Ngo Mon of Hue

Located in front of the Thai a Palace and facing the Flag Tower, Ngo Mon is the main entrance to the Royal Citadel. It is a huge U-shaped construction consisting of two parts: below is a foundation made of brick (Thanh and Quang stone), above is a pavilion made of wood and roofed with tiles.

The longest and widest sides of this 5m high foundation are 5.57m and 27m, respectively. There are in fact five entrances, the main gate paved with Thanh stone, and with red-lacquered doors reserved for the King. The two side-entrances, the Left and Right Gates, were for civil and military mandarins and two more gates were used for soldiers, elephants, and horses on the royal procession.

The upper part is the Ngu Phung Pavilion (Pavilion of Five Phoenixes). It is flanked by two wing belvederes of two storeys. The upper story is supplied with wooden partitions. It was exclusively reserved for the Queen Mother and the Emperor's wives. They could look through windows shaped like circles, gongs or fans, but blinds prevented them from being seen from the outside. The lower story was left open except for the middle compartment that is paneled and supplied with glass-doors. The King seated there on festive occasions. Though the time has passed, Ngo Mon still stands steadily and has been become one of the most ancient typical architecture in Hue.