The Dynastic Temple, built during the region of Minh Mang in 1821-22, is dedicated to the cult of the Nguyen kings . Ten altars stand in this long room, each of which is dedicated to a king and his queen. Missing are those of Duc Duc and Hiep Hoa, b..

The citadel was built in 1805 during the reign of Emperor Gia Long , following a layout inspired by Vauban’s fortifications. It has retained much of the purple and gold decor which contributed to its earlier splendour and is organised in concentric ..

The Imperial City within the citadel comprises the Forbidden Purple City where the emperor and his family lived, the official buildings from where he ran his empire, temples, gardens and water features. The city is surrounded by a wall with four ga..

The Palace of Supreme Harmony is one of the most spectacular buildings in the Imperial City. This vast room, where the emperor presided over ceremonies and received important guests, is richly decorated in red and gold lacquered teak and engraved wit..

The Nguyen emperors were very much concerned with life in the hereafter and paid close attention to the design of their mausoleums. These grandiose complexes also acted as secondary residences during their lifetime, where the emperors enjoyed spendin..

The second son of King Thieu Tri, Tu Duc was a lover of poetry who designed this mausoleum to serve as his eternal pleasure garden. Surrounded by a 1.5km wall, the mausoleum occupies an attractive site which is home to around 50 buildings dotted over..

The mausoleum of Minh Mang, completely dedicated to painting, poetry and philosophy, is without a doubt the most majestic of the tombs, along with that of Tu Duc. The king, who reigned from 1820-41, designed the mausoleum during his lifetime, althoug..

Built in 1601, Thien Mu Pagoda (Pagoda of the Celestial Lady) houses the three Buddhas of the Past, Present and Future, all of which are made of shining copper. Also worshipped at the pagoda are Von Thu, the goddess of Wisdom and Intelligence, and Ph..

The emperor, his wife, concubines and children lived in the Forbidden Purple City, with only the eunuch mandarins who served them allowed entry here. Of the forty buildings which made up the city, only the emperor’s Reading Pavilion, situated near th..

Founded in 1923 during the reign of Khai Dinh, Hué’s Royal Art Museum houses over 500 valuable objects which once belonged to different members of the Nguyen dynasty . These exhibits can be admired in the fine surroundings of Long An palace , which..

This mausoleum is a real architectural folly, with its mix of traditional Vietnamese, Classical and modern styles and its strong Western influence. Adorned with colourful glass and ceramic mosaics produced by 20C Vietnamese artists, the building took..

Gia Long (1762-1819), the first king of the Nguyen dynasty, came to the throne in 1802. He himself chose the site of his mausoleum, which lies on a peninsula on the Perfume River, and he oversaw its construction that took from 1814-20. Other tombs we..

The Hien Lam Cac Pavilion (Pavilion of Everlasting Clarity) was built in 1821-22 in memory of the mandarins who served the Nguyen dynasty. At 13m in height, this is the tallest building in the citadel. In front of the pavilion stand the nine dynasti..

Dong Ba market is the commercial epicentre of Hué, with its colourful stalls and bustling activity. Boats crowd around the landing stages situated near the large market hall, where foodstuffs are loaded for delivery to neighbouring villages. Making..

With fewer old monuments than the citadel, the modern town of Hué stands on the opposite bank of the river and is home to shops, hotels, restaurants and a few colonial-style buildings. Its narrow streets make for a pleasant stroll, leading to a numbe..

The elephant , a symbol of royal power, was celebrated in this arena which was built in 1930 and frequented by the emperor and his court. The arena hosted fights between elephants and tigers, one of the emperor’s favourite forms of entertainment. Th..