Inside the Imperial City
As time passed, Hue began to feel familiar. We knew the canals around the walls, the small bridges, the river promenades, and the rhythm of daily life in the old quarter. But even though we walked along the Imperial City’s outer walls every day, we had not yet set foot inside.
It was time to remedy this, so we dedicated one full day to exploring the Imperial City complex — Hue’s main historical attraction.
Morning Entry and the Changing of the Guard
We arrived shortly after 8 a.m., choosing an early start to stay ahead of the tour buses and the elaborate photo sessions already forming around the main entrance. After buying tickets and audio guides, we entered through Ngo Mon (Meridian Gate).
We preferred using audio guides rather than hiring a guide because it allowed us to move at our own pace. The complex was enormous. We spent almost five hours there and still did not see everything.
Our timing worked out well because a “changing of the guard” performance was beginning in front of the main entrance around 8:30. A crowd quickly gathered to watch guards in historical costumes recreate the scene in front of the gate.
We watched briefly from the top of Ngo Mon Gate, but the drumbeats above us were so loud that we decided to escape the noise. Most visitors remained focused on the performance while we moved toward Thai Hoa Palace.
It was a good decision for us. Thai Hoa Palace and the main ceremonial courtyards were among the most crowded parts of the complex later in the morning, but at that hour they still felt relatively calm.
Palaces and Quiet Courtyards
Afterwards, we turned left and followed the western route marked on the map. Right away it felt like a different world.
Away from the central courtyards, the Imperial City became surprisingly peaceful. We wandered through smaller temples and residential compounds, admiring elaborate tilework, lacquered woodwork, and enormous bronze urns that lined the grounds.
My favourite part of the complex was Dien Tho Palace, once the residence of the Queen Mother.
Some sections here were still busy, while others seemed to exist in a world of their own.
At one point I sat in a small courtyard and felt a strange sense of serenity, even though a tour group was milling around just beyond the wall.
The audio guide added another layer to these places, as many of the stories were surprisingly detailed.
We learned about one Queen Mother who had originally been the daughter of a craftsman rather than someone of noble birth. She became one of the emperor’s concubines but never his official wife. However, her son later became crown prince and eventually emperor himself. After ascending the throne, he elevated her to Queen Mother.
Quite a lucky turn for her, as imperial concubines were usually moved to live near the emperor’s tomb after his death. They lived in very small, humble quarters in isolation, maintaining the tomb and temple until they died.
Another section we enjoyed very much was Truong Sanh Palace, a secluded garden retreat once used by emperors and their families.
Compared to the grand ceremonial spaces, this part of the complex felt intimate and quiet. Water reflected the surrounding gardens and pavilions, softening the atmosphere even further.
The Forbidden City and Afternoon Crowds
That sense of serenity faded once we entered the Forbidden City in the central section of the complex.
This was by far the most crowded area, and by then we were already becoming tired and somewhat saturated with sightseeing. Gates, halls, gardens, and courtyards gradually began to blur together in the growing heat. But one place still stood apart.
The royal theater felt unlike anything else we had seen that day. We had to remove our shoes before entering. Inside were old costumes, theatrical masks, photographs, and displays explaining royal court performances during the Nguyen dynasty.
The theater itself felt intimate and opulent, designed for a small royal audience rather than large public performances.
Traditional shows are still staged there today, preserving artistic traditions from the imperial era.
I really wanted to see one, but the ticket counter was closed, and there was nobody around to ask for information.
By that point, we had reached the end of our energy for the day. After leaving the theater, we made a beeline toward the East Gate, found a late lunch nearby, and then walked home for a much-needed rest.
Practical Tips — Hue Imperial City
- Opening hours: 7:00am – 6:00pm. An early start is best to avoid crowds and midday heat.
- Entry fee: 200,000 VND per person
- Audio guide: 100,000 VND per person
- Guides: Available for hire at the ticket counter in front of Ngo Mon Gate
Exploring the Royal Tombs
A few days later, we arranged a private driver to take us to several royal tombs outside Hue.
There are many imperial sites scattered across the countryside around the city, so we selected three of the most well-known ones, each very different in design and atmosphere. We left around 7:30 in the morning, once again trying to stay ahead of the tour buses.
Khai Dinh — French Influences and Imperial Grandeur
The first stop was the Mausoleum of Emperor Khai Dinh, located about thirty minutes outside Hue. Of all the tombs we saw that day, it was the most distinctly non-Vietnamese in character.
