(658 km from Hanoi) Founded as a Royal City in 1687, the original citadel city of Phu Xuan was built on the site of present day Hue, the gateway to the treasures of Vietnam’s royal past. The city served as Vietnam’s political capital from1802 to 1945 under the 13 emperor of the Nguyen dynasty and was a major center of Vietnamese culture, region and education. This small and quiet city is justly famed for the magnificent architecture of its citadels palaces royal tombs, pagodas and temples built under the Nguyen dynasty in an elegant verdant setting on the banks of perfume River. UNESCO has labeled Hue “a beautiful architectural poem”.