Mausoleum of Emperor Khai Dinh

#MarchGoodPlaces2025 The Khai Dinh Tomb on Chau Chu Mountain is not large in area, only about 117 meters long and 48.5 meters wide. It is far smaller than the Tu Duc Tomb and the Minh Mang Tomb, but it is very exquisite, and its architectural style incorporates European and Asian elements, which is of great artistic value. Khai Dinh was the father of Bao Dai, the last emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty, who ascended the throne in 1885. In the reality of the struggle between the traditionalists dominated by Confucianism and the French colonial system, Khai Dinh was more pro-French and visited France in 1922. He enacted many new laws to restrict the expansion of anti-French forces, which caused dissatisfaction among many nationalists. In addition, in 1920, he ordered an increase in taxes just to build his new mausoleum. Therefore, he received mostly negative reviews at home. This mausoleum, built on a hillside, has a total of 127 steps. When you arrive at the square in front of the pavilion, you will see two rows of civil and military officials lined up as usual. However, if you look closely, you will find that there are six more pairs of statues than in other imperial tombs. These are the personal guards established by Emperor Khai Dinh. This pavilion building has traditional flying eaves, but is built with reinforced concrete, integrating the features of European arches and columns. Both the columns and the dragon decorations on the roof are very delicate and moving. The cross-shaped fence near the pavilion is very European in style. Address: Vietnam #VietnamTravel #Hue