Hue Imperial City, Hue, Vietnam

Imperial City, Hue Overview

The Imperial City of Hue is a walled complex that once served as the state’s capital during the prosperous reign of the Nguyen Dynasty. Constructed in 1803 by then-Emperor Gia Long, the city currently has multiple royal courts, temples, gardens, and residential houses of ministers and mandarins of that time.

The entire layout of the city faces the Perfume River and is protected by fortifications accompanied by cannons and bastions. There is a ringed moat that also serves as a canal navigation system. The Imperial City became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. Four outer courts, 14 inner courts, one beautiful garden, royal residences, and a couple of pavilions are inside the Imperial City. There are also six temples, including The Mieu shrine, an ancestral temple of the Nguyen Dynasty. Ten majestic gates lead you to the Imperial City of Hue. The South Gate, also called the Meridian Gate, is the main entrance.

Imperial Citadel

Your first stop will be the outer fortifications of the Imperial City which is 10 km in circumference and built to be the first line of defense. Next comes the Tran Binh Bastion and the ancillary gate called Tran Binh Mon, which means the ‘Peaceful Protector’. It acted as the second line of defense.

This protective barrier is treated as Kinh Thanh Hue - the Citadel - and housed important palaces, offices, and courts inside the city. It also protected the royal palaces and courts from foreign invasions. Inside the Citadel stood the Hoang Thanh - the Royal Citadel - which consists of more than 100 mindblowing architectural specimens.

This part of divided into four vast sections: Thai Hoa Palace, used for grand functions and wedding ceremonies; the internal affairs offices; Kham Van Palace, where young princes studied and trained to become warriors; and Co Hai Garden. There are also many tombs dedicated to the past emperors of the dynasty. Emperor Gia Long rests here as well. The three most popular mausoleums are Tu Duc, Khai Dinh, and Minh Mang. Do visit the Thien Mu pagoda as well, where you will see young students training to be monks.

The Mieu ancestral temple is a must-visit here. Erected in 1822-1823 by Emperor Minh Mang, this shrine is dedicated to the past ancestors of the Nguyen Dynasty. Opposite the temple, the nine urns are a tribute to the first nine Nguyen Emperors, similar to China’s legendary Nine Tripod Cauldrons of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou Dynasties.

History of Hue Imperial City

Emperor Gia Long, real name Nguyen Anh, was the first royal king of the Nguyen Dynasty. He ascended the throne after reclaiming the lands of Siam (Thailand) and Khmer (Cambodia) back from the Tay Son Dynasty. After shifting the empire’s capital to Hue, he commissioned the palatial complex based on Beijing’s famous Forbidden City. It became merely a symbol of past glory after the French annexation. After the fall of the monarchy, the Imperial City took heavy damage in the Vietnam-U.S.A and Indochina Wars.