The Imperial Citadel in Hue

The Imperial Citadel (Kinh Thanh Hue) as part of the Complex of Hue Monuments is a vast political, religious and cultural centre that spreads across 36.6 hectares.  Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993, the Citadel was once the former Imperial Capital of unified Viet Nam under the Nguyen Dynasty from 1802 until 1945. Despite suffering three wars and immeasurable modern development in the surrounding city, the integrity and authenticity of the site has been well preserved. 

We left Da Nang bright and early and arrived two hours later in a bus depot nearby the site. An observation I made almost immediately here is that if we weren’t guided towards the entrance to site, it would have been difficult to find our way there without prior research.  This could be solved by placing signage on the route towards the Citadel so visitors can be sure they are on the right track e.g. “The Imperial Citadel this way 100m” etc. We also had to walk in single file on a skinny, busy road, which posed questions about accessibility for those with disabilities and safety for those with children.

Once we arrived at the gated entrance there was a large map (see below) that offered a brief explanation of the sites history, purpose and architecture in English and Vietnamese. Each building is clearly labelled and I took a photograph to help me find my way around during the visit. Once inside we were greeted by a tour guide who took our group around the site for about an hour and a half at a casual pace. She was open to questions from the group and happy to elaborate on aspects that we found particularly interesting.  There were many tour groups onsite and this option provides a socio-cultural experience that would appeal to visitors that Falk (2009) might label as experience seekers or facilitators who might want a more in-depth and personal visit.  

The option for individual exploration is also welcomed as there was no particular direction that a visitor had to follow to gain a cohesive experience and plenty of information panels were spread across the site. There were also many interactive opportunities on-site such as audio-visual displays, audio head-sets to listen to traditional music as well as the opportunity to dress and pose like an Imperial. 

The site itself is immense and could take hours to visit so the dwell time of a visitor would depend on how much time and energy they have to spare. That being said, it was about 28°C during our winter-time visit and I couldn’t imagine how hot and fatigued one might get during summer. This is where I see an opportunity for the Royal Antiquities Museum on-site as a recharger space where a visitor could come to cool down, find some quiet and look upon the beautiful objects on display – all they need is some air conditioning!