Imperial Citadel

Hue was chosen to be the capital of the Southern Kingdom under Nguyen Lords’ Dynasty, and officially became the nation’s capital under Tay Son Dynasty, King Quang Trung.

Kinh Thanh Hue (Hue capital citadel), started to be constructed in 1805 under the reign of Emperor Gia Long and was completed in 1832 under the sovereignty of Emperor Ming Mang.

The citadel palace complex is located on the North bank of Huong River (Perfume River), inside Hue city.

It is a huge complex covering an area of 520ha and comprising three circles of ramparts, Kinh Thanh Hue (Hue Capital Citadel), Hoang Thanh (Imperial Citadel) and Tu Cam Thanh (Forbidden Citadel).

It was said to be protected by the two sand dunes: The Con Hen and Con Da Vien on the Perfume River, as “dragon on the left, tiger on the right”.

The Nightmare of Completionists: Having to Choose what to see [or what to skip!]

When we are on a vacation we are the type who hanker to see all the top highlights and do not like to miss out. We see every nook and cranny of the sites we visit so that we feel satisfied we have done justice to the site. That was difficult to carry out here because of the huge size and the lack of proper information.

The Imperial City is huge and needs a full day to do a little justice but we had only half a day.

Also there weren't really good guides to understand which of the structures have been restored with interiors worth visiting. Most of them were ruins so no point walking a long way following a map just to encounter a bare unrestored interior. The problem was confounded by the fact that Google reviews had wrong pictures in the wrong places, so seeing the picture if we decide to visit that place it may turn out misguided.

The throne palace was of course a must do. Other than that, it was tough to decide where else to go. The official guides may say something outdated but we relied on user reviews as they are more current and not old propaganda.

Another gripe was every place had a signboard saying leave shoes outside but only a few guards carried it out. It was annoying to obey the rule and leave the shoe outside and walk in and see everybody else walking in with the shoes making our socks dirty in the end.

All these issues were compounded by the fact it was a very hot and humid day, par for the course in Vietnam.

We also needed to visit the Museum of Royal Antiquities and the An Dinh Palace and all these close by 5:30.

But anyway we were able to hit up quite a lot of interesting places in the Imperial City. We saw quite a lot in a matter of four hours and then went on to the museum just next door. As expected the museum had the beautifully crafted royal pieces all in a small hall and totally worth the effort. An dinh Palace was amazing too. So it had been a very full day with so many huge sites and we managed to do justice to all of them... the tombs the imperials citadel the museum and An Dinh palace

Over the past 200 years, it has still maintained original with nearly 140 small and large constructions. With a square shape, it is almost 10km in circumference, 6m high, 21m thick, with 10 entrances.

Nine Holy Cannons/Cuu Vi Than Cong

The Nine Holy Cannons were cast by Hue artisans in the second Gia Long year (1803). They are the largest in Vietnam and one of the most valuable bronze works of art. After defeating the Tay Son Dynasty, King Gia Long ordered to collect of all bronze weapons and utensils to be cast into The Nine Holy cannons as a testament to the king’s victory. The Nine Holy Cannons are named after the four seasons and the five elements ...Spring – Summer – Autumn – Winter – Wood – Fire – Earth – Metal – Water. The name of each gun is embossed at the position of the knob at the end of each gun.

Each weighs more than 17000kg

Each cannon is 5.1 m long. The inner diameter of the barrel is 0.22m; The outer diameter of the barrel in the middle is 0.54m. The wooden gun stand is 2.75m long; 0.73m high; the wheel of the gun base has a diameter of 0.62m

The Meridian Gate / Ngọ Môn

The Meridian Gate (Vietnamese: Ngọ Môn, Chữ Hán: 午門), also known as the South Gate, is the main gate to the Imperial City, Huế,

Constructed in 1833 in the traditional Vietnamese Nguyen style under the rule of emperor Minh Mạng, it was used by the sovereign as an observation point for troop movements and ceremonies.

It was modeled after the Meridian Gate of the Forbidden City in Beijing, China. Like the original in Beijing, the Meridian Gate in Huế is composed of a main, central section and two protruding wings, representing que towers, traditional towers marking the entrance of palaces, temples and tombs.

