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Nguyen Dynasty tombs
The Nguyen dynasty kings traditionally built their own tombs while still alive. Officials from the Imperial Observatory to the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Public Works were mobilized to search for auspicious locations, ensuring the continuation of the dragon vein (long mạch).
The system of royal tombs in Hue holds intertwined cultural, historical, and architectural significance, both solemn and majestic, reflecting the ups and downs and political changes of the era. Therefore, despite spanning 13 reigns, Hue now only preserves 7 tombs: Gia Long Tomb (Thien Thu Tomb), Minh Mang Tomb (Hieu Tomb), Thieu Tri Tomb (Xuong Tomb), Tu Duc Tomb (Khiem Tomb), Duc Duc Tomb (An Tomb), Dong Khanh Tomb (Tu Tomb), and Khai Dinh Tomb (Ung Tomb).
Minh Mang Mausoleum.
"The Tomb Keepers" of the early 20th century.
The architecture of each mausoleum partly reveals the personality and character of the king. King Gia Long was reserved and generous, choosing to build his mausoleum in a place far from the capital, surrounded by trees. King Minh Mạng was upright and serious, therefore the structure of his mausoleum was built symmetrically along a central axis. King Tự Đức was gentle and forgiving, choosing to build his mausoleum beside a large lake, in a narrow valley… King Khải Định was extravagant, so his mausoleum is likened to a "gilded cage".
The opulent setting inside Yingling Mausoleum.
Ung Lang - the last and most unique masterpiece of the Nguyen Dynasty.
The Khai Dinh Mausoleum (or Ung Lang) covers an area of approximately 1 hectare, the smallest among the remaining mausoleums, but it is also the longest-built and most expensive structure. In fact, later generations have even dismissed the Khai Dinh Mausoleum from traditional Nguyen Dynasty architecture due to its eccentric, unique style and the sense of "out of place" it evokes.
The Imperial Mausoleum was completed by Emperor Bảo Đại, six years after the death of Emperor Khải Định. It was also the last architectural work of the Nguyễn dynasty. During his lifetime, Emperor Khải Định was very fond of foreign materials. The building materials for the mausoleum—iron, steel, cement, Ardoise tiles, etc.—were imported from France. The overall design of the mausoleum is a harmonious blend of East and West, classical and modern, most noticeably the octagonal columns, the tall and wide arched doorways of Roman Gothic architecture, and the cylindrical gate with Indian influences.
Gothic architecture harmonizes well when placed alongside stoupas and other Asian architectural symbols.
The courtyard features statues of civil and military officials, elephants, and horses paying homage to the king.
An Dinh Palace - the pinnacle of architectural art.
The pinnacle of architectural and decorative art in Ung Lang is the Thien Dinh Palace. To this day, visitors are still amazed by the mosaic reliefs made of porcelain and glass covering the three central chambers of the palace. All the porcelain and glass were imported from China and Japan.
The art of glass and porcelain mosaic has reached a high level of excellence.
The art of glass and porcelain mosaic has reached a high level of excellence.
The art of glass and porcelain mosaic has reached a high level of excellence.
On the ceilings of the three central chambers are three murals titled "Nine Dragons Hidden in the Clouds," created by Phan Van Tanh, one of Vietnam's most renowned artists of that time. Even now, art researchers still wonder about Phan Van Tanh's painting technique, how he managed to create such large-scale murals that, after nearly a century, still look as if they were freshly painted, with bold, sharp strokes and dragons gracefully intertwined in the clouds, as if about to ascend to heaven. Together with the three porcelain reliefs, the three "Nine Dragons Hidden in the Clouds" murals form a sublime artistic Rubik's Cube, a perfect blend of beauty.
The painting "Nine Dragons Hidden in the Clouds".
The life-sized bronze statue was commissioned by the king in France and brought to Vietnam to be gilded. Approximately 9 meters below the statue is the king's burial place.
Regarding Phan Van Tanh's painting, a folk tale still circulates: Once, when Emperor Khai Dinh came to see the work, everyone stopped what they were doing to greet him, but Phan Van Tanh remained engrossed in painting on the ceiling. Emperor Khai Dinh thought that he didn't respect him, even using his feet to paint the dragon symbolizing the emperor's authority. The emperor, angered, summoned Phan Van Tanh to question him. Phan Van Tanh then climbed down and explained to the emperor: "The reason I didn't come down to greet Your Majesty was because I was afraid of wasting too much time and the project wouldn't be completed within the deadline Your Majesty had set. Secondly, I had to paint with my feet because if I painted the ceiling paintings with my hands, the distance between my hands and eyes would be very short, and to see the nuances of light and shadow in such a large-scale painting, I had to paint with my feet. I had to look from afar to see it clearly." After hearing the craftsman's reasons, although angry, the king had no reason to reprimand him. Khai Dinh turned to Mr. Tanh and said, "If Vietnam had two Phan Van Tanhs like you, I would have beheaded you."
"Nine Dragons Hidden in the Clouds," even after nearly 100 years, still appears sharp and vibrant.
Additional information
King Khai Dinh's birth name was Nguyen Phuc Buu Dao, the eldest son of King Dong Khanh. On May 18, 1916, Buu Dao ascended the throne, taking the regnal name Khai Dinh. In 1925, King Khai Dinh died, and his only son, Nguyen Phuc Vinh Thuy (King Bao Dai), succeeded him.
The Khai Dinh Mausoleum is located on the slopes of Chau Chu (also known as Chau E) mountain, now in Thuy Bang commune, Huong Thuy town, 10 km from the center of Hue city.
Entrance fee to the mausoleum: 150,000 VND/person
