Free entry to Hue's imperial monuments on National Day, 2 September (Vietnamese citizens)

   The gates of the Imperial City, the tombs of the Nguyễn emperors and the royal antiquities museum — places that normally charge admission — open free for one day. Huế does this twice a year, and 2 September is the second of those days.

   The essentials:

• — 2 September 2026, visiting hours 7:00–17:30;
• — free entry for Vietnamese citizens only, on presentation of the CCCD national ID;
• — foreign visitors buy regular tickets;
• — the concession is set by Resolution 55/2025 of the Huế People's Council and applies two days a year — 19 August and 2 September;
• — it covers the sites managed by the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre.

   The seven sites concerned:

   Đại Nội — the Imperial City with the Purple Forbidden City at its heart
lăng Tự Đức, lăng Khải Định, lăng Minh Mạng — the three most celebrated royal tombs
Bảo tàng Cổ vật Cung đình Huế — the Museum of Royal Antiquities
cung An Định — an early-20th-century palace on the An Cựu river
điện Hòn Chén — a temple on the bank of the Perfume River

   The Complex of Hué Monuments was Vietnam's first UNESCO World Heritage site, listed in 1993. The tombs are scattered south of the city along the Perfume River, each a separate ride away — the Imperial City plus one or two tombs is a realistic plan for a single day.

   Expect holiday crowds: come in the morning and bring the physical CCCD card. This is a ticket concession, not extended hours — the sites keep their normal schedule.

   Who goes free. The concession comes from a decision of the Huế People's Council (Resolution 55/2025) and applies to Vietnamese citizens, who show the physical CCCD card at the gate. Foreign visitors buy tickets at the usual price — worth knowing before you reach the window. The day is still a fine one to spend in Huế: festive streets, open monuments, the ticket office working as always.