Hue Citadel

* Located on the northern bank of the Perfume River, the Imperial City of Hue was not only the administrative centre but also the royal residence of the Nguyen Dynasty.

* Its construction began under the reign of Emperor Gia Long in the early 19" century and it was completed during the reign of Minh Mang, involving huge expenditure and the recruitment of tens of thousands of labourers.

* The Citadel comprises three concentric walled areas — the Citadel (Kinh Thanh), the Imperial City (Hoang Thanh) and the Purple Forbidden City (Tu Cam Thanh). The entire square shaped complex with a perimeter of nearly 10 km is enclosed within the outer walls which are 6.6 m high and 21.5 m thick.

* Gates were built into the Crtadel walls — four on the south front side and two on each of the other sides.

* During the Nguyen Dynasty, there used to be more than 100 buildings dedicated to specific functions such as palaces for worshipping deceased royal family members, royal government ministries and residential quarters. The Purple Forbidden City was reserved exclusively for the emperor and his close family.

* The restoration work is currently under way to restore the splendour of this iconic site.

* Hue Citadel was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.

2. Cover the fact file. Discuss and try to guess the answers to the quiz about Hue Citadel.

(Thảo luận và cố gắng đoán câu trả lời cho câu đố về kinh thành Huế)

1. When was Hue Citadel built?

a. 17th-c

b. Early 19th-c

c. Late 18th-c

2. Which emperor started its construction?

a. Minh Mang

b. Gia Long

c. Bao Dai

3. How many workers were involved in the building of Hue Citadel?

a. More than 10,000

b. At least 100,000

c. Just under 1,000

4. The height of the outer walls measures:

a. 10km

b. 6.6m

c. 215m

5. How many gates does Hue Citadel have?

a. 8

b. 6

c. 10

6. What was the function of the Purple Forbidden City?

a. The Emperor lived there

b. The Emperor and his family lived there

c. The Emperor's family worshipped there

4. Listen to the radio programme. Complete the information about the Queen’s residences. Use the places below in the first column.

(Nghe chương trình phát thanh. Hoàn thành thông tin về nơi ở của Nữ hoàng. Sử dụng những nơi dưới đây trong cột đầu tiên)