The Royal Tombs of Nguyen Emperors

The tombs of Kings Khai Dinh, Minh Mang, and Tu Duc in Thua Thien Hue exhibit distinct, grand architectures, perpetually drawing visitors every day.

Discovering Hue: Touring the Royal Tombs of Nguyen Emperors

Tu Duc Tomb

Tu Duc Tomb stands as one of the most beautiful architectural marvels of the Nguyen era. Emperor-poet Tu Duc (1848-1883) chose a resting place befitting his stature, reflecting the erudition and romanticism of the most scholarly monarch of the Nguyen dynasty.

Situated in a narrow valley in Duong Xuan Thuong village, Thuy Xuan commune, Hue city, this is a must-visit spot for almost every traveler exploring Hue tourism.

Being a king amidst societal hardships, facing external invasions, internal strife among siblings vying for the throne, and grappling with illness and childlessness, King Tu Duc sought solace by constructing this tomb complex as a secondary imperial palace to alleviate grief and prepare for the inevitable journey.

Initially named Longevity Palace by King Tu Duc during its construction, the site was later renamed Humble Palace after the Chay Voi Uprising led by the Doan Huu Trung brothers. Following the king's demise, it became known as Modest Tomb.

The layout of the tomb complex consists of two main sections arranged along parallel axes, with Mount Giang Khiem in the front serving as the forecourt, Mount Duong Xuan as the rear court, and the Luu Khiem Lake as a scenic element.

The overall view of Tu Duc's tomb resembles a vast park with perennial streams, pine whispers, and birdsong. The paramount aspect revered within Tu Duc's tomb is the harmony of lines. Instead of straight, angular pathways like other architectures, it features Bat Trang brick-paved paths starting from the Khiem Gate, passing through the Modest Palace Gate, meandering around the front of the tomb mound, and abruptly disappearing into the rows of porcelain trees near the tomb of Queen Le Thien Anh.

Nearly 50 structures within the tomb, spanning both the temple and tomb areas, bear the prefix 'Khiem' in their names. Beyond the Khiem Gate and the Son Than Temple, visitors traverse the main pathway leading to the temple area, which formerly served as the king's resting and recreational grounds. Immediately noticeable is the Left Respect Hall, where the king's consorts are worshipped. Following that are three rows of stone Thanh steps leading to the Modest Palace Gate—a two-story pavilion resembling a first-line defense against the Luu Khiem Lake in the front.

Inside the Modest Palace Gate lies the area designated for the king's rest during visits. At its center is the Hòa Khiêm Hall, where the king used to work, now serving as the shrine for the king and queen's offerings. On either side are the Phap Khiem Vu and Le Khiem Vu halls for civil and military officials attending to the king. Behind the Hòa Khiêm Hall is the Lương Khiêm Hall, formerly the king's resting place, later used to worship the spirit of Queen Tu Du, the mother of King Tu Duc. Adjacent to the Lương Khiêm Hall is the On Khiem Path, where imperial paraphernalia is stored. Particularly, to the left of the Lương Khiêm Hall is the Minh Khiem Theater for royal entertainment, considered one of Vietnam's oldest surviving theaters.

A corridor from the On Khiem Palace leads to the Tri Khiem Court and Y Khiem Court, residences for the king's concubines both in life and after his passing. Adjacent to them are the Tung Khiem Court, Dung Khiem Court, and the king's deer breeding garden.

With a reign of 36 years, Tu Duc holds the record as the longest-reigning monarch among the 13 Nguyen emperors.

Minh Mang Mausoleum

In February 1820, upon the death of King Gia Long, the fourth prince, Nguyen Phuc Dam, ascended the throne with the regnal title Minh Mang. King Minh Mang made significant contributions to expanding the nation, elevating Dai Nam to the most powerful among Southeast Asian countries at the time.

Reigning for 7 years, Minh Mang commissioned a search for land to build his own royal tomb. Geographer Le Van Duc identified a prime site in the Cam Ke mountains near the Bằng Lãng crossroads, where the Tả Trạch and Hữu Trạch rivers converge to form the picturesque Perfume River. However, after 14 years of deliberation and selection, it wasn't until 1840 that the king decided to build his tomb at this location.

Within the area bordered by the 1,750-meter-long La Citadel lies an architectural complex comprising palaces, castles, and ancestral temples arranged symmetrically along a 700-meter axis along the Thanh Dao Road, starting from the Dai Hong Gate to the foot of the La Citadel behind the king's tomb. The tomb's shape resembles a reclining figure in a supremely relaxed posture, with knees resting on Kim Phung Mountain and feet stretched out towards the confluence of three rivers in front, while the Trung Minh Lake forms natural outstretched arms.

From outside to inside, the structures are distributed along three parallel axes with the Thanh Dao as the central axis.

