In Vietnamese, lang and tam usually go together. The lang (mausoleum) is where the king's corpse is buried and the tam (shrine) is located next to the mausoleum.
In the Ly dynasty (11th - 12th centuries) and earlier, kings' mausoleums were very simple and they left almost no trace. It was different for mausoleums in the Tran dynasty (13th century). In An Sinh Commune, Quang Ninh Province and Lam Son Ward, Thanh Hoa Province, each king of the Le or Tran dynasty had a private mausoleum but shared a common shrine. It was not until the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945) that there were a big mausoleum and a shrine for each king. The term lang tam has appeared ever since.
Most kings of the Nguyen dynasty had their mausoleums built when they were still reigning. These constructions are in the south-west of Hue City, on both sides of the Huong River, in an area of hills and mountains. Each mausoleum has mountains nearby, a stream or a brook passing it. The mausoleum and shrine are in a large park. The architecture and scenery of a mausoleum-shrine complex speaks about a king's sense of aesthetics and his character. A mausoleum-shrine complex has many stages of construction. The king's tomb is in the center, sometimes being beside the queen's tomb, with a surrounding wall. In the next stage, the stele house has a stele with complimentary words about the king's contribution to the welfare of all. The next one is a large brick-paved yard with many statues of elephants, horses, and mandarins of literature or martial arts standing to attend to the king. In front of and around the shrine is a pond of lotuses. At this pond there are an entertainment house, bridges and islets. On both sides of the pond are rare and beautiful plants and flowers and fruit trees. The outermost stage is a high wall to surround the whole complex.
Gia Long's Mausoleum is an imposing construction in a large park with more than 3,000 high-rising pines, which are outstanding in a desolate and still forest. Minh Mang's Mausoleum is a large-scale complex with 30 constructions of different sizes. All constructions are arranged symmetrically via a vertical axis. The mausoleum shows a set social order and reflects an autocracy which was the mark of his regime. Passing the service yard with its two lines of rock statues and stele houses, people see three steps of the yard raised one after another according to the terrain, and the shrine on the highest step. Tu Duc's Mausoleum is considered a Vietnamese architectural work of high value. This mausoleum was first named Khiem Cung, where the king lived. Later, its name was changed to Khiem Lang because it was where the king was buried. The mausoleum has fresh air, beautiful scenery, and a quiet park in a green and still area of mountains and forests.
Hue's mausoleum-shrine complexes deserve a place among Vietnam's wonders and indeed among the world's wonders.
2. Tomb Of Gia Long
Tomb of Gia Long (Vietnamese: Lăng Gia Long), officially Thien Tho Tomb (Lăng Thiên Thọ), is a royal tomb of Nguyễn Dynasty which located at Thiên Thọ mount, some 20 kilometres south of the city of Huế. The tomb was originally built for empress Thừa Thiên after her death in 1814 but later became Gia Long and some of his family members' burial site.
The tomb is a group of tombs and was well known for its beauty. The tomb originally had a main complex that formed by the double-grave tomb of the emperor and empress Thừa Thiên in the center; Minh Thanh Temple, the dedicated temple of Gia Long and Thuận Thiên in the right, and the monument of Gia Long in the left. They were built at a plain and large hill of Thien Tho mount. Later, a lot of Nguyễn Dynasty royal family members, including empress Thuận Thiên, were buried here. Their burial sites made the tomb's perimeter rise to approx. 11,234 m. Today, the tomb is badly damaged and some of its structures have been destroyed.
3. Tomb Of Minh Mang
The Minh Mang Tomb is one of the most interesting emperor tombs in Hue. It is situated 12 km outside the city, on Cam Ke Hill, on the west bank of the Perfume River and can be reached by car or – much nicer – by boat. Emperor Minh Mang (1820 - 1841) was the second son of Emperor Gia Long, who founded the last Vietnamese dynasty, the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945). He had been planning to build a tomb for himself as early as 1826. But it was not until September 1840, after fourteen years of looking for a suitable location, that the construction of the tomb began. During the building phase, in January 1841, Minh Mang got ill and passed away at the age of 52. Emperor Thieu Tri, his successor to the throne, continued the task according to his father’s plans.
Minh Mang's corpse was buried in Buu Thanh in August 1841. The construction of the tomb, however, was not completed until two years later, in 1843. The Minh Mang Tomb is renowned for its architecture, which fits harmoniously into the surrounding landscape. Like in other tombs of this period, the general elements of the tomb architecture are: outer-walls, triple gate (Tam Quan Gate), Salutation Court, Stele House, temples, lakes, pavilions, gardens and the tomb itself. The structure is laid out according to three main parallel axis, the center of which is the Than Dao path. The Dai Hong Mon Gate is the main entrance to the tomb. The gate was opened only once to carry the Emperor's coffin to the tomb, and has been tightly closed since then. The visitors' gates are Ta Hong Mon (on the left) and Huu Hong Mon (on the right). Adjacent to the main gate, there is the Honors Courtyard, which hosts a number of stone statues: two rows of high-ranking mandarins, elephants and horses. From the courtyard, three granite staircases lead to the Stele Pavilion (Bi Dinh).
