Royal Tomb of Emperor Khai Dinh

The tomb of Emperor Khai Dinh was constructed for the twelfth Emperor of the Nguyen dynasty, who passed away in 1925, and is situated not far from Hue, on the steep Chau Chu mountain.

From 1916 until 1925, Khai Dinh reigned as the penultimate emperor of Vietnam, but due to his close collaboration with the French government, he was unpopular with the Vietnamese people. Like some Vietnamese emperors before him, Khai Dinh meticulously built a mausoleum before passing away. One reason the tomb of Emperor Khai Dinh is among the most impressive ever created in Vietnam is that he directly oversaw its construction using money obtained by raising taxes by 30%. The tomb has an imperial audience court, 12 statues that serve as bodyguards, a palace room richly decorated with porcelain and glass, and a small temple with an altar where the actual grave is placed.