Hue Citadel is the most famous and attractive tourist destination in Hue. When traveling to Hue, visitors not only admire the dreamy and ancient landscapes but also have the opportunity to learn about the history and architecture of the place where power once flourished. Join HoaBinh Tourist and immediately pocket the experiences of traveling to Hue Imperial City through this article!
Located on the banks of the romantic Perfume River, the Hue Citadel Relic, also known by many as Thuan Hoa Citadel, is an ancient citadel belonging to the Hue Monuments Complex, recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage. The monument is located right in the center of Hue City and was built with a unique architectural style.
The area of Hue Citadel is 520 hectares. For 143 years since 1802, this was the capital of the Nguyen Dynasty. After 2 centuries of devastation from time and war, Hue Citadel still retains its original appearance.
Hue Citadel began to be built in the summer of 1805, under the reign of King Gia Long. Before that, since 1803, the planning of the capital had been taking place. The entire field survey process was undertaken by King Gia Long himself and the Nguyen Dynasty's mandarins.
Compared to the ancient capital, Phu Xuan, the ancient Hue Citadel was much more expansive. During the construction phase in 1805, the royal court had to mobilize about 30,000 people and soldiers to block the river and dig trenches. The 10 gates around the citadel began to be built in 1809.
By 1818, the number of people mobilized to build the citadel reached 80,000, focusing on building bricks on the four sides: East - West - South - North. In 1831–1832, Minh Mang King built additional shooting walls on the outside of the citadel, perfecting the architecture of the capital.
Learning about Hue Citadel, it is known that this place has a nearly square floor plan, the front is slightly cupped like a bow because it has to follow the slight bend of the Perfume River flowing through. The citadel's perimeter is more than 10km wide, built in the Vauban - French citadel style (military defense technique with 24 bastions protruding outside) combined with Eastern architectural principles.
Under skillful application, suitable to the actual terrain, Hue Citadel becomes a unique work of military art and architecture. The architectural characteristics of Hue Citadel are different from those of many previous ancient capitals.
Hue Citadel has a total of 13 gates. Of these, 10 city gates will open to the outside, 1 internal city gate, and 2 waterway gates.
Southeast gate (Thuong Tu gate): The citadel gate is located in the east corner of the southeast corner of the citadel. The arch was built in 1809, and the gazebo was built in 1829. The Nguyen court established the Thuong Tu Institute, specializing in taking care of the king's horses, here at the citadel gate called Thuong Tu Gate.
The Nhon Gate (City Gate): The citadel gate is located in the south, to the left of Ky Dai of the Citadel. The arch was built in 1809, and the gazebo was built in 1829. The original name was The Nguyen, but King Minh Mang changed it to The Nhon.
People call it Ngan Gate because people were stopped here when the king or his concubines went to Phu Van Lau or Luong Ta's house to cool off or bathe in the river. The door has 4 cannons called Ta Dai General.
Quang Duc Gate (Sap Gate): The gate is located in the south of the Citadel. The name is based on the word Quang Duc Palace. The citadel's arch was built in 1809, and the gazebo was built in 1829. During the flood in 1953, both the arch and the gazebo collapsed completely, so people called it the Sap Gate. The door was restored in 1998 after being heavily damaged by the war in 1968. The door has 5 cannons called Huu Dai General.
Main South Gate (Nha Do Gate): The gate is also located in the south of the Citadel. People often call it the Nha Do gate because outside the door there is Thuong Ty (Do Gia), which translates to Nha Do. The arch was built in 1809, and the gazebo was built in 1829. The door collapsed in 1953 due to flooding, but was later restored.
Southwest Gate (Right Gate): The gate is located in the southwest of the citadel. The arch was built in 1809, and the gazebo was built in 1829. In 1885, King Ham Nghi left the city for the war zone outside Quang Tri. During the war, the city gate collapsed and was later restored.
Main West Gate: The gate is located in the west of the Citadel, on Thai Phien Street. The arch was built in 1809, and the gazebo was built in 1829. This was a place of fierce fighting during the war in 1968, so it was severely damaged. Later, the door was restored.
Northwest Gate (An Hoa Gate): The gate is located in the northwest corner of the citadel, connecting Tang Bat Ho and Nguyen Trai streets. The gate arch was built in 1809, and the gazebo was built in 1831. People call it An Hoa Gate because in front of the citadel gate is An Hoa village and market.
Main North Gate (back door): The door is located at the back of the Imperial City, so it is called the back door. The arch was built in 1809, and the gazebo was built in 1831. After the war, the door was heavily damaged and closed for 120 years. In 2004, the door was opened after repair work.