The ground level has five entrances, of which the centre one was always reserved for the monarch's use only. The two, slightly smaller, side entrances were reserved for mandarins, soldiers and horses. The two small arched entrances on the side were for the rest and commoners.

The upper level consists of the "Five-Phoenix Pavilion" (Lầu Ngũ Phụng). From the main hall, the emperor would watch troop movements and his subjects bringing homage. The pavilion's roof is decked in imperial yellow, glazed ceramic roof tiles. On the roof tiles are various animals and creatures to ward off evil. The main hall is flanked by two side pavilions, which were reserved for members of the court.

The gate was able to survive the large-scale destruction during the Vietnam War.

Thái Hòa Điện / Throne hall)

THRONE ROOM

Red Lacquer and Gold on wood!

The building was built in 1805 at the ground of Can Chanh hall. Then, it was rebuilt in 1833 and moved to the current location.

This is the most important ceremonial building in imperial palace and used for all special ceremonies such as enthronement, Emperor's birthday, foreign diplomacy meeting and court meetings twice in 1st and 15th day of each month in lunar calendar.

All 13 Emperors of Nguyễn Dynasty from Gia Long to Bảo Đại were coronated here.

Nine Dynastic Urns / Cửu Đỉnh

The Nine Dynastic Urns are located between Hiển Lâm Các and Thái Tổ Miếu in the Imperial City. Each urn symbolizes Nguyen Dynasty Emperors. Cao urn (Emperor Gia Long), Nhan urn (Emperor Minh Mạng), Chuong urn (Emperor Thiệu Trị), Anh urn (Emperor Tự Đức), Nghi urn (Emperor Kiến Phúc), and Tuyen urn (Emperor Khải Định). The Du urn and Huyen urn, however, do not represent any emperor, as they were created after the Nguyen Dynasty had ended with the August Revolution.

Standing in front of the Hiển Lâm Pavilion, the urns are strategically placed in a row on large stones, reflecting the altar arrangement in Thế Miếu Temple. The Cao urn is prominently placed 3 meters ahead of the others to honor Emperor Gia Long, the first emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty.

All of the Dynastic urns are made from bronze. On each of them are engraved the 17 most important authentic Vietnamese symbols of mountains, oceans, stars and more, which together reveal the history of the country. Each urn is unique and differs from others by its weight, height and ornaments.

Ranging in height from 2.3 meters to 2.5 meters, the urns vary in weight, with the heaviest weighing 2061kg and the lightest 1935kg. Despite their size, the urns’ legs and upper handles are all uniquely designed, emphasizing the individuality of each piece.

Many signs like this but we did not know if the interior was restored and worth visiting!

Hien Lam Pavilion (Hiển Lâm Các) with its three-storey wooden structure and exquisite craftsmanship was built during Emperor Minh Mang‘s reign in the early 19th century

The lake behind the main hall...

Trường An môn (長安門), Main gate to Trường Sanh palace

Tịnh Minh lâu (静明樓), Resting place of Emperor Bảo Đại's mother [1927]

CREAMIC STORY TILES BELOW THE YIN YANG ROOF

We knew we have not covered everything but decided to exit

Took a Grab taxi to the nearby Museum

Hue Museum of Royal Antiquities

Hue Museum of Royal Antiquities is a must-visit for anyone interested in the priceless treasures of Vietnam’s imperial past. Located in the former citadel, Hue, the museum houses an impressive collection of artifacts that showcase Vietnam’s royal heritage and culture

Bought the Combo ticket for museum and An Dinh palace [80,000 VND (around USD 3) per person].

The main exhibition hall of the Museum of Royal Antiquities of Hue is housed in Long An Palace, an exquisite royal architecture built in 1845 under Emperor Thieu Tri. Originally part of Bao Dinh Palace near the Imperial Citadel, it served as the king’s personal retreat, a place for reading, composing poetry, and quiet reflection after state rituals like the Tich Dien ceremony.

