormous and packed to the rafters, so it can feel cramped and hot, especially near the food stalls in the center. Unlike many other local markets in the central region, this one comes alive as the sun goes down, when crowds descend for dinner right in the front of the market. Bargaining is expected at the market stalls.

This vocational center for young people with special needs turns out to be a more lively and fun place than it sounds. Bright and welcoming smiles are seen by the time you appear at the gate. On the right hand side is the Raku pottery workshop where disabled artisans patiently work on the pottery wheels. On the left, there is a souvenir shop where the others are meticulously weaving colorful electric wire or single-use plastic wrapper into beautiful items. Handicraft classes are available if you wish to sit down with these delightful young artisans to learn how to make pottery and share laughter.

This city-centered space near the iconic Truong Tien Bridge is a great place to shop for handicraft items and local produce with fixed prices. Apart from souvenirs made in Hue, there are also the former capital’s specialties such as cajeput oil, sesame candies, and royal tea and rice wine. The amiable and knowledgeable staff are available to explain the techniques of making conical hats, paper lotus flowers, and incense sticks. There are also handicraft classes with friendly and patient local artisans on site. There are two sister spaces at 79 Nguyen Chi Dieu Street (Luc Bo Cultural Space) and at Thieu Phuong Garden inside the Hue Forbidden Purple City worth visiting.

Owned by painter and fashion/interior designer Quang Tan, TA gallery is a collection of paintings by young artists in Hue. While the first floor is more for "touristic" art pieces, the second and third floors house theme exhibitions with a focus on Hue City; there is also a chic coffee shop and bakery. The themes of the exhibitions change every two months.

Taking cues from traditional paper-making techniques, artist Phan Hai Bang and his colleagues created the modern visual art form, Truc Chi. The process involves using water sprays to etch patterns layer by layer onto wet pulp that films on a fine silk frame. Truc Chi artworks are displayed in a riverfront gallery just a 15-minute walk from Thien Mu Pagoda.