The Imperial City was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993 as part of The Complex of Huế Monuments and is undergoing restoration.

In June 1802, after more than a century of division and the defeat of the Tây Sơn dynasty, Nguyễn Ánh ascended the throne of a unified Vietnam and proclaimed himself Emperor Gia Long.

Gia Long looked to "Confucianism and Chinese models of statecraft" as the best modes of authority, and with this ideology, he ordered the construction of a palace complex based on Beijing's Forbidden City in Huế.

Rather than concentric rings centered on the emperor's palace, the imperial residence itself is offset toward the southeast side of the citadel, nearer the river.

A second set of tall walls and a second moat were constructed around this Imperial City, within which many edifices were added in a series of gated courtyards, gardens, pavilions and palaces.

The French led counter-attack operations where they laid siege and engaged in a six-week ensuing battle which destroyed many of the major structures.

As part of the Tet Offensive, a Division-sized force of the People's Army of Vietnam and Viet Cong soldiers launched a coordinated attack on Huế, seizing most of the city.

During the initial phases of the Battle of Huế, due to Huế's religious and cultural status, United States Marines troops were ordered not to bomb or shell the city, for fear of destroying the historic structures; but as casualties mounted in house-to-house fighting, these restrictions were progressively lifted and the fighting caused substantial damage to the Imperial City.

[6] Out of 160 buildings, only 10 major sites remain after the battle, such as the Thái Hòa and Cần Thanh temples, Thế Miếu, and Hiển Lâm Các.

Inside the citadel is the Imperial City (Hoàng thành; 皇城), with a perimeter wall some 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) in length.

The palace's original role was a royal garden, where the Nguyen Dynasty Emperors invited their mothers to visit and enjoy the scenery.

It is an architectural work located in the Hue urban complex, in the church area, built in 1821 and completed in 1822 under the reign of Emperor Minh Mang, along with The Mieu.

Currently, this palace has become a ruin due to being burned during the Viet Minh resistance campaign in February 1947, this building is being restored, expected to be completed in 4 years from 2024.

This is the main residence of the Empress consort of the Nguyễn Dynasty (demolished in Khai Dinh's era to make space for Kien Trung palace.)

The department was responsible for health care in Imperial palace as well as suggesting diet plan and recording document of medicine and treatment process.

It is also called Thư viện Nội Các (書院内閣), used for working place for First ranked mandarins chosen for Grand Secretariat.

Depend on the name of the halls, the mandarin shall received the same title from their working place such as (Đông các điện đại học sĩ,東閣大學士) The building was used as the studying room of princes when they turn 12-13 years old until they reach adulthood (15 years old from Vietnamese law in 19th-20th century), they would be allowed to move out of imperial palace to build their own homes.

The French-style building built in 1932 by emperor Bảo Đại, located on right side of Kiến Trung Lâu as working place for cabinet ministers.

It was built in the 8th year of Ming Mạng (1827) as a residence for concubines of the Sixth rank (Lục giai Tiệp dư,六階婕妤).

The garden is famous for its Van Tu Hoi Lang structure, which has a meandering corridor shaped like the letter Swastika in Buddhism (卍) located in the center running out to four sides.

It was built in 1837 during the reign of Emperor Minh Mạng Thai Binh Lau is a two-story wooden building located in the middle of a rectangle 32m wide and 58m long.