The Complex of Huế Monuments ( vi, Quần thể di tích Cố đô Huế) is a

UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

-listed relic complex located in the city of

Huế Huế () is the capital of Thừa Thiên Huế province in central Vietnam and was the capital of Đàng Trong from 1738 to 1775 and of Vietnam during the Nguyễn dynasty from 1802 to 1945. The city served as the old Imperial City and admi ...

, central

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

. Established as the capital of newly unified Vietnam in 1802 under the reign of emperor

Gia Long Gia Long ( (''North''), ('' South''); 8 February 1762 – 3 February 1820), born Nguyễn Phúc Ánh (阮福暎) or Nguyễn Ánh, was the founding emperor of the Nguyễn dynasty, the last dynasty of Vietnam. His dynasty would rule the unif ...

, Hue played a vital role as the political, cultural, and religious center of the empire. The complex consists of Hoàng thành (the Imperial City), Kinh thành (the Citadel), and the Tử Cấm Thành (Purple Forbidden City), as well as associated monuments outside of the city, including the tombs of the emperors Gia Long,

Minh Mạng Minh Mạng () or Minh Mệnh (, vi-hantu, 明命, lit. "the bright favour of Heaven"; 25 May 1791 – 20 January 1841; born Nguyễn Phúc Đảm, also known as Nguyễn Phúc Kiểu) was the second emperor of the Nguyễn dynasty of V ...

, Thiệu Trị, Tự Đức,

Dục Đức Dục Đức (, ; born Nguyễn Phúc Ưng Ái, 23 February 1852 – 6 October 1883), was Emperor of Vietnam for three days, from 20 to 23 July 1883. He was the fifth emperor of the Nguyễn dynasty and father of Emperor Thành Thái, who ruled f ...

, Đồng Khánh, and Khải Định, and a string of temples, pagodas, and other spiritual sites. The structures of The Complex of Huế Monuments are carefully placed within the natural setting of the site and aligned with the concept of '' oriential geomancy'' and '' Five elements'' which including Five Cardinal Points (center, west, east, north, south), the Five Elements (earth, metal, wood, water, fire), and the Five Colors (yellow, white, blue, black, red). The architecture of the Complex of Huế Monuments is based on the North and the South in compass, which have three rounds: the outside one is the wall, the middle is the imperial citadel, and the imperial palace is in the center. The natural geographic composition of a pair of river and mountain is a significant regional feature of the site from Northern to the Southern of Vietnam. The royal architecture of Huế is a blend of traditional styles from former

Vietnamese dynasties Prior to the abdication of Bảo Đại on 30 August 1945 in the aftermath of the August Revolution, Vietnam was ruled by a series of dynasties of either local or Chinese origin. The following is a list of major dynasties in the history of Vietn ...

, the quintessence of Chinese fine arts, the selected elements on the basis of national consciousness and some Westernizations brought by French architects working for Emperor Gia Long.

References

{{Nguyễn dynasty topics Buildings and structures in Huế Palaces in Vietnam History of Vietnam World Heritage Sites in Vietnam Nguyen dynasty