The stele "Thanh Duc Than Cong" contains inscriptions (in Chinese character) from Minh Mang's biography written by his son Thieu Tri, praising his merits. About 60 stanzas of inscripted poems can be found in the Stele Pavilion. The Salutation Court has four main areas. The Hien Duc Gate leads to the worship place. In the centre, there is the Sung An Dien Temple surrounded by Ta Phoi Dien and Huu Phoi Dien (the frontal temples to the left and right) and Ta Tung Phong and Huu Tung Phong (the rooms in the back on the left and right side). The worship site for the Emperor and his wife is the Sung An Temple. Finally, the Hoang Trach Gate leads to the Minh Lau Bright Pavilion. It is placed on top of three terraces representing heaven, earth and water. Behind Minh Lau, there are two flower gardens designed as the Chinese character "Longevity".
The Minh Lau Pavilion radiates a remarkable, mystical atmosphere; it also features an anthology of selected poems of Vietnam’s early 19th century. Closer to the tomb area, the New Moon Lake (Ho Tan Nguyet) is crescent-shaped and embraces the circular wall surrounding the grave (Buu Thanh). A monumental staircase with dragon-shaped handrails and consisting of 33 stone steps leads to the sepulcher of the Emperor. Among the emperor tombs in Hue, the Minh Mang Tomb is the most impressive one and it is certainly worth a visit (admission fee 55,000 Dong). In 1993, it was admitted in the list of world heritages by UNESCO together with some other Hue monument complexes. Vietnam.com’s tip (trip to Minh Mang Tomb) Take a boat trip fromHue, join an organized tour or rent your private boat (boat rental office between Truong Tien Bridge and Phu Xuan Bridge, appr. 600,000 VND/ca. 33 US$ for the four hour boat ride, up to six persons). The boat will take you to the Thien Mu pagoda. Thereafter, you can continue to Dien Hon Chen and then the Minh Mang Tomb before heading back to Hue. On the way back, you could stop at Kim Long village for a bowl of the famous Bun Thit Nuong (grilled meat with rice vermicelli). Negotiate the fare and the stops you wish to make before departing.
4. Tomb Of Thieu Tri
Thieu Tri - the first-born child of King Minh Mang (Minh Mạng) was enthroned in 1841. He is the one who ordered to dike, damped up Cuu An (Cửu An) river. Regarding foreign affairs, Thieu Tri settled diplomatic relations with Chan Lap (Chân Lạp); banned expatriates from preaching and punished local residents who were religious. September 1847, he was so sick and died. He was laid to rest at Thieu Tri mausoleum that is located in Cu Chanh (Cư Chánh) village, Thuy Bang (Thủy Bằng) commune, Huong Thuy (Hương Thủy) district, Thua Thien Hue (Thừa Thiên Huế) province, which is about 8 kilometers from Hue imperial city. This mausoleum is really unique since it faces North West - a direction that is seldom applied in architecture of imperial palaces and mausoleums under Nguyen dynasty. He was in his power for 6 years and he died at the age of 41. On February 11th 1848, Thieu Tri mausoleum (Named Xương Lăng) was started and completed after 10 months. Entire mausoleum consists of two areas: tomb and sanctuary.
Mausoleum layout is a combination and selection from Gia Long and Minh Mang's mausoleum. Xuong Long and Gia Long are similar in being without "la thành", tomb and sanctuary are separated in parallel. The mausoleum consists of two parts: tomb and sanctuary. The tomb is on the right with Nhuan Trach (Nhuận Trạch) lake at its front, which is open to Điện lake. Behind Nhuan Trach lake is Nghi Mon (Nghi Môn) leading to a large kowtowing ground. Two rows of stone statues on the right and left are symbols of art of statue sculpture in the first half of 19th century in Hue (Huế). Bi Dinh (Bi Đình) and Duc Hinh castle are located on tortoise shell-shaped hill. Bi Dinh alias Phuong Dinh (Phương Đình) has a stele that carves 2,500 words of King Tu Duc (Tự Đức) praising his father's merits. Passing Ngung Thuy (Ngưng Thúy) lake, there are three bridges: Chanh Trung (Chánh Trung) in the middle; Dong Hoa (Đông Hòa) to the right; and Tay Dinh (Tây Đình) to the left. Three-step perron leads to Buu Thanh (Bửu Thành) where Thieu Tri's corpse is laid.
