Hoàng thành Huế

( Imperial City of Huế )

Description

The Imperial City (Vietnamese: Hoàng thành; chữ Hán: 皇城) is a walled enclosure within the Vauban style citadel (Kinh thành; chữ Hán: 京城) of the city of Huế, the former imperial capital of Vietnam during the Nguyễn dynasty. It contains the palaces that housed the imperial family, as well as shrines, gardens, and offices for mandarins. Constructed in 1804 under Emperor Gia Long as a new capital and later re-model and enlarge in current scale in 1833. It mostly served as ceremonial function and imperial residence during the French colonial period. After the end of the monarchy in 1945, it suffered heavy damage and neglect during the Indochina Wars through the 1980s. The Imperial City was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993 as part of the Complex of Huế Monuments and is undergoing restoration.