Unlike Hanoi and HCMC, where trees are routinely felled to build the subway and other urban projects, ancient town Hue has managed to keep them. 

In 2016 Hue became the first in the country to be named a "National Green City" by the World Wide Fund for Nature. The popular tourist town in central Vietnam has focused on urban greenery, green tourism, smart public lighting, and the use of renewable and environment-friendly building materials.

People drive under rows of trees early in morning in Hue.

Hue is one of the few towns in the country to hold on to its green space. Trees have been chopped down in large numbers in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the country’s two biggest metropolises to accommodate their metro lines

Trees over 100 years old in Ly Tu Trong Park that have a canopy of 100 square meters offer a place for people, including tourists, to drink coffee and watch the Huong (Perfume) River.

Other major parks include Phu Xuan, Ly Tu Trong and Thuong Bac along the Huong River.

Camphor trees have been planted on Le Loi Street since French colonial times.

Phan Chu Trinh and Phan Dinh Phung streets on the banks of the An Cuu River have green trees lining them.

Truong Tien Bridge, an iconic symbol of Hue, seen from above.

Built in 1899 during the reign of King Thanh Thai, the 10th ruler of the Nguyen Dynasty, the 400-meter bridge was designed by Gustave Eiffel, the architect who designed the Eiffel Tower in France and the Statue of Liberty in the U.S.

Green trees cover the entire Hue Imperial Citadel, which was once witness to the rise and fall of the Nguyen Dynasty, the last feudal rulers of Vietnam (1802-1945).

Saigon - Morin Hue was built in 1901 during the French colonial era. Dense green trees are a feature of the hotel overlooking the Huong River.