Breakfast at hotel.
Transfer by road to visit the Royal Citadel & the Imperial City, the past glory of Hue. Emperor Gia Long modeled the Royal Citadel on the Forbidden City in Beijing, China. The Royal Citadel is composed of three walled enclosures, each within the other-a city within a city. Visit
the Imperial City, which housed the palaces, pavilions, civil and religious ceremonies and official audiences with the civil mandarins. Then visit the Forbidden Purple City, located within the Imperial City, this was the royal palace used only by the imperial family and the concubines and eunuchs, who served them. This part of the Imperial City suffered the most extensive damage during the Vietnam War and little remains of the original structure-today there are just ruins. UNESCO as a World Heritage Site is presently restoring it. Then you will continue to Khai Dinh’s Tomb; the spectacular entryway with its dragon pillars is the highlight of the Tomb. The architecture is in a modern style with a blend of European and Eastern design. Inside the main hall are colorful glass mosaic frescoes and a life-size bronze statue of Khai Dinh. Next stop will be Tu Duc’s Tomb; a peaceful resting place enclosed by walls, it features pine woods and a lakeside pavilion with lotus blossoms where the emperor once fished, listened to music, and wrote poetry. The tomb was more of a pleasure garden than a tomb: the emperor used it as a second residence, where he indulged in extravagant 50-course meals of incredible delicacies. The mausoleum was constructed between 1864 and 1867 by a force of 3,000 labors. In the late afternoon, transfer back to your hotel in Hue. Overnight in Hue.
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