Built by the Nguyen Dynasty which reigned the country from 1802 to 1945, the former Hue Imperial Citadel in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue has recently ranked as one of seven leading tourist destinations of Vietnam in 2017, the Vietnam News Agency reports.

A young couple poses for a photo at the Hue Imperial Citadel 

Phan Thanh Hai, director of the Hue Monuments Conservation Center, said the center is striving to make the Hue Imperial Citadel more appealing to local and international visitors through the “One Destination-Five Heritages” tour, taking visitors to discover UNESCO-recognized world heritages including the Complex of Hue Monuments, Nha nhac cung dinh Hue (Royal Court Music), Moc ban (Woodblocks) and Chau ban (Imperial Archives) of the Nguyen Dynasty and the Chinese-script poetry on Hue royal architectural works.

According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, construction of the Hue Royal City started in 1805 under the reign of King Gia Long and was completed in 1832 under King Minh Mang, on the northern bank of the Huong (Perfume) River.

Recognized as a World Cultural Heritage site by UNESCO, the citadel is a huge complex, comprising three main components Kinh Thanh Hue (Hue Capital Citadel), Hoang Thanh (Royal Citadel) and Tu Cam Thanh (Forbidden Citadel).

The Hue Imperial Citadel is open to public viewing at night from late April to September 20 in an effort to attract a large number of tourists to admire its ancient charm and broaden their knowledge about the country’s history, local media reports.

Opening hours are from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Admission tickets cost VND120,000 each for Vietnamese guests and VND150,000 each for foreigners.

Taking a night tour of the Hue Imperial Citadel, tourists can admire the citadel from a different perspective. Like daytime tours, numerous performances of royal ceremonies, music and martial arts are available to entertain tourists in the evening.

SGT