Hue Imperial Citadel

It may have seen better days, but Hue 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. Everything rots in the soggy climate and plants take root in the brickwork, eventually bringing buildings down. 

Over 100 temples, historic sites and old houses have been lost forever, destroyed by war. However, enough of old Hue remains to recall its former glory, when it was the official capital of the Nguyen dynasty for 143 years. -Located in the geographic centre of Vietnam, the city still retains its unique cultural identity - unlike most of the country's other cities, which were affected by foreign influences. 

Once an outpost of the Champa kingdom, the area was conquered by Viets from the north during the 14th century. A Viet princess married a Chain king and they moved their capital to Hue from where they continued their unrelenting southern expansion. 

Under the Nguyen kings, Hue was the capital of Vietnam until 1945. Nowadays, it is one of the country's main tourist centres. This small, quiet 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.
Gia Long, the first Nguyen king, 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. 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 - fire, water, earth, metal and wood. The city straddles the Perfume River, with the Citadel and Linh Mu pagoda on the north bank, the Imperial tombs and the French quarter to the the south.

Tourist attractions in Hue

Imperial Citadel (Thanh noi)
The Imperial citadel is situated north of the Perfume River. It is a large scale construction covering an area of 5.2 km2. It was built in 180,5 under the reign of Gia Long, and completed in 1808. It includes Tran Binh Bastion, also called Mang Ca Bastion, 24 fortresses and protected areas. The Citadel has 10 entrances, and each gate is topped by a watchtower 5m high. Thanh Noi comprises three ramparts, namely from outside to inside: Kinh Thanh (Capital Citadel), Hoang Thanh (Imperial Citadel) and Tu Cam Thanh (forbidden citadel).

Stationed in front of the Citadel's 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 - although some scholars believe it simply meant the Southern Gate. 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 Five Phoenix building, where the emperor appeared on national holidays, such as the My of Sowing the First Seeds and the first day of the lunar year. The east wing of this building was badly damaged during the 1968 battle for Hue. From the Ngo Mon, the Bridge of Golden n Waters over the moat leads to the gold- roofed Thai Hoa (Throne Room, or d Place of Supreme Harmony), where - provincial mandarins came to pay homage. Civil leaders stood on the left, and army chiefs to the right.

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.