Hue Forbidden Purple City

Located in the Citadel of Hue, the Purple City was constructed under the Emperor Gia Long dynasty in the 19th century. Established as the capital of unified Vietnam in 1802, Hue became the political, cultural and religious centre of the nation under the Nguyen dynasty until 1945. It was damaged during the Tet offensive of 1968, then declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. Tu Duc was Vietnam's fourth emperor and lived from 1829 to 1883, during which time he is said to have had 104 concubines. During his reign, Vietnam lost its independence to France. King Khai Dinh was Emperor from 1916 to 1925; both are immortalised in their tombs, which offer a glimpse into Vietnam’s imperial history.