Huế was the last imperial capital of Vietnam under the Nguyễn dynasty. Located in central Vietnam along the Perfume River, it served as the dynasty’s political and ceremonial center from 1802 until the monarchy ended in 1945.
The city was then known as Phú Xuân. In 1802, Nguyễn Ánh defeated the Tây Sơn dynasty, unified Vietnam, proclaimed himself Emperor Gia Long, and restored Phú Xuân as the national capital. His successors developed the Citadel of Huế, including the Imperial City and the Purple Forbidden City, which housed palaces, temples, offices, and royal residences.
Huế remained the seat of the Nguyễn emperors even after France established colonial control over Vietnam. Its role gradually became more symbolic, but the imperial court continued there until Emperor Bảo Đại abdicated on August 30, 1945. Hanoi became the capital of the newly declared Democratic Republic of Vietnam. A common mix-up is confusing Huế with Hanoi, which was the later political capital, or Saigon, the southern imperial and colonial-era rival.