Tomb of Khải Định

The tomb of Khải Định is the last and strangest of the royal tombs, a blackened concrete structure on a hillside whose interior is covered floor to ceiling in glass and porcelain mosaic. It took eleven years and a 30 per cent tax rise to build.

Overview

Khải Định reigned under French control and the tomb shows it — European proportions, reinforced concrete, wrought iron, and a bronze statue of the emperor cast in France, all fused with Vietnamese ornament. The result was disliked by his contemporaries and is now the most visited of the tombs, precisely because there is nothing else like it. The mosaic interior of the Thien Dinh palace, made from broken ceramics and bottle glass, is the reason to climb the steps.

Highlights

The exterior is grey and grim and gives no hint of the interior; do not judge it from the car park. It is small — an hour is plenty — and pairs with Tu Duc’s tomb. The steps are steep and there is no shade on them.

Overview

Highlights

Location