Danang/Hue/HoiAn 2025 - Hue Day Tour Hue Citadel and Imperial City (5/8)

Although we could see the big house palace from the entrance, our tour guide took us on a detour to see other parts of the imperial city before she lead us to the main attraction. Through gates and corridors we walked, along empty courtyards. 

Eventually we came to a stopped in front of a grand building at this very courtyard. 

There were multiple entrance that could lead to this courtyard, and we soon learned that we were standing in front of the imperial theatre. Just like in Bejing's Forbidden Palace, there are also interior royal theatre house inside the palace. After all, even the palace people need to be entertained in a time without TV and internet!

 

The royal theatre here was a lot more modern, with a building itself that houses a stage, a main audience sitting area, and balcony seatings on the second floor as well. It was very well maintained, with it's red themed seats and elaborated decorations all over the walls and ceilings.

It was part Asian, part French in the way of it being a theatre. The red reminded me more of the old theatre in France than it did of China's outdoor courtyard style opera stages. It looked very grand and rich and could probably housed hundreds of people. 

The chairs were made of wood and carved with designs. Dragons are also found almost everywhere in the decorations around the theatre. The interior looked like it was all made of wood, and their reflection shinning out when lighted up by the lights around the theatre. 

Very pretty to look at! 

And at the front center of the building was the stage with it's two floors, and another huge dragon at the center stage. Again, everything was just red and gold here, with a hint of yellow here and there. It actually looked like still a very functional theatre. 

There were some exhibition around the side of the theatre as well as on the side and back of the stage. Mainly it features the masked used in the plays and performances. They looked very much like the mask used in Chinese performances. 

Here showing some collection of masked at one corner of the theatre. 

Danang/Hue/HoiAn 2025 - Hue Day Tour Hue Citadel and Imperial City (4/8)

 

Into the inner grounds of the imperial city of Hue, we found greeneries and spacious courtyard. Most that remained were ruins. The royal family has already fled the city long time back and now resides in France. It was interesting to learn the history, seeing how rich the royal families were, and how the common people were farmers. I always find such contrast interesting. 

I enjoyed the walk with my friends at the empty courtyard in some section of the palace. It was peaceful and quiet here as most people were more interested in the main attraction, which was the grand palace further in.

But before our group proceed to the grand palace, we had some time to wander around the gardens filled with lotus flowers and greeneries. 

There were also corridors where more people were seen either resting under the shades, taking photographs, or just enjoying the walk along it. They have put up photos of the royal families on the wall here, and you could see and read the description about them as you walk along these corridors. 

Here is a view of it, and as you see, the green grass of Vietnam filled one side of the area with its striking colours! They looked so fresh!

The red open doors let in the breeze, and it was quite windy to walk or stand around this area. The view was very much oriental, very much like China. I know most of these places like Vietnam, Korea, and Japan have their own culture, religion and country, but yet many things are similar and references back to old China. 

From the red corridor, you could see a glimpse of the grand palace behind. You can tell it's the grand palace because it's architecture and colours stood out from the rest of the surrounding scene. Here was the jewel of Hue, and it looked nothing like Vietnam-related at all. In fact, it looked very very French!

The grounds in front were also littered with ruins. But once you go up the stairs and into the palace ground, a different vibe wraps around you. It was filled with richness and European classic design and colours. 

Above, one of the emperor of Vietnam who once ruled this area and reside here. He was so young. And his richness followed him all the way to his tomb, which was one of the sight I've actually come to Hue to see.....

But before we venture into the grand palace, here are some more photos of the gardens around it. 

It's so beautiful here with all the detailed carving, yet not many people were interested in these. 

Perhaps there were the living quarters of the servants that used to work in the palace. And these were their grounds where they grew their vegetables and had their life here with their families?

Danang/Hue/HoiAn 2025 - Hue Day Tour Hue Citadel and Imperial City (3/8)

The very Vietnamese style gate at the Hue Imperial City. It looked almost Chinese, yet uniquely Vietnamese. A marker to divide the different section of the palace ground as you enter from one section to another. The vibrant colours of yellow and blue a permanent feature on the gates, which I wonder why. In China, usually the colour yellow represent royalty, but what about blue? Does blue represent the heavens? 

Another gate, or perhaps the same one but from a different side. The wordings on top of the gate is always different. The first gate above has the word 'moon' on it, while this second one has the word "sun" on it. Told you it was related to the heavens!

