Nguyen Dynasty’s Royal Tombs In Hue

By huynhtuyen | Posted in Hue | July 11, 2024

Royal tombs in Hue are always the places that attract many tourists all around the world to come and learn more about the Vietnam history. With rich history and unique architecture, these tombs will be the perfect attractions for history lovers. Therefore, let us discover the beauty of these tombs before coming to Hue and seeing it in real life.

Nguyen Dynasty’s royal tombs in Hue Vietnam

The Nguyen Dynasty existed from 1802 to 1945, with up to 13 kings. But for different historical reasons, only seven king’s tombs still exist. These are the tombs of Gia Long, Minh Mang, Thieu Tri, Tu Duc, Duc Duc, Dong Khanh, and Khai Dinh.

Most tombs in Hue were built while the king was still on the throne. The theme of artistic ideology was given by these kings. Moreover, the architecture was approved by the king, and the king himself often supervised the construction. The tombs in Hue of the Nguyen Dynasty kings have reached the pinnacle of landscape architectural art. Furthermore, festivals are also held annually at these tombs.

Standing in the center of the ancient capital of Hue, these tomb areas were built to the west of the capital with the meaning “Thai Duong Tay Ha” (Sun sets in the West). Each king and his tomb are all associated with a heroic historical story. Additionally, tombs in Hue are also a place to preserve the culture and traditions of the Vietnamese people.

The 7 royal tombs in Hue

Gia Long Tomb – the first kings of the Nguyen Dynasty

Address: Huong Tho Commune, Hue.
Opening hours: 7:00 AM – 5:30 PM.
Entrance fee: 150,000 VND.

Gia Long Tomb is also known by many as Thien Tho Tomb. This is the resting place of the first king of the Nguyen Dynasty. This tomb is located along the Perfume River and resides at Thien Tho Mountain. Gia Long tomb was built within 6 years from 1815 to 1820 and is up to 12,000 square meters wide.

The mausoleum is surrounded by the majestic and magnificent mountains of Thien Tho mountain, with 28 small mountains surrounding it left and right in front.

The grounds of King Gia Long’s mausoleum are spacious, but there is no palace and no latticework. The surrounding pine hills stretch out like a giant hand, protecting the Gia Long King resting place. That poetic scene has captured many admiring tourists when they come to this place. Additionally, Gia Long tomb not only has the most beautiful feng shui position among tombs in Hue but is also famous for the love story between the king and his queen.

Khai Dinh Tombs – one of the famous tombs in Hue

Address: Thuy Bang Commune, Hue.
Opening hours: 07:00 AM – 05:00 PM.
Entrance fee: 100,000 VND/adult, 20,000 VND/child.

Khai Dinh Tomb is located on Chau Chu Mountain, Thuy Bang Commune, Huong Thuy District, and is the resting place of the 12th king of the Nguyen Dynasty. The tomb is not large compared to other tombs, but it is the longest tomb built in 11 years (1920–1931).

Therefore, Khai Dinh Tomb has meticulous and elaborate architecture, creating a unique, flashy, and splendid beauty from wooden pieces, porcelain, glass,… along with modern interior decoration items such as oil lamps, tea trays,… This is the result of the integration and interference between East and West architecture.

Moreover, a special feature is that Khai Dinh tomb has unique ceramic mosaics. In Khai Dinh mausoleum, there are currently two bronze statues depicting the king at a 1/1 scale. A statue sitting on a gilded throne was carved in Paris, and a standing statue was cast in Hue.

Maybe you interesting: Hue tombs tour – half day private tour

Minh Mang Tomb

Address: Huong Tra Town, Hue.
Opening hours: 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
Entrance fee: 150,000 VND.

Minh Mang Tomb is the resting place of King Minh Mang, the second king of the Nguyen Dynasty. Located on Cam Khe Mountain, it is the intersection of the Huu Trach and Ta Trach streams of the romantic Huong River.

Minh Mang Tomb is a large-scale architectural complex, including about 40 large and small architectural works. All are arranged along a straight axis, starting with Dai Hong Mon, surrounded by two more gates, Ta Hong Mon and Huu Hong Mon. Then, inside of this tomb is a large yard and many stone statues, and finally is the king’s tomb.

Especially, there are nearly 60 crosswords carved with poems, considered a museum of selected poems of Vietnamese poetry in the early 19th century.

Tu Duc Tomb – one of the most beautiful tombs in Hue

Address: Thuy Xuan Ward, Hue.
Opening hours: 7:30 AM – 5:30 PM.
Entrance fee: 150,000 VND.

Tu Duc Tomb is considered the most beautiful tombs with unique architecture in the Hue ancient capital relic complex. This tomb is located in a narrow valley in Thuong Ba village, Thuy Xuan ward.

The mausoleum was built from 1864 to 1867 with an area of 475 hectares. The tomb possesses a beauty like a charming landscape painting and perfect harmony; interspersed among the beautiful architecture are undulating hills and a calm blue lake. The panorama of Tu Duc tomb looks like a large park. All around are green trees and a poetic space. The mausoleum consists of 50 large and small structures distributed over complex terrain.

Thieu Tri Tomb

Address: Thuy Bang Commune, Hue.
Opening hours: 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
Entrance fee: 50,000 VND.

Thieu Tri tomb is the tomb with the shortest construction time, only 10 months in 1948. This is the resting place of the third king of the Nguyen Dynasty. Thieu Tri Tomb has the architectural features of the tombs of King Gia Long and King Minh Mang with sophisticated and aesthetic beauty. This mausoleum is the only one facing North-West, a direction rarely chosen for construction.

tomb of Thieu Tri emperor — Thieu Tri Tomb

Dong Khanh Tomb

Address: Thuy Xuan Commune, Hue.
Opening hours: 7:30 AM – 5:30 PM.
Entrance fee: 100,000 VND/adult.

The process of building the Dong Khanh tomb took place over four kings (1888–1923). This tomb is an intersection between Asian and European architecture, with both traditional architecture and a bit of influence from Western European architecture. Set amid lush forested nature, the tomb adds a distinct beauty to the grandeur of Hue.

Duc Duc Tomb

Address: An Cuu Ward, Hue.
Opening hours: 7:30 AM – 5:30 PM (Mondays – Fridays).
Entrance fee: Free.

Duc Duc tomb stands out as the simplest in design among all Hue’s tombs. This tomb is located in An Cuu ward and is the burial place of 3 kings, including King Duc Duc (father), King Thanh Thai (son), and King Duy Tan (grandson).

The Duc Duc tomb features a rectangular layout covering 6,245 square meters of architectural space. In front of the mausoleum there is Phuoc Qua dune, and behind the mausoleum there is Tam Thai Mountain protecting and shielding.

Useful tips when visiting royal tombs in Hue

If you want to learn more about the history and architecture of these tombs, a tour guide is always the best choice for tourists.

The tomb is a solemn place, so you should choose respectful and polite clothing to visit.

Traveling to tombs in Hue in the dry season, the weather in Hue is hot and sunny, so don’t forget to use sunscreen, hats, and umbrellas to protect your skin.

Hue not only has royal tombs but also many beautiful historical attractions, so you should consider your plan to have a perfect itinerary.

Each royal tomb in Hue will have a different beauty for visitors to explore. From architecture to history, these tombs will make you fall in love at first sight. Therefore, don’t forget one of these tombs we mention above in your plan in Hue.

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