A listed World Heritage Site, Imperial City (aka the Purple Forbidden City) stands as a testimony to the power and wealth of the last imperial Vietnamese dynasty. Situated on a riverbank, the complex features the remains of an imperial palace, Buddhist temples and pagodas, tombs of Nguyen Kings, courtyards, and gardens. It is encircled by a moat and two rows of fortification walls. Over the years following the demise of Vietnamese monarchy, the site was significantly ruined by cyclones and termites. However, it suffered the severest damage during the Vietnam War--look for the holes in the stone walls made by bullets and grenades. The highlights include a flag tower and 10 lavishly ornamented gates. Using our world travel planner, Hue attractions like Imperial City can form part of a personalized travel itinerary.
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Imperial City reviews
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Hue is the ugliest city I’ve been to, it is dirty and the people here are so rude and pushy and annoying they will force you to sell their goods. Probably the worst city in Vietnam people here are...
Hue is the ugliest city I’ve been to, it is dirty and the people here are so rude and pushy and annoying they will force you to sell their goods. Probably the worst city in Vietnam people here are... more »
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Its a good adventure to spend a more hours. We opted for one entrance which took us around 2 hours. It was 200K and you buy your ticket at the gate. When you enter there are maps where you can see.... more
Its a good adventure to spend a more hours. We opted for one entrance which took us around 2 hours. It was 200K and you buy your ticket at the gate. When you enter there are maps where you can see.... more »
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Very interesting place. Avoid going at noon. It was super hot. It's lovely to see and read about the history. It's listed on the UNESCO world heritage list.
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We visited the Citadel with a 4 year old in December 2019. The staff was not informative (We bought a ticket to visit 3 different places, but we only visited Imperial city because it takes to long time to look around). Very disappointed! There is not enough information guide in English. We took an audio guide. The map given did not appear to direct us correctly. It was hot and our son struggled to remain uninterested. We skipped many places. The buildings were amazing and quite impressive. The garden, which has been influenced by European style of gardening, was very delicate. We couldn't thorough enjoy the Imperial city. Need extra effort to visit. Would come back again if I had a chance to visit Hue.
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