The Citadel
16 images 2 contributors Shoot freely
Sue Wolfe
About this spot
From 1802 to 1945, the Nguyen Dynasty lived behind the thick stone walls of Hue’s Citadel. There were multiple layers of defense. The Citadel was protected by a moat fed by the Perfume River. Inside the Citadel was another wall guarding the Imperial City. Within the Imperial City was the Purple Forbidden City with access restricted to the imperial family. Life inside the Citadel walls was lavish—palaces, shrines, gardens, and pagodas—everything you would expect for the royal elite.
The location was selected by experts looking for omens in the landscape. The fortress is “square” with each side approximately 2 kilometers long and built using geographic and Fengshui principles. It took 27 years to complete and was the largest structure built in modern-day Vietnam.
Unfortunately, Hue and the Citadel did not age well. After Vietnam’s proclamation of independence, the royal city was vacated and suffered through neglect and several cyclones. Then came the Indochina and Vietnam wars. After the Battle of Hue (1968), only 10 of the original 160 buildings survived.
The Imperial City was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993 and is undergoing restoration.
The location was selected by experts looking for omens in the landscape. The fortress is “square” with each side approximately 2 kilometers long and built using geographic and Fengshui principles. It took 27 years to complete and was the largest structure built in modern-day Vietnam.
Unfortunately, Hue and the Citadel did not age well. After Vietnam’s proclamation of independence, the royal city was vacated and suffered through neglect and several cyclones. Then came the Indochina and Vietnam wars. After the Battle of Hue (1968), only 10 of the original 160 buildings survived.
The Imperial City was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993 and is undergoing restoration.
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