Read the fact file and check your answers to exercise 2. What do you think is the most interesting or surprising fact?
Hue Citadel
* Located on the northern bank of the Perfume River, the Imperial City of Hue was not only the administrative centre but also the royal residence of the Nguyen Dynasty.
*Its construction began under the reign of Emperor Gia Long in the early 19th century and it was completed during the reign of Minh Mang, involving huge expenditure and the recruitment of tens of thousands of labourers.
*The Citadel comprises three concentric walled areas: the Citadel (Kinh Thanh), the Imperial City (Hoang Thanh) and the Purple Forbidden City (Tu Cam Thanh). The entire square-shaped complex with a perimeter of nearly 10 km is enclosed within the outer walls which are 6.6 m high and 21.5 m thick.
* Gates were built into the Citadel walls - four on the south front side and two on each of the other sides.
*During the Nguyen Dynasty, there used to be more than 100 buildings dedicated to specific functions such as palaces for worshipping deceased royal family members, royal government ministries and residential quarters. The Purple Forbidden City was reserved exclusively for the emperor and his close family.
*The restoration work is currently under way to restore the splendour of this iconic site.
*Hue Citadel was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.
The most interesting fact is that the construction of Hue Citadel involved the recruitment of tens of thousands of labourers, which is a massive undertaking