The Imperial City is a walled enclosure within the citadel of the city of Huế, the former imperial capital of Vietnam during the Nguyễn dynasty. It contains the palaces that housed the imperial family, as well as shrines, gardens, and villas for mandarins. Constructed in 1803 under Emperor Gia Long as a new capital, it mostly served a ceremonial function during the French colonial period. After the end of the monarchy in 1945, it suffered heavy damage and neglect during the Indochina Wars through the 1980s.

The grounds of the Imperial City are protected by fortified ramparts 2 by 2 kilometres and ringed by a moat. The water in the moat is routed from the Hương River through a series of sluice gates. This enclosure is the citadel (Kinh thành). Inside the citadel is the Imperial City with a perimeter wall some 2.5 km in length. Within the Imperial City is the Purple Forbidden City (Tử cấm thành), a term identical to the Forbidden City in Beijing. Access to the innermost enclosure was restricted to the imperial family.

Below is a selection of photos taken during a visit to the Imperial City on May 26, 2015. Click on a small photo for a larger view, then select the next one with the cursor keys or the arrows on either side of the photo.