The ancient beauty of Hue City
General information
The Nguyen dynasty (1820 – 1945), which lasted a total of 143 years, was the last ruling family of Vietnam. There are thirteen Emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty. However, due to many complicated historic reasons, only seven royal tombs of King Nguyen remain in Hue City, namely tombs of Gia Long, Minh Mang, Thieu Tri (including the tomb of Kien Phuc King), Tu Duc, Duc Duc (including two tombs of Thanh Thai and Duy Tan), Dong Khanh, and Khai Dinh.
Construction of the tombs was started while the king was still alive. Each tomb consists of two main parts. The first one is reserved for funeral activities and the second one is a place where many palaces, mansions, pavilions and others were built for the King’s entertainment during his visit.
However, the internal arrangement of each tomb is different from the others, particularly, the arrangements reflected the points of view, personality, and tastes of each King.
Tomb of Gia Long
The tomb of Gia Long The tomb of Gia Long is located on the top of Thien Tho mountain, on the west bank of the Huong river. It is 16km from the center of Hue. Construction of the tomb began in 1814 and was completed in 1820. The tomb was built according to a monumental but simple design, along with many old pine trees around.
In front of the tomb is a lotus pond. Behind the pond is a large terraced yard divided into three different levels. In the past, the first level was used as the waiting area and is bordered by two rows of elephant and horse statues.
Tomb of Minh Mang
The architectural design harmoniously blends with its natural surroundings. The tomb of Minh Mang was constructed from 1840 to 1843. It is located in an enclosed hilly area in Cam Khe village, 12 kilometers from the Hue center.
Minh Mang tomb is a standard architectural complex consisting of 40 palaces, temple, pavilions, etc. They are designed on a symmetrical axis along the outside of Dai Hong gate to the foot of La Thanh behind the Emperor’s tomb.
Visit Minh Mang tomb, tourists seem to be wandering in a world of paintings, poetry and philosophy, besides the majesty and symmetry of the architectural constructions. The tomb of Minh Mang has the atmosphere of magnificence and formality. Its architectural design harmoniously blends with its natural surroundings.
Tomb of Thieu Tri
The imperial of Thien Tri Tomb Thieu Tri’s tomb was situated in Chu Chanh village, Thuy Bang commune, Huong Thuy district. It is about 8 kilometers from the city. The tomb was built in 1849, including the tomb and temple areas.
The tomb area is on the right of Nhuan Trach lake. It has the bronze gate leading to big Binh Dai. The two rows of stone statues on the left and right of the court are typical for the Hue sculpture in the first half of the 19th century. In addition, Ngong Thuy lake in front of Buu Thanh looks like a crescent moon.
After passing the marble gate, there is Bieu Duc temple. In the temple, there are over 450-word boxes including many poems with education and literature values.
The tomb of Thien Tri has itself the simple and intimate beauty, which leans its back against the foot of Thuan Dao mount. In front of the tomb is the flat land with green trees and rice fields stretching from the back of Huong river up to Lim bridge.
Tomb of Tu Duc
Tu Duc tomb is one of the most beautiful royal architecture works of the Nguyen dynasty The tomb of Tu Duc is situated on Duong Xuan mountain, on the bank of Huong river. It is 8km from Hue.
The construction started in 1864 and completed in 1883. Also called Tomb of Modesty, the necropolis complex is among a pine tree forest. Tu Duc tomb is not only one of the most beautiful royal architecture works of the Nguyen dynasty but also is a romantic picture of mountains and lakes.
Tomb of Duc Duc
The tomb of Duc Duc Among the tombs of Nguyen dynasty, Duc Duc tomb is simpler than the others. Inside, there are no temples or stone statues. The entrance is a triple gate made of brick.
The tomb has an honor courtyard without stone statues; however, it is decorated with parapets. The middle is Huynh Oc house with yellow tiles. The interior decoration is very simple with one bed and one table used to place altars. In addition, there have two words Song Hy in front of the tomb.
Later, Long An shrine was built in the central area. Inside the temple are three altars, which are dedicated to Duc Duc, Thanh Thai and Duy Tan.
Tomb of Dong Khanh
The ancient beauty of Dong Khanh Tomb Dong Khanh tomb is located near Thuong Hai village, Thuy Xuan commune, Hue. It’s only 5 km from the city center. It was built in 1917 when European culture entered Vietnam. The tomb’s design was almost influenced by European style, from its architectural peculiarities or decorative models to the building materials. The Stele Pavilion was constructed with cement, tile bricks and bricks instead of stones.
The tomb marked the evolution of Vietnam’s architecture, which is the mixture of European and Asian architecture.
Tomb of Khai Dinh
Khai Dinh Tomb was built with modern materials Khai Dinh tomb was built between 1920 and 1931. It is located on the top of Chau E mountains, 10km of Hue. Located in a wilderness, Khai Dinh tomb looks like a magnificent palace perched on the slope of a limestone mountain. The tourists have to climb 109 stone steps to reach the tomb.
Unlike the other tombs, Khai Dinh mausoleum was built with modern materials such as steel and reinforced concrete. Especially, there are the magnificent porcelain decorations on the walls, columns, and ceilings.
Each royal tomb in Hue is famous for not only a historical and cultural relic but also landscapes and architecture of Hue Ancient City.