Khai Dinh Tomb

Khai Dinh Tomb (known as Ung Mauloseum) is the resting place of Khai Dinh Emperor who is the penultimate emperor of Vietnam from 1916 to 1925. The tomb locates at the slope of Chau Chu Mountain - 10 kilometer from Hue City. You can reach the tomb by the road or by boat along the Perfume River.

After succeeding to the throne, Khai Dinh Emperor immediately intoxicated with the building of many his palaces, mansions, especially is Khai Dinh Tomb. In comparison with other Nguyen Emperors' tomb, Khai Dinh Tomb is smallest but most costly and it took 11 years to complete. It can be said that when admiring this tomb, you can see the extravagant lifestyle of the Emperor. Khai Dinh Tomb is considered outside of traditional architectural lines of Nguyen Dynasty by the unusual, the unique, and the extravagant. It covered many architectural trends between European and Asian, as well as ancient and modern.

Many artisans from the whole of Vietnam together built this tomb. The Emperor appointed many people to go to French to buy iron, steel, cement, tiles Airdoise as well as to Japan, China to buy ceramic, colored glass. In order to complete the tomb, the rulers has to raise national tax to 30% in everywhere of Vietnam.

The overall of the tombs is a rectangular construction with 127 steps. To enter to tomb, you will ascend 37 steps with the biggest dragon in the country. Steps lead to the Honor Courtyard where two rows of mandarin, elephant, horse statues flanking. Then you will visit “Bi Dinh” where the stele about the emperor life located.

The most elaborate construction is Thien Dinh Palace where contains five connecting rooms. The left and the right is for the solider. In front of the tomb is Khai Thanh palace where worship the emperor with a gilt bronze statue of Khai Dinh. The entire interior in meditating nave are decorated with reliefs made of porcelain and glass. The most highlighted feature of this room is the intricate painting on the ceiling, illustrating nine dragons amidst fleeting clouds.