Estab­lished as the cap­i­tal of uni­fied Viet Nam in 1802, Hue was not only the polit­i­cal but also the cul­tur­al and reli­gious cen­tre under the Nguyen dynasty until 1945. The Per­fume Riv­er winds its way through the Cap­i­tal City, the Impe­r­i­al City, the For­bid­den Pur­ple City and the Inner City, giv­ing this unique feu­dal cap­i­tal a set­ting of great nat­ur­al beau­ty.