Northeast Gate (Ke Trai Gate): The gate is located in the Northeast corner of the Citadel, located on the bank of Dong Ba River. The arch was built in 1809, the gazebo was built in 1824 and is one of the two earliest gazebo doors built. Local people call it Ke Trai Gate because, in the past, there was Ke Trai Hamlet in front of the citadel gate.
Main East Gate (Dong Ba Gate): The citadel gate is in the main east. People also call it Dong Ba gate due to the presence of Dong Hoa fortress from Gia Long's reign. The arch was built in 1809, and the gazebo was built in 1824. In 1885, the war between France and the Imperial Army, led by Ton That Thuyet, took place fiercely here. The gazebo part of the door collapsed and the arch door was damaged after the war in 1968.
Tran Binh Mon: This door does not lead to the outside but leads to Tran Binh Dai, the defensive fortress of the Imperial City, connecting the two fortresses of Dong Binh and Bac Dinh together.
Tay citadel water gate: The water gate from Ke Van River into Ngu Ha River is responsible for drainage within the city, and is a waterway for boats to transport goods to trade. The gate was built in 1826, during the reign of King Minh Mang.
Dong Thanh Water Gate: This is the water gate from Ngu Ha to Dong Ba River. The gate was built in 1830, during the reign of King Minh Mang.
Located on an area of more than 500 hectares, visitors coming here to avoid getting lost need to research and understand the directions to locations within the Hue Citadel map/schema of the Hue Citadel. You can find out through the map we provide below:
Ngo Mon is located south of Hue Citadel. This is the main gate of the Imperial Citadel and is a massive and complex architectural complex. Looking back from afar, Ngo Mon looks like a magnificent castle with a system of steps built from long exposed stone slabs leading to the Ngu Phung pavilion. This is the check-in location for any tourist coming to Hue.
The Imperial Citadel is the second citadel of the Hue Citadel, designed as the residence of the king and royal family as well as the royal court's workplace. This is also the place to worship ancestors and kings of the Nguyen Dynasty.
The Imperial Citadel began to be built in 1804 under King Gia Long. Completed in 1833 under the reign of Minh Mang King. The Imperial Citadel is arranged with 4 gates, including the main gate, Ngo Mon. In addition, inside the Imperial Citadel, there are also Thai Hoa Palace, Dien Tho Palace, Hien Lam Cac...
The Forbidden City is the innermost citadel of the Imperial Citadel, formerly known as the Imperial City. This place was built in 1803 and was called the Forbidden City from 1821, the 2nd year of Minh Mang. The Forbidden City is designed in a rectangular shape; the front is the Dai Cung Mon. Inside the citadel, there are relics such as Duyet Thi Duong, Can Chanh Palace, Can Thanh Palace, Bronze Cauldron, etc.
The school was built by King Gia Long in 1803, about 5 kilometers west of Hue Citadel, next to the Temple of Literature, facing the romantic Perfume River. Quoc Tu Giam is considered the first national school built during the Nguyen Dynasty. In 1908, King Duy Tan moved the school inside the Imperial City.
Long An Palace was built during the reign of King Thieu Tri in 1845 and is located in Bao Dinh palace. The palace is located on Le Truc street, Dong Ba ward and is a relic in the Hue Monuments Complex. The palace is where King Thieu Tri often comes to rest, write poetry, and read books.
Hue Museum of Royal Fine Arts
The main building of the Hue Royal Fine Arts Museum is Long An Palace. This place is currently displaying more than 300 artifacts made of porcelain, gold, jewelry, royal utensils, royal physicians, Hue dharma and costumes of the Nguyen royal family. Located in the Hue Citadel relic complex, visiting the museum helps visitors better understand Hue royal life.
Tinh Tam Lake is also one of the famous relics in the Hue Citadel, built during the Nguyen Dynasty. The lake has a rectangular area; it includes 3 islands: Phuong Truong, Bong Lai and Doanh Chau. Tinh Tam Lake is separated from the outside through a ring of brick walls. Along the lake shore and around the islands on the lake are planted willows and bamboo, and under the lake are white lotus.
This monument was built on Hoc Hai Lake in Hue Citadel in 1825. The museum is where old documents of the six ministries and royal agencies of the Nguyen Dynasty are stored. This place is also considered the Kinh Cac of Vietnam under the Nguyen Dynasty, specializing in storing rare documents and documents about the royal court's activities as well as the changes of the country.
In the southeast corner of the Hue Citadel are the relics of the Secret Institute - Tam Toa. This is the king's advisory body, consisting of four ministers of the third grade or higher. They are the great scholars of 4 palaces, including: Van Minh, Dong Cac, Can Chanh and Vo Hien. Currently, the Secret Institute in Tam Toa is the headquarters of the Hue Monuments Conservation Center.
