Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993, the Citadel was established by Emperor Gia Long (r. 1802 - 20) in 1805. The huge fortress comprises three concentric enclosures – the Civic, Imperial, and ForbiddenPurpleCities.
The Citadel was designed using the rules of Chinese geomancy, along with the military principles favored by French architect Sebastien de Vauban. The result is an unusual yet elegant complex, where beautiful palaces and temples coexist with massive ramparts, bastions, and moats. Despite the horirific damage caused by the Indochina Wars, recent restoration work has revealed some of the Citadel’s lost architectural grandeur.
Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993, the Citadel was established by Emperor Gia Long (r. 1802 - 20) in 1805. The huge fortress comprises three concentric enclosures – the Civic, Imperial, and 