Following the emperor’s death, his body was placed here for eight months before burial. In 1885, after the fall of the capital, Long An Palace suffered severe damage under French occupation. Until 1909, during Emperor Duy Tan’s reign, the structure was dismantled and rebuilt at its current location on Le Truc Street, preserving much of its original architectural integrity.

From its new role as the library of the Quoc Tu Giam (Imperial Academy), Long An Palace was officially transformed in 1923 into the Khai Dinh Museum, one of Vietnam’s first modern museums. Today, it continues its legacy as the Museum of Royal Antiquities, offering visitors a rare look into the opulent world of the Nguyen Dynasty.

NOTE THE CHINESE CHARACTERS ON THE WOOD PANELS... IT'S POETRY!

What distinguishes Long An Palace from other palatial buildings is its aesthetic restraint, unlike most royal halls, there is no “son son thep vang” (lacquer and gilding). Instead, the natural wood is left bare and enhanced with intricate carvings of traditional motifs such as "luong long trieu nguyet" (two dragons flanking a moon) and the four sacred beasts – “long” (dragon), “lan” (qilin), “quy” (turtle), and “phuong” (phoenix).

Royal treasures from the Khai Dinh era Red Laquered and gilded with gold

Poems are engraved and inlaid with mother-of-pearl on the wooden wall panels

BEHIND THE ROYAL DRAGON BED: Most remarkable is the interior’s role as a museum of royal poetry. Along the wooden beams, walls, and decorative panels, over 100 Chinese-character poems penned by Emperor Thieu Tri are meticulously engraved.

Of particular note are two poetic masterpieces, Vu Trung Son Thuy (Landscape in Rain) and Phuoc Vien Van Hoi Luong Da Man Ngam (A Night of Poetry at Phuoc Vien). Both are composed in a rare "hoi van kiem lien hoan" format, a poetic style that allows the 56-character poems to be read in multiple directions, forming up to 64 different compositions.

Palanquin

CERAMICS

GEM STUDDED GOLD CRAFT PIECES

SILVER PLAQUE

Bronze bell and cauldron

CANNONS

Took a grab taxi to the palace

An Dinh Palace

An Dinh Palace was initially the private residence of Prince Ung Lich (later Emperor Dong Khanh) during the Nguyen Dynasty. During the reign of Emperor Thanh Thai, the residence was rebuilt into a magnificent palace and named An Dinh Palace. In 1922, he later gifted it to Prince Buu Lan, who would become Emperor Khai Dinh.

In 1954, the mansion was confiscated by the Ngo Dinh Diem administration (South Vietnam). In 1975, due to conflicts with the king, Dowager Empress Tu Cung decided to hand over the entire palace to the Ho Chi Minh President's revolutionary government. During this period, An Dinh Palace served as a communal housing area for professor families in Hue and was used for various other purposes.

In 1993, An Dinh Palace was honorably recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage site

Trung Lap Communal House is A Hidden Shrine in the Heart of the Grounds and has a life-sized bronze statue of Emperor Khai Dinh

'Influencers', wannabe models, pre wedding couples swarming all public places!

We had seen 'influencers' and wannabe models as well as pre wedding couples swarming all public places trying to take pictures against scenic backgrounds . They have absolutely no courtesy and will occupy a place for literally hours on end trying to get perfect pictures.

We knew this palace is also a very popular place for such models . We were prepared for it.

We visited almost near the closing time but even then there were quite a few such models. If they were occupying a place in the garden for instance we had no qualms saying sorry and walking right between the photographer and the model in the middle of their shoot to get to our entrance .

In places in Europe the top places forbid such commercial photography but in Vietnam it is rampant. We even told a couple of people please move, we will take a second for our picture and they moved. In a few cases we took our picture despite them being in the frame as you can see because there is no point waiting around [we have no time or inclination to edit them out!]

Khai Tuong Pavilion, the main building has a special feature the European-style balconies and the soft arched windows, creating a beauty that is both classical and modern.

The pavilion is like a vibrant living painting with brilliant murals depicting dragons, phoenixes, and swirling clouds in the traditional Vietnamese style. Additionally, interspersed among these familiar motifs are images of European angels and Renaissance patterns,