Under the Nguyen Dynasty from 1802 to 1945, Hue was the capital of Vietnam. The border between North and South Vietnam ran north of the city.
The Citadel with the Forbidden City, modeled after Beijing, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. It was very badly damaged during the Tet Offensive in 1968.
Until the 19th century, various imperial dynasties ruled here and lived in a world of their own. Thus, some of the emperors had up to 500 concubines, which also did not make life easier.