Khai Dinh Tomb Hue, Vietnam

Introduction

Khai Dinh Tomb is also known as “Ung Lang” – one of the most beautiful tourist attractions in Hue that you should not ignore. This place is one of the 7 most beautiful mausoleums in Hue. It is the final resting place of the 12th Emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty – Khai Dinh emperor.

The royal tomb of Khai Dinh Hue was the last architectural work of the Nguyen Dynasty. It is one of the most beautiful and unique mausoleums in the Hue royal tomb system in Vietnam, attracting a lot of tourists with many different foreign architectural features.

To explore this Hue royal tomb, you can drive a scooter with a helmet, ride a bike, and book a grab, and Hue private car with an English-speaking driver. If you would like to have a full-day tour to visit all the Hue must-explore attractions with a local guide. The Hue City Tour 1 Day is the best choice for you!

Khai Dinh Tomb, Where is it?

The Tomb of Khai Dinh is located in Thuy Bang commune, Huong Thuy District, Thua Thien Hue province. It is located on Chau Chu mountain, about 10km from Hue city center.

Khai Dinh Royal Tomb History

The construction of this delicate tomb lasted 11 years, started construction on September 4, 1920, and was completed by his successor, Bao Dai, in 1931. All of the building materials were bought from other countries. Cement from France, color glass, porcelains, and ceramics from China and Japan.

To complete the tomb of Khai Dinh, 20 thousand workers worked in 11 years and to get enough money for the construction, he raise farming taxes up to 30% more.

Although Khai Dinh’s tomb in Hue is the smallest royal tomb (the area of Khai Dinh’s tomb is 117m × 48.5m), it is the most expensive and takes the longest time to complete. Khai Dinh Tomb is a delicate combination of East and West architecture, and culture. It is excellent evidence of the meticulously, sophisticated, and splendid skills of Vietnamese craftsmen.

Khai Dinh Tomb architecture

Emperor Khai Dinh Royal Tomb preserves many historical, cultural, and artistic values, which is a testament to the cultural interference of Vietnam with prominent Western countries at that time.

Overall, the royal tomb of Khai Dinh king is a floating rectangular block, consisting of 127 steps. After climbing up the first 37 steps is a Three-door gate, and next is Nghi Mon and Bai Dinh courtyard. On the top, are two floors of courtyards, each floor separated from the ground floor 13 steps apart, Thien Dinh Palace is in the highest position.

Khai Dinh Tomb has an architectural style that harmonizes with Asia-European styles, classical and modern. In addition, this Nguyen Dynasty mausoleum is located in a rich and diverse natural area with mountains and hills. Surrounded by streams and rivers, creating majestic natural scenery. These things help make the tomb of Khai Dinh Hue Vietnam take the highest position in the Nguyen Dynasty architectural monuments.

What makes Tombeau de Khai Dinh attractive?

The Three-Door Gate (Tam Quan Gate)

Tam Quan Gate stands out with its majestic and superficial architecture. This is the main entrance of the Khai Dinh Tomb Hue. To enter this beautiful tomb, you will need to conquer the first 37 steps.

The pillars at the Tam Quan gate were built following the Hindu style, showing the unique cultural and architectural interference between Vietnam and India.

Nghi Mon Courtyards & Bai Dinh Stele Pavilion

From Tam Quan gate, you continue climbing up 29 steps to reach the Nghi Mon area and Bai Dinh courtyard. You will be overwhelmed to admire the statues of courtiers, soldiers, horses, elephants lined up in four symmetrical rows. They are waiting to serve the Khai Dinh emperor in the afterlife.

As you know, in Oriental philosophy, this life is just a temporary life, when you passed away already, you would live a real life. So what the emperor needed in this life, he would need in the afterlife. So the bluestone sculpture of mandarins, and soldiers are carved with very fine details, and different expressions as well as following the real size of humans. if you have a good imagination, you will see it looks exactly like a chessboard.

In the heart of the Nghi Mon Courtyard, there is a solemn octagonal pavilion with a 10 tons stele that commemorates Khai Dinh’s biography and his contribution to the country. This stone stele was erected by his successor, the last emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty, the Bao Dai emperor.

Thien Dinh Palace

Thien Dinh Palace is such a great shrine to set up a colorful and delicate altar to worship Khai Dinh Emperor. All of the first-time tourists who enter the Thien Dinh Palace would say WOW because of its impressive decoration.

All the colored glass, porcelains, and ceramics were meticulously broken into small pieces to be inlaid for decoration. On four corners of the palace, there are 4 paintings of the four seasons filled with mosaics of colored glass and porcelains bought in China and Japan.

The highlight of Thien Dinh Palace is the ceiling painting drawn by the talented artist, Phan Van Tanh. He painted with his feet. The Nine powerful dragons that hidden- appeared in the clouds represent the super harmony of the Emperor, people, and servants, a great symbol of a prosperous country.

Khai Thanh Shrine

Khai Thanh Shrine is a part of Thien Dinh Palace, where the altar and Khai Dinh’s emperor’s coffin are located. Enter the Thien Dinh Shrine you will say the second “WOW” because of its overwhelming beauty. In front of your eyes are the yellow mosaics, and a bronze statue.

A solemn bronze statue of the Khai Dinh emperor sitting on the throne looking forward to the Perfume River. The statue of Khai Dinh was cast in 1920, the 39th birthday gift from the French government offered to him. It was cast following the right size of the Khai Dinh emperor

Under the bronze statue, 9m deep in the coffin and the body of the emperor. Above the emperor is the Buu Tan weighing 1 ton made of reinforced concrete decorated with colorful glass, and porcelain that make it looks extremely elegant and soft as the real silks. Behind his back is the symbol of Sunset which means the Emperor passed away already.

The decoration in the Khai Thanh Shrine is all about dragons, and life in Heaven as well as the great blend of all kinds of architectural features imported to Vietnam under his reign. The Vietnam tomb of Khai Dinh is such a great symbol of Vietnamese modern architecture, excellent mosaic decoration, and design skills.

Tomb of the Khai Dinh Travel Guide

Khai Dinh Tomb Entrance fee

The Khai Dinh Tomb Hue Vietnam is open from 7 a.m. till 5:30 p.m, every day even on Tet Holiday. Currently, a single entrance ticket for adults costs VND 150,000 for adults and VND 40,000 for kids from 5 to 12 years old. Children under 5 years old are free of charge. If you visit all the Hue royal tombs as well as Hue Citadel, you should buy a combo ticket- it helps you save a lot of money.

For details, please read our article Hue Entrance Fee in 2023 here

Hue Entrance Fee In 2023 Updated

The best time to visit

For the perfect visit to Hue’s Khai Dinh Tomb, you should go to Hue around January to February. At this time the weather in Hue is quite nice, neither rainy nor too sunny, and very suitable for doing Hue city tours.

How to get to Khai Dinh Tomb?

The tomb of Khai Dinh Hue is located in an area quite close to the city center, only about 9km, so traveling is quite convenient. It takes about 30 minutes.

From Hue city center, you move west to Hanoi road, then go to Ngo Quyen street, and continue in the direction of Dien Bien Phu and Khai Dinh road to reach Khai Dinh Hue mausoleum.

Visiting Regulation

1. Do not carry flammable, explosives, poisonous substances, or weapons into the visiting sites.
2. Wearing polite costumes and keeping quiet in solemn places.
3. No smoking indoors, in pine tree areas, and other flammable places.
4. Do not pick flowers or twigs, hunt, or draw on historical relics.
5. Do not lie, sit, graffiti on, or touch the artifacts.

Hoi An Private Taxi Travel