Located in the city of Hue in central Vietnamm, The imperial city was founded as the Vietnam capital city by Gia Long, the first king of the Nguyen Dynasty in 1802. It held this position for nine Nguyen dynasties until 1945.This Complex of Hue Monuments is a UNESCO World Heritage Site was residence of the royal family and badly damaged during the Vietnam War, the Imperial City, royal tombs, flag tower, pagodas, temples, a library and museum.
Situated in Thua Thien-Hue province, in the center of Viet Nam, the Complex of Hue Monuments consists of numerous architectural works, temples and palaces of exceptional value, despite some of them being destroyed in wars. It is the first one in Vietnam to be classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993.
Imperial City of Hue
The complex of monuments in Hue consists mainly of the Citadel, the Imperial City, the Forbidden Purple City and a few other buildings in the city or in its close surroundings, related to the Imperial City.
From 1802 to 1945, Hue was not only the administrative but also the cultural and religious center of Vietnam and witnessed the history of the country under thirteen emperors of the Nguyen Dynasties.
Construction began in 1805 and lasted about 30 years. The citadel is surrounded by fortified ramparts 2 kilometers by 2 kilometers, and ringed by a moat whose water is routed from the Perfume River through a series of sluice gates. In the center of it, the Imperial City with a perimeter wall some 2.5 kilometers in length, includes about 100 royal palaces, temples and places of worship. The Forbidden Purple City is the most important place, where is the residences of the King and the royal family.
In 1803, King Minh Mang looked for several areas to build the new citadel, finally he chose the one on the northern bank of the Perfume River. According to the theory of Feng Shui, the Ngu Binh Mount is the a front altar of the imposing and solid defending wall system, and the Perfume River collects the positive energy of the universe. The islets Hen and Da Vien on two sides represent a protective screen in front of the monuments or taking the role of “a blue dragon” to the left and “a white tiger” to the right – which shield the main entrance, show respect for kingship and prevent the entry of malevolent spirits.
The travelers take about two or three hours to discover the citadel with the main sights such as the Flag Tower, the Ngo Mon Gate, the Palace of Supreme Harmony, the Forbidden Purple City and the Ancestral Altars.
Southern Gate (Ngo Mon)
The Imperial City was built in 1834, with 4 gates, each facing one of the cardinal directions, and the Southern (Ngo Mon) is the biggest and the most important. It was divided into five entries, of which the central was for the King only; the left and the right entry reserved for the civil and military mandarins, the two last one for soldiers, horses and elephants.
Flag Tower (Ky Dai)
The Flag Tower (Ky Dai) is built of bricks in 1807 with three floors in the shape of a truncated pyramid, it has a total height of 54.5 m. In festivals, ceremonies or other emergencies, the signal was given at the top of the tower to inform the people. There was also an observation station at the top from which the soldiers looked out over the sea with a spyglass.
Supreme Harmony Palace
Located on the axis passing through the center of the Citadel and the Southern Gate, the Supreme Harmony is the important place where major public ceremonies such as the coronation, the King's birthday, the ambassador's welcome ceremony, the courts on the 1st and 15th days of the lunar months were held. Now a day, the visitors can contemplate the golden throne of the king.
Throne of King
The Forbidden Purple City was the residence of the king. There are more than 50 architectural works with diverse scales, typically including Can Chanh Palace (where the king held the courts and banquets), Can Thanh Palace (where the king slept), Thai Binh Pavilion (where the king relaxed, read books).
The Ancestral Altars was built to worship the parent of Gia Long King, then became the place of worship for all kings of the Nguyen Dynasty. According to the rules of the Nguyen family, the altars of the deposed kings were not allowed to be placed here, so before 1958, there were 7 altars. Then, the Council of Nguyen family added the altars of the Kings Ham Nghi, Thanh Thai, Duy Tan, who was deposed because of their opposition to the French colony.
It is recommended the visitors not to wear costumes like the short skirt, shorts, singlet, tank top, otherwise you will not be allowed to go inside some palaces.
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