Taken on December 24, 2015 in Hue

This was the capital of Vietnam during the Nguyen Dynasty (1802 – 1945.) Inside there is a Forbidden City that, while not as large and impressive as Beijing’s, is beautiful and worth visiting nonetheless. (A Forbidden City is territory in which only royalty were allowed to tread.) Much of the Citadel has had to be rebuilt or repaired because in 1968 it was targeted after extended fighting in and around the city. (Initially, the Citadel was not fired upon because of its importance as a historic site, but eventually the battle became so intense that its protection was deemed no longer an option.