IMPERIAL CITY

Located at the center of the citadel, the Cité Impériale was reserved for the royal family in the broadest sense, key administrations and religious services. Built between 1804 and 1833, with a rectangular plan (606 m x 622 m), its brick enclosure (4.16 m high x 1.04 m wide) is also bordered by a Kim Thuy Ho (metal and water) protective moat. Originally, there were more than 100 palaces, each with its own original architecture and purpose: the Trieu Mieu, Thai Mieu, Hung Mieu, The Mieu and Diên Phung Tiên palaces were used to worship the emperors of the Nguyên dynasty. Dien Tho Palace and Truong Sinh Palace were the residences of the emperor's grandmother and great-grandmother. Phu Nôi Vu produced objects for the emperor's use. In the Co Ha and Dien Kham Van gardens, the princes enjoyed themselves or studied.

Four main gates provide access to the imperial city: on the right, the Gate of Virtue, Cua Chuong Duc; behind it, the Gate of Peace, Cua Hoa Binh; on the left, the Gate of Humanity, Cua Hiên Nhon; and the Gate of the South, Cua Ngo Môn, so named because it is at noon that the sun, symbol of power, is at its zenith. It was built in 1833 during the reign of Minh Mang. It consists of a brick and granite base with five entrances (the others have three), topped by a wooden belvedere, the Five Phoenix Pavilion (Lâu Ngu Phung), whose roof, divided into nine sectors, is covered with glazed tiles, the yellow(hoang luu ly) and blue-yellow(thanh luu ly) colors of which belong to the king. Ngo Môn, the southern gate, was reserved exclusively for the sovereign, while the two lateral gates (Ta and Huu Giap Môn) were used by the mandarins and generals of the imperial army. The Ngo Môn gate leads to the royal courtyard, the esplanade of the Great Greetings, where the mandarins stood during the great ceremonies.

From here, we enter the Palace of Supreme Harmony (Thai Hoa), the place of great ceremonies and important meetings. It was here that monthly ceremonies were held (every^1st and ^15th day of the lunar month) and solemn events celebrated: the enthronement of a new emperor (Dang Quang), the sovereign's birthday ceremony (Van Tho), the national holiday (Hung Quôc Khanh Niêm), attended by the emperor, members of the imperial family and the great mandarins. In the palace, 80 ironwood pillars, lacquered and decorated with clouds and gilded dragons, support the roof structure of yellow-glazed bricks, whose ridge is also decorated with dragons made of multicolored pottery shards. Inside, the carved throne is topped by a baldachin. Construction of the palace began during the reign of Gia Long, on February 21, 1805, and was completed in October 1805. In March 1833 (^1st month of the Quy Ty year), Emperor Minh Mang ordered the palace moved southwards. It was enlarged and embellished. During the reign of Khai Dinh, the palace was again renovated and its structure modified. The palace contains 297 plaques carved with Chinese poems describing the particularities of Phu Xuân culture in the early ^19th century. Opposite the Palace of Supreme Harmony is the Great Court (Dai Triêu). This three-tiered esplanade was home to the mandarins, in hierarchical order from^1st to^3rd rank, marked by steles on either side.

To the right of the palace, to the southeast of the citadel, are two temples. One (Trieu Mieu) is dedicated to Nguyên Kim, common ancestor of the dynasty, and his wife. The other, further south, is the Temple of the Generations (Thai Mieu), dedicated to the nine ascendants of Gia Long and built in 1804, during the reign of Gia Long. In the center, two tablets honor Lord Nguyên Hoang and his wife. The building, made of lacquered red lim wood, houses several altars.

In the courtyard, in front of the temple, sit nine dynastic urns, symbols of the stability of the new dynasty. Cast in 1836, they weigh around 2 tonnes and stand 2 m high. Each urn bears the name of the reign corresponding to the king honored, as well as representations of flora and fauna. To the left of the palace is a group of buildings.

To understand the significance of these nine dynastic urns, we need to refer to the writings of a scholar, the Reverend Father Barnouin, published in 1974 in the Bulletin de la société des études indochinoises.

First and foremost, the urns have a religious function. They remind us that, in Vietnam, the dead are more present than the living, and that they are more powerful. True, the emperor is a son of Heaven, but it is through his deceased ancestors that he has become the repository of this celestial mandate, and it is through the presence and blessing of the entire dynasty, the presence of the deceased emperors who have become spiritual powers, that he can rule effectively and beneficently.

Thus, the urns have a religious function, mediating between Heaven and the reigning sovereign. Just look at the pavilion that dominates them, the high tower of the bright benevolence of Above (Hiên Lâm Cac). This is the tallest building in the entire imperial city and "it symbolizes," writes R.-P. Barnouin, " the celestial favor strengthening the dynasty, whose action over the country is symbolized by the ballot box" However, when Emperor Minh Mang ordered the casting of the nine Hué urns in 1835, he was following a Chinese tradition that defines urns not as religious but as political monuments: the aim is to assert the dynasty's power over the country, while the bas-reliefs represent the living cosmos of the homeland. According to R.-P. Barnouin, "the urns affirm that all living beings, emanating from celestial and terrestrial energies and depicted on the bas-reliefs, are truly possessed by the dynasty. Therefore, the dynasty is legitimate and the people must continue to pay their respects. This is represented by the mandarins of the nine degrees, who come to line up in the courtyard between the urns and the dynastic temple, to represent the people's docility towards the order of heaven established in the ruling dynasty, to note the agreement of this dynasty with the living cosmos, the result of its agreement with the life-giving heaven, and to express this belonging themselves through their tributes."

Still to the south-west of the citadel, the Hung Mieu temple is dedicated to Gia Long's parents, Lord Nguyên Phuc Luan (1733-1765) and his wife. It was built in 1821 during the reign of Emperor Minh Mang. In its current state, it was rebuilt by His Highness Tu Cung, the last queen mother of the Nguyên dynasty, but this reconstruction did not take into account the original plans.

To the west (on the Temple of Generations side), away from the flood of tourists, it's possible to quietly savour the beauty of the site. In the background, the residence of the Dowagers, the residence of Longevity (Truong Sinh), overlooks a half-moon lake with an artificial mountain. Only one of the three palaces remains.

Originally, it was a complex of buildings (Truong Ninh, Perpetual Security) that King Minh Mang had erected in 1822 for his leisure. In 1843, the complex was restored by Emperor Thiêu Tri and comprised three interconnected buildings.

Under Emperor Khai Dinh, the complex was renamed the Residence of Longevity. Then came the residence of the Queen Mothers.

This incredibly rich and unique site is sure to be one of the best memories of your trip to Vietnam, whether you're a history buff or just a little curious.

For the visit, it's important to take into account the size of the site. Small electric vehicles are available for hire for those with mobility difficulties. It's also important to bring along the essentials in case of extreme heat. You'll need a hat, water and good shoes to keep you comfortable during your visit.