Hue
The Forbidden Purple City and the elaborate tombs of the Nguyen emperors led to Hue being declared a World Heritage site in 1993.

The city of Hue served as the capital of the Nguyen dynasty from 1802, when emperor Gia Long defeated the Tay Son dynasty and reunited the country. The city remained as the royal capital until 1945, when the last emperor, Bao Dai, abdicated his rule to Ho Chi Minh.

Gia Long chose Hue , on the banks of the Huong (or Perfume) River as his capital following the advice of feng shui experts, and wanted his Forbidden Purple City to be a replica of the Forbidden City in Beijing . Many of the 13 rulers of the Nguyen dynasty were buried in elaborate tombs on the banks of the Huong River or in the surrounding hills.

Some of the bitterest fighting of the American War took place in the streets of Hue in 1968, after the North Vietnamese Army captured the city during the nation-wide Tet Offensive. For 25 days, the North Vietnamese flag flew at the citadel's flagpole and communist troops set up a command post in the former palace. In the resulting weeks of house-to-house fighting, almost 50 per cent of the city was destroyed.

Hue is once again at peace, and the flag of a reunified Vietnam once again flies over the citadel. The rivers, canals and moats of the city, as well as the old city walls, palaces, tombs and temples are a delight for photographers.

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