Huế Established as the capital of unified Viet Nam in 1802,
Huế was not only the political but also the cultural and
religious centre under the Nguyen dynasty until 1945.
The Perfume River winds its way through the Capital City,
the Imperial City, the Forbidden Purple City and the Inner
City, giving this unique feudal capital a setting of great
natural beauty.

The Imperial citadel (Thanh noi) is located north of the
Perfume River (Song Huong). King Gia Long, the first
Nguyen dynasty, decided to build his capital in Hue because
of the presence of the 104m Ngu Binh mountain, which was
Ngu to be a symbol of great power. It was built in 1805 under
the reign of Gia Long, and completed in 1808. Thanh noi
comprises three ramparts, namely from outside to inside:
Kinh Thanh (Capital Citadel), Hoang Thanh (Imperial Citadel)
and Tu Cam Thanh (forbidden citadel). The Citadel has
10 entrances, and each gate is topped by a watch tower
5m high. The main gate (Ngo Mon) in the south-east wall,
is a 54.5m flagpole, known as the King's Knight. The emperor entered along the King's Road, also named "Noon" because the
emperor's symbol was the sun, which is at its brightest at high noon. The main gate has three entrances, with the central one
reserved exclusively for the emperor or important foreign ambassadors. On top of the Noon Gate is the Phoenix building, where the
emperor appeared on national holidays such as lunar new year. From the Ngo Mon, the Bridge of Golden Waters over the moat
leads to the Thai Hoa (Throne Room, or Place of Supreme Harmony), where provincial mandarins came to pay homage. Civil leaders
stood on the left, and army chiefs to the right.

Today, Huế is still a potent symbol of imperial grandeur Wars and nature have been cruel to Hue's ancient citadel. Because the
mountains are so dramatically close to the sea, the area has the highest rainfall in Vietnam. The high price of civil war has destroyed
over 100 temples, historic sites and old houses have been lost forever. However, enough of old Hue remains to recall its former
glory, when it was the official capital of the Nguyen dynasty for 143 years.

Under the Nguyen kings, Hue was the capital of Vietnam until 1945. Nowadays, it is one of the country's main tourist centres. This
central highland city is widely known for its magnificent architecture, citadels, palaces, royal tombs, pagodas and temples. It is also
an enduring symbol of Vietnamese artistry. The city was carefully planned by feng shui experts, with all the major buildings in the
citadel facing south, and laid out to take advantage of the magical powers of the number nine, with nine steps and nine cannons.
For centuries, the selection of sites for the royal tombs was the job of the feng shui masters, according to the most favourable
combinations of yin and yang and the five elements such as Metal (Kim), Wood (Moc), Water (Thuy), Fire (Hoa), Earth (Tho). The
city straddles the Perfume River (Song Huong), with the Citadel and Linh Mu pagoda on the north bank, the Imperial tombs and the
French quarter to the south.

Tourist attractions in Hue:

Imperial Citadel (Thanh noi)
It is a large scale construction covering an area of 5.2 km2.. It includes Tran Binh Bastion, also called Mang Ca Bastion, 24
fortresses and protected areas.

Khai Dinh's tomb
With its stone mandarins, horses and life-size elephants, this is the most famous of the time, construction began during the
monarch's lifetime; it took 11 years and was paid for with a 30 percent tax levied on the whole nation. The tomb combines Romantic,
Gothic and Indian styles with notable Buddhist influences, and is decorated from floor to ceiling with mosaics made from vases and
pottery brought from all over the empire for the artisans to smash for their work.

Khai Dinh's son Bao Dai was crowned at the age of 12, but studied in France for nine years before he began his rule. He ended the
dynasty's history in 1945 when he formally renounced the throne at the main gate or the Citadel.

Thieu Tri's tomb
Thieu Tri is the third Emperor of Nguyen reign, who ruled from 1841 to 1847. Contrary to his father and grandfather, Emperor Thieu
Tri did not think about building a tomb for himself during his lifetime.
Hue Citadel By Night
Thien Mu Pagoda
Vy Da Cafe
Trang Tien