Dubbed one of the most beautiful works of the Nguyen Dynasty, Tu Duc Tomb is the resting place of the poet king Tu Duc. With delicate architecture, surrounded by a smooth green space of mountains and forests, Tu Duc Tomb was built in accordance with a poetic soul that is romantic, dreamlike but equally erudite and profound. Thuy!
Tomb of Tu Duc (Photo: Collected)
A little bit about the history of Tu Duc Tomb
Tomb of Tu Duc was built by King Tu Duc as a place to rest and escape from the government. According to historical records, Tu Duc was a famous king of the Nguyen Dynasty, with the longest reign of the 13 kings of this period. His real name is Nguyen Phuc Hong Nham. Born as the second son of King Thieu Tri, the throne should have been assumed by the eldest son, Hong Bao, but due to insufficient talent, he did not have the will, playful and capricious personality, so Hong Nham , ie King Tu Duc was respected by his father and brought him to the throne, taking over his father to build the country’s rivers and rivers. But unfortunately, Tu Duc was not a king well-versed in government affairs, unpredictable calculations. but the character is simple, gentle, sometimes somewhat weak, just like the personality of a poet, living with plants and flowers.
King Tu Duc (Photo: Collected)
Tu Duc’s life on the throne was not very smooth and pessimistic when faced with a time of war and aggression, the internal court was turbulent, and the brothers were at odds and united. Tu Duc also did not have children, he was often weak and sick, so he decided to hide from those market and obstacles. He built a second mausoleum as a place for him to rest, relieve grief and prevent sudden death.
Geographical location of Tu Duc Tomb
Tu Duc Tomb is located in Thuy Bieu commune, Hue city, Thua Thien Hue province. Tourists visiting the mausoleum should hire a taxi or take a private car to be able to go through a tour of the mausoleums around this area such as Minh Mang Tomb, Khai Dinh Tomb.
Tomb of Tu Duc (Photo: Collected)
Structure of Tu Duc Tomb
The mausoleum consists of two main parts: the impregnated area and the mausoleum. These two parts are arranged parallel to each other, the criminal record is Giang Khiem mountain, the posterior occipital is Duong Xuan mountain. The main road is Luu Khiem lake.
View of Tu Duc Tomb from above (Photo: ST)
Passing Khiem Cung Mon, opening in front of you is a two-storey three-door gate built on a high ground. Stepping through it, visitors can witness firsthand the beautiful architecture in the grounds of Tu Duc Tomb. There are many architectural works here named with the word Khiem there as showing the possession of King Tu Duc. Passing through Vu Khiem gate and Son Than shrine, the shrine area appears in front of your eyes. The buildings were built here for the king and his entourage, the palace maids to have fun.
Chi Khiem Duong (Photo: Collected)
Stepping on the stone steps of the Qing Dynasty, Khiem Cung Mon appears as a beautiful contrast to Linh Khiem lake in front. A two-storey building is built in the form of a gazebo, located on the side of a lake with the element of “clear path” for “gathering water”, “accumulating happiness”. Here people often release lotus flowers, the rustic, simple and bold lotuses of Vietnamese people have entered so many poetic sentences of poets that no flower can replace them. that’s okay. Just like the verses that have entered the minds of many Vietnamese people: “In a pond, what is as beautiful as a lotus – Green leaves, white flowers, and yellow pistil”.
There are many lotus plants on the lake (Photo: Collectibles)
There are not only fragrant lotus flowers, but also in the middle of the lake there are small islands for people to grow flowers or raise animals. A breathtakingly elegant scene! One of the must-see stops in the Linh Khiem Lake campus is Chong Khiem Ta and Du Khiem Ta. This is the place where the king often sat reading, writing poetry, etc., when the four sides were surrounded by the green color of heaven and earth, the gentle fragrance of the flowers in the fields, the sound of birds, and the islands planted with thousands of colorful flowers. .
The landscape of Tu Duc Tomb is like a classic colorful painting with bridges spanning a small lake. With the green pine trees whispering in the wind, tourists will experience in a fresh and airy space, and it is not difficult to get an extremely “classic” check-in photo, rich in color. “antique”.
Chong Khiem Ta (Photo: Collected)
Entering Khiem Cung Mon is the resting space of the king, so it is sophisticated in architecture as well as the surrounding space. In the middle is Hoa Khiem Palace, where the king sat and worked. Currently, this is the place where the king and queen’s tablets are placed so that people can come here to visit and burn incense. Behind Hoa Khiem Palace is Luong Khiem Palace, where the king rested, and is now a place to worship the spirit of King Tu Duc’s mother.
Linh Khiem Palace (Photo: Collected)
A must-visit destination is Minh Khiem Theater, where the king used to visit to watch and sing. This is a place imbued with the cultural imprint of the reign of King Tu Duc, making many tourists feel extremely excited. To serve the tourism of domestic and foreign tourists, nowadays, people often organize extremely attractive cultural and artistic performances.
Minh Khiem Theater (Photo: Collected)
Passing the shrine is the mausoleum. Moving to Bai Dinh, you will be able to witness with your own eyes two rows of very heroic statues of martial arts officials. Right after that is Bi Dinh with a stone stele weighing 20 tons engraved with Khiem Cung Ky of the king. This is considered an autobiography of the king about his life. He confessed to himself: “Not being wise in knowing people is mine; Using people in the wrong place is also our sin; hundreds of impossible things to do; All of them are my sins…” and he let the history books of the future evaluate his merits and sins.
Stone stele in Bai Dinh (Photo: Collectibles)
Right behind the stele are two large pillars showing the strong, resilient will of King Tu Duc.
Tu Duc Tomb was built to clearly show the person of the king of the Nguyen Dynasty: having majesty, authority but no less gentle, elegant, full of poetry and artists. The immense lotus ponds, the small bridges crossing the lake, the temples and shrines filled with the smell of incense, etc. will surely make tourists have an unforgettable trip!
Source: Collected internet.