Built in 1806 under the reign of King Gia Long, Xa Tac Dan is a place to worship the land god (commune) and the grain god (tac). Previously, sacrifices at the altar were held twice a year, in spring and autumn. Under the reign of King Gia Long, the court mobilized all palaces and towns in the country to pay tribute to clean land to build altars. The Xa Tac altar consists of two square floors, surrounded by low walls. In front of the altar, a square lake is dug to make a clear hall.
This is also one of the famous relics in Hue Imperial City. Nine cannons is the name of nine cannons cast during the reign of King Gia Long by Hue artisans. This is also a relic proving the victory of King Gia Long after defeating the Tay Son dynasty. The Nine Gods were cast in 1803 and completed one year later.
The fortresses inside the Hue Citadel were built on convex waists along the citadel. With a total length of more than 11km, the forts are evenly spaced, accompanied by artillery systems, shooting walls, ammunition depots, gun workshops, etc. The entire citadel has 24 forts that are named with their own letters. The beginning of each name comes from one of four directions: East - West - South - North.
If you have ever visited the old capitals of our country, you have surely seen many royal relics that have become ruins. This does not happen with the Hue Monuments Complex. After more than two centuries of existence, experiencing the erosion of time and the destruction of war, the palaces, citadels, mausoleums, etc. are still preserved almost intact. The panorama of Hue Imperial City has a gentle and quiet beauty, but also pomp and splendor.
Built and completed under the reigns of King Gia Long and Minh Mang, Hue Citadel is a rare relic built in the style of Western military architecture combined with Eastern architecture, based on the ideology of yin and yang.
The mausoleums of the Nguyen Dynasty kings strictly adhere to feng shui principles with rivers, mountains, ponds and lakes... The layout is divided into 2 sections: mausoleum and mausoleum. Among them, the mausoleum is the place where the king's body is buried; the mausoleum is the place where the attic, communal house, and palace are built.
When the kings were still alive, they would leave the royal palace to come here for entertainment. The mausoleums of kings and lords were built in a unique and outstanding artistic architectural style.
The Hue Museum of Royal Antiquities was established in 1923, right in the Inner Citadel. Here, visitors will have the opportunity to admire many ceramic, porcelain, bronze, stone, horn, etc. items of historical value on display. Traces of time left on treasures help you better understand feudal architecture and art.
Hue Royal Festival has a national scale and is organized by the state. Each festival has its own regulations, even written into charters, that the royal family and people of ancient times had to comply with. Large and small festivals held annually will recreate some royal rituals for visitors to experience in real life.
Hue royal court music is recognized by UNESCO as an intangible masterpiece and an oral tradition of humanity as a unique cultural beauty of Hue. This type of music was previously only performed when a king was crowned, died, or at major festivals. Hue court music is also the only traditional Eastern court music still preserved in Hue.
Hue Citadel is open from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. every day. Tourists should pay attention to the time they have to arrange their schedules so they have enough time to experience the scenic spots located in this monument.
Hue Citadel charges tourists to visit. Specifically, the listed price for adults is 150 thousand VND/trip. Children from 6 to 12 years old are charged 30,000 VND/trip.
January to March (spring) and April to June are the two most ideal times for you to make a trip to explore Hue Imperial City. Accordingly, in spring, Hue's weather is cool, with little rain, not too hot, and suitable for outdoor tourism activities.
From April to June is the festival season in the ancient capital; this is also the time when the Hue Festival takes place. Therefore, visiting Hue Citadel this time, you will have the opportunity to immerse yourself in the vibrant festival atmosphere and learn more about the unique culture in Hue.
Because you have to move quite a lot, you need to remember to wear comfortable clothes for easy movement. As a historical site with many mausoleums, communal houses, and pagodas, the clothes you wear need to be discreet and you should avoid wearing revealing clothes. Please pay attention to this issue!
If you are not near Hue, you can travel here by bus, plane or train. Ticket prices range from 300,000 VND to over 1 million VND, depending on the type of transportation you choose. Once you arrive in Hue City, you can call a motorbike or taxi to go across the Phu Xuan Bridge and continue through Cua Ngan to reach Hue Citadel.
Not only is it convenient to travel to Hue Citadel, but tourists staying here can also visit many other famous tourist attractions of the ancient capital, such as Trang Tien Bridge (2km away), Dong Ba Market (2.3km away). The hotel complex provides swimming pool facilities, a spa and health care center, bar and many other classy resort services.
Hue Imperial City, with its ancient beauty, splendor, elegance, and harmonious and elegant atmosphere, is definitely an attractive place for all tourists. Please experience and enjoy this historical space! To book a Hue tour to explore the ancient citadel of Hue, please quickly contact HoaBinh Tourist through the hotline at 0939.311.911 - 0913.311.911 right away.
