Recognised as a World Cultural Heritage site by UNESCO, the former Hue Imperial Citadel built by the Nguyen Dynasty from 1805 to 1945 is one of the must-see destinations for those who take a trip through the World Heritage sites on the country’s central coast.

A view of the Hue Imperial Citadel in Hue City

The citadel compound is located on the north bank of the Huong (perfume) River, comprising three rings of ramparts: Hue Capital Citadel, Royal Citadel and Forbidden Citadel. The original look of the outer ring has over the past 200 years remained intact with nearly 140 small and large constructions. Upon reaching further into the second ring is the Royal Citadel whose brick walls were four meters high and one meter thick. There is a trench system circling the citadel.

The citadel consists of more than 100 fascinating architectural works, with the most striking being the Noon Gate and the Thai Hoa Palace.

Inside the Imperial Citadel complex and behind the Throne Palace, the Forbidden Citadel was for the Emperor and his family. The whole site consists of about 50 architectural constructions of different sizes and 7 gates.

The Hue relics preservation centre will offer free admission to several places of interest in the Hue Imperial Citadel for local and foreign tourists from January 23-25 (or the first to third of the first lunar month). Current tickets for the royal citadel tour cost VND30,000-35,000 (USD1.42-1.66) for each local visitor and VND55,000 for each foreigner, while the price of the ticket to An Dinh Palace is VND10,000.

Admission to most famous destinations in the complex such as An Dinh Palace, Emperor Khai Dinh’s Tomb, and Emperor Minh Mang’s Tomb will be free as well.