Tu Duc Tomb

Tu Duc Tomb

Dubbed as one of the most beautiful works of Nguyen Dynasty, Tu Duc tomb is the resting place of the poetic King Tu Duc. The architecture is boldly delicate, surrounded by a green space of grass forest, Tu Duc Tomb is built in accordance with a romantic and dreamlike poet soul but it’s not less erudite!

About the history of Tu Duc Tomb

Tu Duc Tomb was built by King Tu Duc as a place to rest, free from the court.

According to historical records, King Tu Duc is a famous king of Nguyen Dynasty with the longest time in the 13 kings at that time. His real name is Nguyen Phuc Hong Nham. Born to be the second son of King Thieu Tri, the throne should be passed down by the eldest son Hong Bao, but due to not enough talent, no will, erratic personality; Hong Nham - King Tu Duc was promoted by his father to the throne, took over his father to build the nation. Unfortunately, Tu Duc wasn’t a king being good at court, careful consideration. He is simple, somewhat frail, as a poet, living with grass, flowers.

Tu Duc's throne is not smooth and has a pessimistic color when encountering the time of the invasion war, the internal turmoil of the court, the brothers are discorded. Tu Duc did not have any children and he was always ill; so that he decided to flee the non-market, such obstacles. He built a second tomb as a place for him to rest, alleviate sorrow and in case of his sudden death.

 Location of Tu Duc Tomb

Tu Duc Tomb is located in Thuy Bien Commune, Hue City, Thua Thien Hue Province. Tourists visiting the tombs should take a taxi or private car to take a tour all of the tombs around this area such as Minh Mang Tomb, Khai Dinh Tomb.

The structure of Tu Duc Tomb

The tomb consists of two main parts: the palace area and the tomb. These two parts are arranged in parallel, in front is Giang Khiem Mountain, behind is Duong Xuan Mountain, in the middle is Luu Khiem Lake.

Passing  Khiem Cung Gate, opening in front of your eyes is the three-door of the gate with two floors built on the high land. From here, visitors can see the beautiful architecture in the area of Tu Duc Tomb. There are many architectural works here named with “Khiem” as the possession of King Tu Duc. Going through Vu Khiem Gate is and  shrine of Son Than, the palace appears in front of you. These buildings were built here as an entertainment spot of the king and the entourage.

Stepping on the stone stairs made of Thanh stone (China), Khiem Cung Gate shows up as a beautiful view with Linh Khiem lake in front. A two-storey building was built in the shape of a gazebo, located next to the lake. Here, people often drop lotus - the rustic, simple flower, bolding qualities of the Vietnamese people. It has turned up in so many verses of the poets that no flower can be replaced.

Not only are the lotuses, but also the small islands in the middle of the lake for growing flowers or animals. An elegant scene to the heart!

One of the stops that must be mentioned in Linh Khiem lake campus is Xung Khiem Ta and the Du Khiem Ta. This is a place where the king read books, poems, etc ; surrounding are the green of heaven and earth, the fragrance of the flower, the bird's voice, the island of flowers.

The scene of Tu Duc tomb looks like a picture with classic colors and bridges across the lake. With the green pines whispering in the wind, tourists will experience a fresh, airy space and it is not difficult to take a photo with a really “classic” and “ancient” position. 

Entering Khiem Cung Gate is a space for the king to rest, so it’s fussy about architecture as well as surrounding space. In the middle is Hoa Khiem Palcace, where the king  worked. Currently, this is the spot where worships of the king and queen for habitants can come here to visit and burn incense.  Behind of Hoa Khiem palace is Luong Khiem palace, where the king rested; at present, it  is the place to worship King Tu Duc’s mother.

A destination to set foot there is theater Ming Well, where the king had come to see theater. A destination must set foot there is Minh Khiem theater, where the king often came to see the theater. This is a place bearing cultural mark of the reign of Emperor Tu Duc, making many visitors very excited. In order to serve domestic and foreign tourists, they often organize cultural performances which are really attractive.

Go through the palace area is the tomb area. Moving to Bai Dinh, you will be witnessed two rows of brave martial statues. Right here, it was Bi Đình with a stone tablet weighing 20 tons engraved the king's poem Khiem Cung Ki. It’s considered as a story of his life. He found himself “not wise in considering someone, this was my sin; used wrong people, it was aslo my sin; hundreds and thousands things were not done; it was all my sin…” and he let the following history evaluate his desert and sin.

Tu Duc Tomb expresses the character of the kings of the Nguyen dynasty: there is the majesty, authority but no less gentleness, elegance, full of poetry and artists. The lavish lotus ponds, small bridges acrossing the lake, the area to the temple with fragrant smell of incense ... will certainly give you an unforgettable trip!

Location : 17/69 Lê Ngô Cát, Thủy Xuân, Thành phố Huế, Thừa Thiên Huế.