Imperial Citadel

Within the huge walls of Hue’s citadel, built between 1804 and 1833, you’ll find the UNESCO-listed Forbidden Purple City and Imperial Enclosure. The home of the royal family of the Nguyen Dynasty, it shares a similar layout, and similar magnificence, to the Forbidden City in Beijing. Although long neglected and seriously damaged after the collapse of imperial rule in 1945, it is not hard to envisage its former splendour as you wander between the pavilions, palaces and gardens admiring what remains of the elaborate embellishments that once graced the elegant but brutal architecture.