Introduction
Tomb of Tu Duc Hue, Vietnam (also known as Khiêm Mausoleum) is one of the 7 appealing mausoleums on the outskirts of Hue imperial city. It lies in a wonderful pine valley of Duong Xuan Thuong Village (Thuong Ba Hamlet, Thuy Xuan Commune), about 8 km away from Hue City.
Tomb Of Emperor Tu Duc Travel Guides
Tu Duc Tomb Entrance fee
- The entrance fee is 150.000 VND (roughly USD 6.5) for adults. It costs 40.000 VND (roughly USD 2) for kids under 12 years old.
- Opening hours: Summer is from 6:30 am to 5:00 pm, and winter is from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm.
How To Get To Tu Duc Royal Tomb Hue?
There are many ways to get to the Tomb of Tu Duc Emperor, including booking a Grab car/motorbike/taxi/private car, catching a cyclo, taking a boat trip, or biking. Another fantastic way to hugely enjoy the imperial mausoleum is to book a Hue City Private Tour via Culture Pham Travel.
Not only visit the mausoleum of Emperor Tu Duc but also explore other Hue royal tombs and other famous attractions in Hue. View more about other imperial tombs in Hue at “Top Hue Royal Tombs You Must Visit“. If you would like to explore the Tu Duc Tomb and other royal tombs in Hue, you should book our Hue Royal Tombs Tour for the best experience.
Besides, remember to wear sunglasses, hats, and sunscreen as well as bring bottles of water in the dry season. Furthermore, prepare raincoats or bring umbrellas in the wet season for full enjoyment.
After a nice stay in Hue, you may need our Hue private car to transfer to other destinations, such as
- Hue To Hoi An Stop At City Of Ghosts – 91 USD/Sedan.
- Private Car Hue To Ba Na Hills – 91 USD/Sedan.
- Hue To Phong Nha Private Car – 95 USD/Sedan.
Tu Duc Emperor Bio & The Tomb’s History
Emperor Tu Duc’s Biography
He was the fourth emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty. He reigned for 36 years from 1847-1883 and is the longest-reigning Emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty.
Although he was an expert in philosophy, oriental history, and literature, he did not succeed in ruling the country. Especially in this period, Vietnam encountered Western developing capitalism.
Having no children to carry on the family line. Therefore, Tu Duc emperor was very sad, so he ordered the construction for himself a fairyland. It is not only a world for his everlasting life after death, but it was also his lifetime recreation ground.
Tu Duc Tomb Vietnam is the place where he could compose poems, and hunt little animals, but also comfort himself with his concubines.
Tu Duc Tomb History
Covering an area of 20 hectares, the Royal Tomb of Tu Duc accommodates 50 structures surrounded by a 1,500 m long wall, built from 1864 to 1867.
Tu Duc Tomb (also known as Khiem Lang) started construction in 1864. This is the burial place of Tu Duc emperor – the 4th emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty.
On the 8th-9th day of the lunar calendar, the year of the Tiger (1866), i.e. the 19th year of Tu Duc, due to the construction of Van Nien Co, troops and civilians had to work hard, and many people were resentful. Hence, it led to the uprising of Chay Voi (September 16, 1866).
What To See At The Tom Of Tu Duc Emperor?
(Tomb of Tu Duc at Complex of Huế Monuments, Vietnam – Google Arts & Culture)
Luu Khiem Lake
Entering the tomb of Emperor Tu Duc, walk to the North about 400 feet by a path made of the fine Bat Trang ceramic tiles. There is a beautiful lake on the right. Besides, there are two pavilions on the nearshore, namely the Du Khiem boat landing and Xung Khiem Pavilion.
Du Khiem’s boat landing was designed for the emperor to disembark after his hunting trips to Tinh Khiem island in the middle of Luu Khiem Lake.
From Du Khiem’s boat landing, if you walk to the North about 100 feet, then take a left turning and walk 100 feet due east to reach the pavilion. It was a pavilion where the emperor could sit at his leisure with his concubines, write verses, and read their compositions.
Hoa Khiem Palace
Khiem Cung gate, opposite Du Khiem boat landing, leads into the courtyard in front of Hoa Khiem Palace, the emperor’s residence when he was visiting. After his death, the palace was switched to a temple where the emperor’s memory was worshipped.
Moreover, there is a lot of ancient stuff of the emperor in the tomb, such as the Western clock from the French government and two thrones. One interesting fact is that Tu Duc was considerably smaller than his empress, so he used to occupy the smaller one.
Luong Khiem Temple
The temple located directly behind Hoa Khiem Palace was a center of worship for the departed soul of Tu Du Empress Dowager, the emperor’s mother.
Minh Khiem Theater
It stands behind and to the left of Hoa Khiem Palace, which is the second Royal Theater for the emperor and his retinue to entertain. This is one of Vietnam’s oldest theaters, built during the reign of the Nguyen Dynasty emperors, where the Tu Duc emperor often visited to watch the performances. Minh Khiem Theater has a high value in culture and architectural art. Today, people still often organize cultural and artistic performances to serve visitors.
In addition, you may have a chance to dress up as the emperor (and his empress) to take some fascinating souvenir photos. Moreover, the staff is also close by and ready to pose as mandarins in the pictures.
The Royal Courtyard
Following the brick path outside the Khiem Cung gate, walk about 500 feet to the Northwest till you reach the forecourt in front of the stele pavilion.
On the Royal Courtyard, there are 2 rows of sculptures of horses, elephants, and mandarins. Because of the Emperor’s constitution so the mandarin statues could not be taller than him. They are there in the Courtyard, waiting for the emperor to do business in the afterlife.
Stele Pavilion At Tu Duc Royal Tomb
Walking in the courtyard in the middle of the honor guards. You’ll reach the first building in the necropolis, a stele pavilion. This accommodates a 22-ton stone stele – the largest one in Vietnam with a “Khiem Cung Ky” written by the Tu Duc emperor in 1871. Notably, it includes 4,935 words that inscribe the emperor’s biography and his faults to the Royal family as well as the country. It was recognized as Vietnam National Treasure in 2015.
Plus, two pillars flank the stele pavilion– these obelisks are common sights in royal tombs, as they represent the candles showing the emperor the right way to enter into the afterlife.
The Emperor’s Sepulcher
Walking 200 feet to the west, you’ll reach the final point in the necropolis. The Buu Thanh brick wall encircles the emperor’s sepulcher. Thus, the tomb was almost alone among this imperial tomb’s structures, and was designed in a simple and modest style.
Actually, the emperor is not buried under this tomb. Instead, when Tu Duc passed away, he was buried secretly somewhere in Hue. So the location of the emperor’s coffin is still a mystery until now.
As you know, Kien Phuc, Tu Duc’s adoptive son’s grave is in Tu Duc’s tomb complex as well. His grave occupies a small area about 500 feet to the North of the Xung Khiem Pavilion. Moreover, Tu Duc’s empress is also buried across the lake, 500 feet to the west of Kien Phuc’s tomb.
You can access our website to get more information about beautiful landscapes and Unesco monuments in Hue, such as Thien Mu Pagoda, Hue Imperial City, Huyen Tran Princess Temple, etc.
Conclusion
All in all, when exploring the tomb of Emperor Tu Duc, you will have the opportunity to learn more deeply about the history and the ancient architecture of the Nguyen Dynasty. Hopefully, the above information will help you get useful information for a worthwhile journey to Tu Duc Tomb. Culture Pham Travel wishes you an enjoyable, safe trip that brings you many memorable memories.
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