The sanctuary is built separately, which is 100 meter to the left of Duc Hinh castle. Going through Nghi Mon made of marble, stepping over three-step perron, to Hong Trach Mon (Hồng Trạch Môn) and then Buu Duc imperial palace. This is the place which worships ancestral tablets of the King and lady Tu Du (Từ Dũ), his wife. In the sanctum, there are over 450 boxes on its roof and at Hong Trach (Hồng Trạch) gate, carving poems which have great value of literature and education. Secondary works such as Ta Huu Phoi (Tả Hữu Phối) palace (at the front), Tả and "Hữu tùng Viện" (at the rear) all surround Buu Duc imperial palace to enhance solemn beauty of this sanctum.
5. Tomb Of Tu Duc
Located in a narrow valley 8 km from Hue (Duong Xuan Thuong village), Tự Đức Tomb is one of the most beautifully designed complexes among the tombs of the Nguyen dynasty. Embedded in a lush pine forest, this tomb is the final resting place of Emperor Tự Đức (1848-83) who had the longest reign of all emperors of the Nguyen dynasty. As usual at that time, Tự Đức had begun planning and constructing his tomb long before he died in 1883. Thus, the major parts of the tomb complex were built around 1864-67. In his lifetime, the Emperor Tự Đức used the tomb as a palatial retreat together with his many wives and concubines.
Inside the complex, which measures 12 ha in surface, there are about 50 gates, buildings, terraces and pavilions. All of the names of the constructions include the word "Khiem" (modesty). The tomb is divided into two main parts: the temple area and the tomb area itself. The temple area starts with the Vu Khiem entrance and the romantic Luu Khiem lake. On the lake, there are Xung Khiem Pavilion and Du Khiem Pavilion. The temple part continues with three Thanh stone steps to Khiem Cung Gate leading to Hoa Khiem Palace, which was the Emperor’s working place and is now used as an altar devoted to the Emperor and Empress. On its sides, there are Phap Khiem House and Le Khiem House for the military and civil mandarins.
6.Tomb Of Dong Khanh
A pliant ruler with a fondness for French wine, perfume and alarm clocks, he died suddenly at the age of 25 after only three years on the throne; having never got round to planning his final resting place he was buried near the temple he dedicated to his father. As a result this is a modest, countryside mausoleum with a rustic charm but is particularly well preserved.
The mausoleum consists of two parts: the main temple, and then the tomb and stele in a separate, walled enclosure on a slight rise 100m to the northwest. The complex was built mostly by Dong Khanh’s son, Khai Dinh, after 1889, though has been added to since. The main temple holds most interest: the first thing you notice are the coloured-glass doors and windows, but the faded murals on each side wall showing scenes of daily life are far more attractive. Twenty-four glass-paintings, illustrated poems of Confucian love, hang on the temple’s ironwood columns and, at either end of the first row, there are two engravings of Napoleon and the Battle of Waterloo. The three principal altars honour Dong Khanh with his two queens to either side, while his seven concubines have a separate altar in the back room. Finally, don’t miss the altar to Y A Na in a small side-chamber, off to the right as you enter: Dong Khanh often consulted the goddess at Hon Chen Temple (see "Hon Chen Temple") and dedicated an altar to her after she appeared in a dream and foretold that he would be emperor.
Dong Khanh’s Mausoleum is only 500m from Tu Duc’s. Follow the road round to the southeast or take a short cut over the hill by the footpath from between the refreshment stalls, forking left twice before you see Dong Khanh’s tomb on your right and the temple straight ahead behind some trees.
Although the Emperor had over a hundred wives and concubines, he did not have any offspring. Lacking a son to write his biography and merits, which would be part of the stele inscription, the task fell to himself, a circumstance he considered to be a bad omen. His modest self-composed epitaph can now be found inscribed on the stele in the pavilion, to the east of the tomb. The stele for Tự Đức Tomb was brought there from a quarry over 500 km away, and it is the largest of its type in Viet Nam. It took four years to complete the transport. The tomb’s palace area has a lake where the Emperor used to boat, a small game hunting ground on a tiny island inmidst the lake, and the luxurious Xung Khiem Pavilion where Tu Duc is said to have retreated to relax and recite or compose poetry in the company of his concubines.
7. Tomb Of Duc Duc
Duc Duc was adoptive son of King Tu Duc. He ascended the throne on July 19th 1883. But only after 3 days, he was removed from the throne because he had deleted a paragraph from the Testament of the dead King and so Duc Duc was confined in prison. In October 24th 1884 the king died in prison.