Construction began during Khai Dinh’s lifetime, and its architecture showed strong French and European influences mixed with Vietnamese imperial design. It was also the most lavish and theatrical tomb we visited.
Huge staircases rose toward dark stone buildings covered in intricate detail. Inside, colourful mosaics and elaborate interiors were striking in their detail and intensity.
What I found especially interesting was that the complex functioned not only as a mausoleum but also as a temple dedicated to the emperor himself. A large statue of him stood prominently behind the altar in the main hall.
In Vietnamese tradition, emperors become spiritual figures after death, and this practice extends even to Khai Dinh, despite his close cooperation with the French and relatively modest historical legacy.
I tried to understand what had distinguished Khai Dinh’s reign, but nothing I read fully explained the grandeur of his tomb.
Minh Mang — Harmony and Restraint
Next was the Mausoleum of Emperor Minh Mang — and it could not have been more different.
Where Khai Dinh’s was monumental, compact in setting, and strongly influenced by French design, Minh Mang’s was smaller in scale, set within a large landscaped park, and unmistakably Vietnamese in character.
Minh Mang was the second emperor of the Nguyen dynasty and is remembered for expanding Vietnam, strengthening the central government, and promoting Confucian education. Yet his tomb was surprisingly modest, especially compared to Khai Dinh’s more elaborate mausoleum.
There was a temple dedicated to Minh Mang, but no grand statue dominated the space.
Interestingly, his temple was flanked by two smaller temples on either side — one dedicated to the military and the other to the civil mandarins who had served under him.
For an emperor who became a deity after death, this felt surprisingly humble — a real team player.
Tu Duc — Garden Retreat
From there, we continued to Tu Duc’s mausoleum.
By then, larger tour groups had begun to arrive. Multiple buses were parked near the entrance, and crowds were gathering around the gates. Yet as we moved further into the expansive grounds, the crowds thinned out, and the site never felt overly busy.
Unlike the other imperial tombs, this complex had originally been built as a retreat and leisure palace for the emperor and his family rather than solely as a burial site.
Tu Duc, the fourth emperor of the Nguyen dynasty, used it as a private escape during his reign, which gives the site a more personal character. In many ways, it felt like the Imperial City in miniature.
Still ponds reflected pavilions along the water’s edge, while shaded paths connected palaces and temples throughout the grounds. Even the actual tombs of Tu Duc and his wife blended almost seamlessly into the larger complex — a subtle reminder that this was, after all, a mausoleum rather than simply a royal retreat.
By that point, more buses were arriving and the midday heat had become more pronounced. After several hours exploring Hue’s imperial sites, the quieter atmosphere of Tu Hieu Pagoda felt like the perfect final stop for the day.
Tu Hieu Pagoda — A Living Monastery
If the royal tombs were monuments to the dead, this was a working pagoda where monks still lived and practiced.
The atmosphere immediately felt different.
We caught glimpses of novice monks — children and teenagers with partially shaved heads in brown robes — sitting quietly inside one of the buildings.
It was a serene place, with temples, gardens, and its own cemetery. However, the mood was occasionally disrupted by groups of young women in traditional costumes roaming the grounds and posing for photographs. It seemed there was no escape from them, in or out of Hue.
Near the entrance stood a pond where we witnessed two scenes that became some of the strongest memories of the day.
When we first arrived, several young men were feeding fish in the pond. But these were not elegant koi or carp — they were enormous catfish.
They swarmed around, sticking their huge open mouths out of the water and looking quite fearsome. We even spotted a few white catfish among them.
Later, as we were leaving, we passed the same pond again and saw a monk standing knee-deep in the water, washing a large floppy-eared dog.
Judging by the splashing and general chaos, both the monk and the dog seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely.
Practical Tips — Hue Royal Tombs
- Transportation: we hired a driver through our host for a half-day tour (800,000 VND total)
- Opening hours for most royal tombs: 7:00 AM – 5:00/5:30 PM. Start early to avoid crowds and midday heat
- Entrance fee: 150,000 VND per person per tomb
- Tu Hieu Pagoda: free entry
Closing the Imperial Chapter
After a week of exploring Hue’s neighbourhoods and canals, the imperial sites helped put the city’s long history into context.
Beyond the monuments, Hue still had more to reveal — in ways we did not yet expect.
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