The imperial capital on the Perfume River
Hue was the seat of the Nguyen emperors from 1802 to 1945, and their legacy defines the city. The Imperial City, a vast walled citadel on the north bank of the Perfume River, holds palaces, gates and gardens, some restored and some still scarred by war. Upriver stand the grand tombs of emperors such as Tu Duc, Minh Mang and Khai Dinh, and the seven-storey tower of Thien Mu Pagoda. Hue also has its own refined cuisine, most famously spicy bun bo Hue.