The tombs of the Nguyen Dynasty will be high on your must-visit list once coming to the city of Hue, Vietnam’s ancient imperial capital as they are vivid proofs of royal art and architecture. Located along the banks of the Perfume River between 2km and 16km south of Hue, the tombs have attracted a great number of visitors every year. Since most of the tombs were built during the Emperor’s lifetime, they are places not only for burial but for Kings to take a rest and entertain also. In all, there were 13 Kings; however, due to various reasons, only 7 had tombs including ones for Gia Long, Minh Mang, Tu Duc, Khai Dinh, Duc Duc, Dong Khanh and Thieu Tri, three of which are frequently visited by domestic and international tourists due to their glamorous architectural features.

Tu Duc

Located in a narrow valley in Duong Xuan Thuong village which is currently Thuong Ba village, Thuong Xuan commune, Hue city, the tomb of Tu Duc Emperor is considered as one of the most beautiful royal tombs of the Nguyen Dynasty. Its construction began in 1864 and finished in 1867 with 50 monuments surrounded by a 1500m wall

As being a romantic person, Emperor Tu Duc who had the longest time of 35 years on the throne desired the construction of his tomb to be a lifetime dream and a world for his eternal life after death. Hence, the tomb is set in poetic scenery of boundless pine forest, a magnificent lake and pavilion complex, which makes a strong impression on many tourists.

Khai Dinh

The tomb of Emperor Khai Dinh is situated on the slope of Chau Chu mountain (also called Chau E), 10 km from Hue. It took 11 years to complete the tomb, from 1920 to 1931. Different from those of other emperors, Khai Dinh’s tomb is mixed up by many architectural trends: European and Asian, ancient and modern as being influenced by Western culture and by the King’s characteristic also.

The overall construction of the tomb is an emerging rectangle structure with 127 steps, leaning against the mountain. Its main interest lies in the synthesis of Vietnamese and European elements to build and design the tomb. Using concrete as modern building material for construction and utilizing fragments of ceramics and glass for decoration, Khai Dinh’s tomb can be regarded as a masterpiece of Eastern and Western art that helps distinguish it from other royal tombs of Hue.

Minh Mang

The tomb is 12km from Hue, on Cam Ke mount, on the west bank of the Perfume River. Begun in 1840, the construction was in the middle of implementing when Minh Mang was sick and passed away. His successor, Emperor Thieu Tri continues this task according to his father’s plans. It took ten thousand soldiers and artisans to finish the project. Fully completed in 1843, the tomb comprises of about 40 monuments of various sizes which was designed on an symmetric axis running from Dai Hon gate to the foot of La Thanh (Surrounding Wall) behind the tomb.It is the majesty and symmetry of the architectural work that attracts lots of tourists to visit.