Looking at the grand illuminated Ngo Mon Gate at night, it’s hard to imagine the battering Hue Citadel received during the Vietnam War.
Home of emperors from the mid-18th century until the end of World War I, its jumble of knocked-about monuments is still an impressive sight. Utterly tranquil now beside the Song Huong (Perfume River), the fortified citadel of the old imperial capital has quiet streets that are easy to find your way around.
Better-preserved are the tombs of the emperors, which lie in temples, palaces, and lakes to the south of the city. A sampan will take you there.