Hue - Tuc Duc Tomb 順化 嗣德陵

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Tu Duc is the 4th emperor of the Nguyen dynasty. Though facing many challenges (such as rebellion, French encroachment, court intrigues), he ruled the country for over 30 years and its the longest in the Nguyen history. Tu Duc created a fantasy land as his tomb which he often spent his his time there with his many concubines during the last years of his reign.

The Emperor’s sepulcher
Tu Duc Tomb is immense and exceptional. No other tombs can compare with it in terms of size and luxuriousness. The design goes in harmony with the nature. The emperor could walk undisturbed; pleasure pavilions where the Emperor could write verse; and a lake with its own small island, where the Emperor could hunt miniature animals if he so wished. His joy was built on heavy taxation and tiring labour. But at the end, his body was not even placed in the humble tomb within the beautiful palace like tomb area but somewhere which nobody knows. The 200 labourers who buried him were all beheaded.  It makes me thought of the foolish rich man mentioned in chapter 12 of Luke in the Bible.  'God said to him, You foolish one, tonight I will take your soul from you, and who then will be the owner of all the things which you have got together?'


Upon entering into the complex, you will pass a small path leading to the Luu Khiem Lake. There are two structures on the near shore – Du Khiem boat landing and Xung Khiem pavilion. Xung Khiem Pavilion is a pleasure pavilion where the Emperor could sit at his leisure with his concubines, writing verse and reading their compositions. Colorful and cute decorations are on the roof. I like the lovely fish with a big smile.



Du Khiem boat landing is a covered landing where the Emperor could disembark after his hunting trips to Tinh Khiem Island in the middle of Luu Khiem lake. The island was stocked with small game – tiny deer, cats – that the Emperor could hunt at his pleasure. Du Khiem is directly opposite the palace gate.


Khiem Cung Gate is directly opposite Du Khiem boat landing. It leads into the courtyard preceding Hoa Khiem Palace, the Emperor’s residence during his stay. After his death, the palace was converted into a temple where the Emperor’s memory was worshipped. Today it houses the royal artefacts.




Two of the exhibits are the thrones of the emperor and empress. Tu Duc' throne is smaller as he was only 153cm tall. It is staggered on two platforms.


After leaving the palace, one will be back to the Khiem Cung Gate. Just proceed a bit further northwest, visitors can appreciate the forecourt lined with guard of horses, elephants and mandarins. They are significantly shorter than those in the other tombs as Tu Duc was rather short.




Continue further stands a Stele Pavilion housing a 22-ton stone tablet (stele) inscribed with the Emperor’s biography. As the Emperor had no son, he wrote the text on the stele himself, which was considered a bad omen for the dynasty.  The self-written biography takes pains to be modest, recalling his life and his illnesses. Tu Duc’s stele is the largest in Vietnam. The 300 mile journey from Thanh Hoa took four years.

Two towers flank the Stele Pavilion – these obelisks are another common sight in Royal Tombs, as they represent the emperor’s power.


Our day of visiting the three tombs in Hue was beautiful. It was sunny the whole day. The tomb complex and landscape are marvelous. The combined ticket for Minh Mang, Khai Dinh, Tu Duc and the Imperial Palace in Hue per person is VND 360,000. If you pay single ticket for the four, it will cost VND 450,000.
Location: 17/69 Lê Ngô Cát, Thủy Xuân, Thành phố Huế, Thừa Thiên Huế, Vietnam

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