 

Inside the older palace area, there was a section with red doors and red walls, and adorned with gol pains in the design. It looked rich and luxurious, yet very Chinese. Many tourist walked through this room and hall slowly to admire the decorations so there's a sort of bottleneck when you reached this part. 

Hue is part of a UNESCO site, so they do try to maintain the heritage buildings as much as possible. 

But overall, everything is rather casual. There are exhibition and photos displayed at the courtyard. Someone probably have to move them in and out daily depending on the weather. It wasn't a permanent fixture. 

The other corridors looked like like any old house or temple, bare, and without much information. It was very much an empty space, perhaps not significant enough to do much about it.

The lanterns that hung on the ceilings were ancient as well, like those found in ancient China with elaborated motives and decorations. I bet they looked pretty when it's lighted up at night. I wonder if the palace ground is opened to the public at night. Perhaps on special occasions?

In a country where the city and roads are often jammed packed with young Vietnamese, it was such a peaceful experience to be here in Hue with it's wide spaces and greeneries and very European architecture as you will soon see as we reached the big house, Vietnam's very own Forbidden City Palace.

Danang/Hue/HoiAn 2025 - Hue Day Tour Hue Citadel and Imperial City (2/8)

 

To be honest, visiting the Hue Citadel wasn't on my to-do list for this trip, but since it's included in the tour package, it was again, a nice bonus. While researching on how to visit the place and getting tickets to go in, it was also kinda confusing. So I was glad the tour covered this attraction. But knowing how it was like now, I think it's a place you could easily visit on your own, once you know the entrance. It wasn't as huge as the Forbidden City in Beijing, so it's easily manageable for a half day or at least a 2 hour self discovery tour.

Here is our group walking in towards the imperial city.

I found these gate post very unique here in Hue. There are often found in royal venue marking a boundary from one area to the next one. I don't recall seeing these in China although they looked rather Chinese. The wordings on them are in fact, Chinese. Ancient Vietnam was very close to China and it's culture I guess. Often in temples, you could also see Chinese character there.

There are different characters on the front and the back of the gate. These are similar to those in Chinese gates too. But the colours of the gate in Vietnam is more interesting, showing blue green, white and yellow. I like these colour combination better.

Inside there are sculptures of mystical creatures, just like those in China. I am not sure what creature this is, a Kirin perhaps? Or a Lion? Phoenix?

Pretty Vietnamese lady posing for a photo with their signature hat on the balcony of one of the building.

The area inside was rather wide, first greeted by the large space area where kids were seen running around. It looked like a stage area, or maybe just a square for parades to take place? A common ground. We walked pass this area and into more intimate venue.

Danang/Hue/HoiAn 2025 - Hue Day Tour Hue Citadel and Imperial City (1/8)

 

Back to the city, our bus was there waiting for us, and soon we were back joining the busy traffic of the city Hue. Compared to Ho Chi Minh, it was nothing :D

Interestingly, no heavy vehicle was allowed inside the imperial city area, so we had to walk in. It was a short walk in, and our guide went ahead to get us our admission tickets into the city. We followed slower behind, busy taking photographs of the sceneries and view. It gates leading in kinda reminded me of Cambodia.

The Hue Imperial City was built similar to the Forbidden City of China. That meant they have many rings of area around it, going further and further into the center were the palace would be located. So the first view we got was the gates leading into the city.  It was also surrounded by a moat. 

Even here, you could see ladies dressed up in costume taking photograph. But instead of the Vietnamese costume, here they were dressed in imperial costume, and looked rather Chinese actually. It felt very similar to Beijing's Forbidden City vibe, but with less crowd, and at a smaller, less grander scale. 

Outside the palace gate, there was a sign that says "Get Down from Horse". I guess this is where ancient people used to get down from their horse before making their way into the palace. I remember we saw a similar place in the castle of Kumamoto too. But here in Hue, it was just a sign, and I wasn't sure do you park your horses here? Or can you bring them in? In Kumamoto, there was like a stable where you could leave your horses and walked up to the castle. 

After our guide got us our tickets, we walked towards the main entrance gate. It looked like it was made of wood and surrounded by greens. It was a few storey in height, the upper level probably a security guard post to view all that is approaching the gate.

Here is a closer look of the entrance. I bet they put a drum up there too as a form of a signalling tool.

After entering the wooden looking gate, we were greeted with a bridge across a large pond. I guess this is where we officially enter the palace ground! It looked really pretty!

Here is a selfie of me of the entrance gate behind me as I crosses the bridge.