Khai Dinh (in his reign from 1916 - 1925) is the 12th King of Nguyen (Nguyễn) dynasty, was in throne at the age of 31. Khai Dinh alias Nguyen Phuc Buu Dao (Nguyễn Phúc Bửu Đảo) is the only son of King Dong Khanh (Đồng Khánh). As soon as King Duy Tan had been sent into exile in Africa, Buu Dao was enthroned under his pseudonym of Khai Dinh. As soon as he was in power, he found himself be fond of building palaces, edifices, mausoleums for himself and his royal family such as: Kien Trung (Kiến Trung) palace, An Dinh (An Định) palace, Truong An (Trường An) gate, Hien Nhon (Hiển Nhơn) gate, Chuong Duc (Chương Đức) gate. Especially, it was Ứng Mausoleum (mausoleum of Khai Dinh) which was started on September 4th 1920 on versant of Chau Chu (Châu Chữ) (also known Châu Ê), 10 kms from Huế. This mausoleum was only completed after 11 years.
Khai Dinh mausoleum (Ứng lăng) belongs to Thuy Bang (Thủy Bằng) commune, Huong Thuy (Hương Thủy) district, Thua Thien Hue (Thừa Thiên Huế) province. Khai Dinh mausoleum is much smaller than other mausoleums of predecessors (only 117m x 48.5m). However, it was painstakingly built and took a lot of time to be completed. It is overall rectangle-shapes of 127 steps expressing the desire of independence of Khai Dinh.
Thien Dinhh (Thiên Định) palace is at the highest position of the mausoleum. This work consists of 5 parts in series: both sides are Tả (the left) and Hữu (the right); Truc Phong (Trực Phòng) is for guardians of the mausoleum; at the front is the palace Khai Thanh (Khải Thành) - where there is an altar with Khai Dinh's portrait; right in the middle is a stupa consisting of a semi-statue of King Khai Dinh with his tomb beneath; deep inside is an ancestral tablet of the late King. Entire interiors of these three middle palaces of Thien Dinh palace are all decorated with embossments joined by glasses and porcelains.
The entire decoration inside Thien Dinh palace not only reflects cultural, artistic values but also raises matters of awareness, ideologies of this work and desire of the King. Apart from decorations taken from Confucian classic reference and imperial palace's life, there has Taoist decoration, and particularly the word "Wan" (Vạn) - a symbol of Buddhism heaped up with green glass.
Thanh Thai was the son of King Duc Duc, ascended the throne in 1889. At the beginning of 1890, Thanh Thai decided to build his father's mausoleum at the "buried by the heaven" place (now it is in An Cuu Ward, close to the Tu Quang Pagoda) and then named it An Lang.
In 1899, Long An Temple was construed on the right of the mausoleum, with altar for his dead father. In 1907, King Thanh Thai was dethroned because of his anti-colonialist attitude against the French. He died in 1954 and h body buried on the site of his father's tom. Duy Tan was the son of King Thanh Thai ascended the throne in 1907. In 1916, the King was arrested for attending the uprising against French colonialism. He was exiled out of the country like his father. In 198 his remains were sent back from Cent Africa to be buried next to his father’s tomb.
Duc Duc's tomb presents a simpler a more modest architecture in comparison with the tombs of other Nguyen Kin The whole rectangular tomb has a surface of 3,445m'. Inside, there are no temple stone statues. The entrance is an imposing triple gate made of brick and topped with a false roof. Long An Temple is in the centre of" area, built after the model of the existing palaces in Hue. Inside, are three altars dedicated to the emperors: Duc Duc (the middle, with his Wife), Thanh Thai (" the left) and Duy Tan (on the right). At the back of Long An Temple is place for Kings Thanh Thai and Duy Tan's rest. There are also tombs of these kings' relatives.
8. Tomb Khai DinhKhai Dinh (in his reign from 1916 - 1925) is the 12th King of Nguyen (Nguyễn) dynasty, was in throne at the age of 31. Khai Dinh alias Nguyen Phuc Buu Dao (Nguyễn Phúc Bửu Đảo) is the only son of King Dong Khanh (Đồng Khánh). As soon as King Duy Tan had been sent into exile in Africa, Buu Dao was enthroned under his pseudonym of Khai Dinh. As soon as he was in power, he found himself be fond of building palaces, edifices, mausoleums for himself and his royal family such as: Kien Trung (Kiến Trung) palace, An Dinh (An Định) palace, Truong An (Trường An) gate, Hien Nhon (Hiển Nhơn) gate, Chuong Duc (Chương Đức) gate. Especially, it was Ứng Mausoleum (mausoleum of Khai Dinh) which was started on September 4th 1920 on versant of Chau Chu (Châu Chữ) (also known Châu Ê), 10 kms from Huế. This mausoleum was only completed after 11 years.
The entire decoration inside Thien Dinh palace not only reflects cultural, artistic values but also raises matters of awareness, ideologies of this work and desire of the King. Apart from decorations taken from Confucian classic reference and imperial palace's life, there has Taoist decoration, and particularly the word "Wan" (Vạn) - a symbol of Buddhism heaped up with green glass.