While in Hue, Vietnam we visited the Imperial City, which was where the Emperor of the Nguyen Empire resided within the citadel that itself lies within the walls of the old city.

Read More On Vietnam

Visiting The Imperial City

The entrance fee into the Imperial Palace isn’t exactly cheap at 150,000 VND. In 1362, this Imperial City was built and took 203 years to complete the whole complex is located alongside the ‘Perfume River’ with an outside wall 10 km long.

During the war, it then took substantial damage amid the clash that happened in Jan 1968.

Imperial city in Hue

Exploring The War Museum

After the Imperial City, we visited another war museum beside the Imperial City. It has an on-display showing disused or destroyed Vietnamese / American tanks, helicopters, etc.

Artillery used in the Vietnam War
American Warplane Used in the Vietnam War

Visiting The Tiger Arena

After the Imperial City and War Museum, we visited the tiger arena. It was built in 1832 and is like a mini Colosseum similar to that of the Roman Colosseum but smaller. It hosted its last fight in 1904.

Tiger Arena hue entrance

It was built to host fights between tigers and elephants. Since the elephant was considered to be a symbol of imperial prestige.

The elephant’s victory was nearly assured as the tiger may be drugged and the tiger’s sharp teeth and claws removed before each battle.

Tiger Arena in Hue Vietnam

The tiger arena is in bad disrepair with access to the second level restricted.

tiger arena hue entrance for tiger

Wrapping Up

And that’s it for now! I’d love to know if this guide on visiting Hue in Vietnam has helped you. Let me know if you have any questions and let me know if there are any more places to visit in Vietnam.