Imperial palace in Hué, Vietnam by Ron Poot

The Imperial Palace is part of the Citadel, Hué's ancient city. It is located on the northwest bank of the Perfume River. Within the Citadel lies the Imperial City with the Forbidden Purple City within it.

It is Hué's main attraction. From the walled fortress and palace, the emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty ruled. This citadel is an amazingly beautiful complex of temples, pavilions, tombs, walls, moats, entrance gates, museums, shops and galleries, where you can see Vietnam's history.

Pictured is the Thai Hoa Dien (Palace of Supreme Harmony), the palace where the emperor received foreign envoys and other distinguished guests. It was also where emperors were crowned. The building has two roofs with golden tiles and an eaves decorated with dragons 'crawling' across the roof. There are eighty columns decorated with Confucian texts. The palace is built to stay cool in summer and warm in winter.

The citadel is badly damaged. Mostly due to fighting between the French and the Viet Minh, and between the Americans and the Vietcong and during the Tet Offensive in 1968. The result are empty spaces, but still the complex is majestic.

Behind Thai Hoa Dien lies the Forbidden Purple City, Tu Cam Thanh. The city with this almost magical name served as the private domain of the imperial family. The only people without imperial blood allowed in here were eunuchs, castrated prison guards.