The imperial tomb of Tu Duc is considered to be the most beautiful Imperial tomb of every Hue. This tomb set in a beautiful natural and bathed by a Lake, 6 km outside of Hue, was used by the Emperor Tu Duc in life as Summer Palace and spiritual retreat.
King Tu Duc
Among the mausoleums in the Hue Monument Complex recognized by UNESCO, Tu Duc's mausoleum, officially Khiêm Tomb, marks the historical events of the Nguyen dynasty and represents the leisure and wishes of Tu Duc, who is known as the most erudite and romantic king. Biography of Tu Duc
Born Nguyen Phuc Hong Nhuan on September 22, 1829, Tu Duc was the second son of Thieu Tri and the fourth king of the Nguyen dynasty. He reigned for 36 years (1847-1883), longer than all the kings of the Nguyen family, but during this period, many negative events took place and threatened the fate of the country.
Tu Duc was a talented poet, a patriotic king, with a compassionate heart for the people, but he was also physically weak and pessimistic. Tu Duc's Mausoleum
At the beginning of his reign, Tu Duc chose a picturesque site to build a tomb named " Vạn Niên Cơ " for himself, wishing for longevity. This construction began in 1867 with the participation of 50,000 soldiers. More than 100,000 men and craftsmen not only worked from dawn to dusk, but they were also beaten and starved. Then, they rose in rebellion, Tu Duc changed the name of the mausoleum to Khiem Cung (Modest Palace) and presented an apology speech.
His tomb, which extends over 10 hectares, 10 times larger than that of Gia Long, includes about 50 architectural monuments, all bearing its name - Khiem (modesty). The mausoleum is divided into two axes, the first consists of the park, the palace, the temples, and the leisure buildings; the other is the tomb.
Minh Khiem Theatre is among the oldest in existence in Vietnam
First of all, the visitors cross the Vu Khiem Gate, on the brick-paved path, we go along the Luu Khiem Lake where we find an artificial islet named Tinh Khiem that was built to breed some rare animals. Then, the Hoa Khiem Palace was once the workplace of the Tu Duc, where the King and his Queen Le Thien Anh are now worshiped. At the back, the Luong Khiem palace was the king's resting place and now in the palace, they worship the Queen-mother Tu Du, mother of Tu Duc. The Minh Khiem Theatre is among the oldest in existence, where Tu Duc enjoyed the performances of Tuong and Hat Boi, which are known as the classical drama of Vietnam.
Stele Pavillion
Going on the brick path by the lake, we arrive at the Khiem Cung Gate to enter the tomb area. The visitors go through the Honor Courtyard between a guard of elephants, horses, and diminutive mandarins. They are even smaller than the ones in the other mausoleums because Tu Duc lacked in physical stature and the statues in the Courtyard must be shorter than the king. Then, we reach the Stele Pavilion, which shelters a vast 20-tonne stele. Tu Duc drafted the inscriptions himself to discuss his reign and his frustration of not having offspring. On either side of the pavilion, there are two pylons symbolizing the power and talent of the sovereign.
There is another lake in the shape of a half-moon, contains rainwater to wash the king's soul before going into the transmigration.
Tu Duc Tomb
Finally, one arrives at the tomb itself named Buu Thanh, which is built in brick and protected by a large glazed terracotta arch, bronze doors, a traditional screen supposed to repel evil spirits. The stone tomb stands on three granite steps, but no one knows exactly whether the king's remains are here or not. To keep the secret of his location the 200 laborers who buried the king were all beheaded after they returned from the secret route. So, the real mausoleum of Tu Duc remains hidden to this day.
