3 Must See Imperial Tombs in Hue, Vietnam

If you are in Hue, these 3 tombs are definitely worth seeing!  Prepared to walk around a lot and wear sunscreen and a hat.  All 3 tombs can be seen in half a day's trip and it's cheaper to have a private tour arranged; about $40 USD ( admission fees not included :100,000 VND / person )

1, Minh Mang Tomb ( Hieu Tomb )

This is the burial place of emperor Minh Tang, the 2nd emperor of  the Nguyen dynasty,   The construction of the tomb began in 1840 and completed in 1843 on Mount Cam Ke ( Mount Hieu ) which is located about 12 km from Hue city. Emperor Minh Mang passed away during the construction of the tomb ground which spreads about 15 hectares and is surrounded with a 2000 meter long wall. The highly renowned design of its symmetric axis sets apart this construction from the other royal tombs.  The tomb has been a UNESCO world heritage site since 1993. The main construction of the ritual and burial areas are situated on the main axis ( holy axis ), including Dai Hong Gate ( Main Gate ), Bai Dinh ( salutation court ), Stele House with an inscription praising the emperor's merits, Sung An Temple ( the temple where  the emperor and his queen are worshipped ), Minh Lau Pavilion where the emperor enjoyed the fresh air, Buu Thanh and Huyen Cung is where he is laid to rest.

2, Khai Dinh Tomb ( Ung Tomb )

Emperor Khai Dinh of Nguyen dynasty, the 12th emperor who ruled from 1916 to 1931 is buried here. It is located on the slope of Chau Chau Mountain which is about 10 km from Hue City. Khai Dinh Tomb is the most recent and costly among the other Nguyen imperial tombs.  The construction took 11 years to complete, from 1920 to 1931.  The design of the tomb reflects French influence; it resembles of an ancient European castle with a mixture of Vietnamese construction materials.  The most prominent feature of it is the three high terraces that are connected by sets of 127 steps. The notables here are the statues of  military soldiers and horses on the second terrace and Thien Dinh Palace which is located on the highest terrace. Thien Dinh palace is where the emperor is buried and worshiped.  Intricate painting of the ceiling  overlooks the bronze statue of the emperor which was sculpted in Paris and brought over.  The inner walls are beautifully designed with porcelain dragons and bamboos.

3,  Tu Duc Tomb ( Khiem Tomb )

Emperor Tu Duc of Nguyen dynasty , the 4th emperor who ruled from 1848 to 1883 began planning his burial before his death.  He held the longest reign of all the 13 Nguyen emperors- ruling for 35 years.  It is located in Duong Xuan Thuong Village, which is about 8 km from Hue City. The large tomb ground which consists of 12 hectares of land and about 50 constructions of tombs, temples and pavilions is surrounded by 1500 meter long walls.  It was initially used as a residential palace by Emperor Tu Duc during his reign.  It took a tremendous amount of labor and money for the construction of the tomb and its grounds.  The taxes were raised and the workers rebelled strongly. The ground is picturesque with lakes with bridges and pavilions surrounded by huge pine and frangipani trees.  It is said that the emperor enjoyed his walks and wrote poetry at the pavilions. The points of interest here are Hoa Khiem Temple, where the emperor and his queen are worshipped, Xung Khiem Pavillion, Luu Kiem Lake, Tinh Kiem Island.