Thua Thien-Hue (in Vietnamese Thừa Thiên–Huế) is a province in the North Central Coast of Vietnam, approximately in the center of the country. The capital city of the province, Huế, was once the royal capital of Vietnam. There is an extensive complex of imperial tombs and temples.
History

Prior to 1975, the province was known simply as Thừa Thiên.

The province is known as an area of heavy fighting during the Vietnam War. More U.S. soldiers died in this province than in any other province in Vietnam (2,893).[1]

This province and neighbouring Quang Nam Province suffered greatly from flooding in November 1999.

The historic village of Phuoc Tich is located in Thua Thien-Hue Province.

Geography

Thua Thien-Hue Province borders the Quang Tri Province to the north, the city of Da Nang to the east, the Quang Nam Province to the south, and the Xekong Province of Laos to the west.

The Perfume River (called Sông Hương or Hương Giang in Vietnamese) passes through the province.

The province has a complex topography. It is made up four different zones: a mountainous area, hills, plains and lagoons separated from the sea by sandbanks. It has 126 km of beaches.

The mountains, covering more than half the total surface of the province, are along the west and southwest border of the province, their height varying from 500 to 1480 metres. The hills are lower, between 20 to 200 metres, with some points at 400 metres, and occupy a third of the area of the province, between the mountains and the plains. The plains account for about a tenth of the surface area, with a height of only up to 20 metres above sea level. Between the hills are the lagoons which occupy the remaining 5 per cent of the surface area of the province. (Atlas des lagunes de Thừa Thiên-Huế, 2003)

The climate is similar to central Vietnam in general: a tropical monsoon climate. In the plains and in the hills, the average annual temperature is 25°C, but in the mountains only 21°C (statistical yearbook 2004). The cool season is from November to March with cold northeasterly winds. The lowest average monthly temperature is in January: 20°C. In the cool season temperatures can fall to 12°C in the plains and the relative humidity is high, between 85 et 95%. Then follows a warmer period from April to September with average monthly temperatures up to 29°C in July, reaching up to 41°C at times. The relative humidity is lower, sometimes down to 50%.[2]

The annual precipitation in the province is 3200 mm but there are important variations. Depending on the year the annual average may be 2500 to 3500 mm in the plains and 3000 to 4500 mm in the mountains. In some years the rainfall may be much higher and reach more than 5000 mm in the mountains (Atlas des lagunes de Thừa Thiên-Huế, 2003). The rainy season is from September to December - about 70 percent of the precipitation occurring in those months. Rainfall often occurs in short heavy bursts which can cause flooding and erosion, with serious social, economic and environmental consequences. The floods of November 1999 led to 600 deaths and affected 600,000 homes. (Comité des inondations, 1999).

Economy

Tourism is an important factor in the economy of this province.

Administrative divisions

The province comprises one city (Huế) (tỉnh lỵ) and eight districts:

   1. A Lưới
   2. Hương Thủy
   3. Hương Trà
   4. Nam Đông
   5. Phong Điền
   6. Phú Lộc
   7. Phú Vang
   8. Quảng Điền

Transportation

Vietnam's National Road 1A, which runs the entire length of the nation from north to south, passes through Huế.

Huế and Da Nang are the main intermediate stops on the railway line from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City.

Flora and fauna

A remote region known as the "Green Corridor" is home to many species. New species of snake, butterfly, and orchid have been found there in 2005-2006, as stated by Chris Dickinson of the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) on September 26, 2007[3]. The scientists discovered 11 new species of plants and animals, including a snake, two butterflies and five leafless orchid varieties. The new snake species is a white-lipped keelback (Amphiesma leucomystax). The new butterfly species are the "skipper" from the genus Zela and the other from Satyrinae. The new plant species also include one in the Aspidistra family, and a poisonous Arum perennial.