Thai Hoa Palace

The throne hall of the Nguyen emperors, newly restored: eighty lacquered ironwood columns beneath a ceiling of gold and vermilion, at the ceremonial centre of the Imperial City.

Thai Hoa Palace, the Hall of Supreme Harmony, was where thirteen Nguyen emperors were crowned and where the court assembled for grand audiences twice a month. First built in 1805 and moved to its present site in 1833, it reopened in 2024 after a multi-year restoration that renewed its roof, lacquer and gilding. Inside, eighty ironwood columns painted with golden dragons rise to coffered ceilings inscribed with poems, and the gilded throne stands beneath a canopy at the far end. Outside, the Great Rites Courtyard is marked with stone tablets showing where mandarins of each rank stood in order. Photography of the throne itself is restricted, so take your time looking rather than shooting, and step out onto the terrace afterwards for the view back through Ngo Mon. It is the ceremonial climax of any Imperial City visit and the best-preserved interior in the complex.