Amidst the architectural marvels lies a scented lotus pond and gently shaded pine-covered hills, creating a landscape both intimate and spectacular.

The entrance to the Thanh Dao begins with the Dai Hong Gate, the main entrance to the tomb, built with lime bricks, standing over 9 meters tall and 12 meters wide. This gate has three entrances with 24 ups and downs of roof tiles and decorative motifs of carp turned into dragons, dragon veins,... considered typical of the Nguyen dynasty's triple gates. The gate opens only once to bring the king's coffin into the tomb, then it is tightly closed, and entry and exit must pass through two side gates: the Left Hong Gate and the Right Hong Gate. After the Dai Hong Gate is the Bai Dinh, paved with Bat Trang bricks (a square courtyard 45×45 m), with two rows of stone statues of civil and military officials, elephants and horses standing guard. At the end of the courtyard is the Bi Dinh located on Phung Than Son, inside which is the 'Holy Duke' stone stele engraved with the Thanh stone inscription of King Thieu Tri writing about the biography and merits of the king's father.

In the ancestral temple are the altars of the king and Queen Ta Thien Nhan. Hoang Trach Gate is the structure that concludes the temple area, opening up a space of flowers, leaves, and water clouds behind. All the practical structures seem to stop in the temple area.

Seventeen Thanh stone steps lead visitors into a cool blue sky filled with the scent of wildflowers. Three bridges: Left Phu Bridge, Middle Dao Bridge, Right Bat Bridge, span Trung Minh Lake like a green silk ribbon, leading visitors to Minh Tower – a structure emerging from the hill named Tam Tai Son.

This square-shaped building, two stories high with eight roofs, is a symbol of Eastern philosophy. On either side of Minh Tower, towards the rear, are two majestic pillars erected on Binh Son and Thanh Son, symbolizing the king's 'establishment of virtue and success' before entering eternity.

Crossing the Thong Minh Chinh Truc Bridge spanning Tan Nguyet Lake with 33 levels of stairs leads visitors to the serene resting place of the king, nestled amidst the heart of a hill named Khai Trach Mountain, enclosed by a circular Buu Thanh.

On either side of the main axis of the tomb are numerous symmetrical auxiliary structures, unfortunately damaged by time and weather, so nowadays tourists visiting Hue no longer see the beautiful palaces and shrines nestled amidst the canopy of trees, casting shadows over the clear lake day and night.

Khai Dinh Tomb

King Khai Dinh (1916-1925) was the 12th king of the Nguyen dynasty and the last to construct his tomb, preparing for the departure of a king during the twilight of the feudal regime.

Ascending the throne at the age of 31, Khai Dinh was deeply engrossed in building palaces, mansions, and tombs for himself and the royal family, such as Kien Trung Palace, An Dinh Palace, Truong An Gate, Hien Nhon Gate, Chuong Duc Gate, and notably the Ung Tomb. These constructions consumed a lot of manpower and resources from the common people, but they also represent significant cultural and artistic value.

After consulting numerous geomancers, Khai Dinh chose the Chau Chu Mountains (also known as Chau E) as the location to build his tomb. Situated at this location, the Khai Dinh Tomb takes a low hill in the foreground as its forecourt; with Chau Chu Mountain and Kim Son Mountain as the 'Left Blue Dragon' and 'Right White Tiger' respectively; there is the Chau E stream flowing from left to right as the 'water gathering', known as the 'bright path'. The king renamed Chau Chu Mountain – both as the rear court and the 'ground' of the tomb – to Ung Son and named the tomb after the mountain: Ung Tomb.

The tomb commenced on September 4, 1920, and lasted for 11 years before completion.

Khai Dinh sent people to France to purchase iron, steel, cement, Ardoise tiles... for ships to China, and bought porcelain and colored glass from Japan to design the construction. Compared to the tombs of his predecessors, Khai Dinh's tomb has a very modest area: 117×48.5 m but extremely elaborate and time-consuming.

The influence of various architectural styles: Indian, Buddhist, Roman, Gothic... has left its mark on specific structures: tower-shaped gate pillars influenced by Indian architecture; stupa-shaped pillars of Buddhism; fences like cross-shaped trees; stone tablets with octagonal columns and Romanesque-style arched doors... This is the result of two factors: the intersection of Eastern-Western cultures during a transitional period in history and Khai Dinh's personality.

The primary person responsible for creating artistic masterpieces in the Khai Dinh tomb was the artisan Phan Van Tanh, the author of three large frescoes 'Nine dragons hiding the clouds' - the finest in Vietnam, decorated on the ceilings of the three middle houses in the Thien Dinh palace. Thanks to his contributions and the talents of Vietnamese folk artisans, the Khai Dinh tomb has become a symbol and pinnacle of ceramic and glass art.

According to Lê Huy Hoàng Hải/Zing news

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Reference: Travel Guide Mytour