The Tomb of Khai Dinh is located outside Hue. Khai Dinh was the 12th Emperor. The Vietnamese believe he was homosexual, but their dislike for him was due to his appeasement of the French. They viewed him as a French puppet. His excesses remain visible in the opulence of his tomb, which he commissioned between 1920 and 1931.
Khai Dinh designed much of the tomb, which combines eastern and western features. There are 122 steps to ascend to get to the tomb. These are adorned with the largest dragon sculptures in Vietnam. A courtyard is located midway to the top, featuring statues who stand guard over the tomb.
The tomb is an elaborately designed, almost gaudy compilation of porcelain and glass figures. It features 3-D images that leap from the pillars and walls. The colorful, vibrant tomb is as excessive as the ornate uniforms he designed for himself as Emperor. While a burden to his countrymen (a thirty percent tax was levied to pay for this tomb), it is certainly worth the five bucks it cost to visit. Be prepared to walk the steps...there are plenty.
Situated on a hilltop some 10kms from Hue, the tomb was built by the second-to-last Emperor. The exterior walls are dark concrete, giving it a somewhat gloomy look but the result, once you’ve climbed up 127 steps, is stunning. The main building walls are covered in intricate inlaid porcelain and the ceiling is painted. Khai Dinh’s body is buried under a canopy and a bronze stature of himself. Great views of the countryside from the top level of the tomb.
We did not have a guide but there are signs in English explaining what you are seeing. There is also an informative video that you can sit and watch. This tomb is completely different, architecturally, from the others an, in our opinion, is a Must See.
This place is great! The buildings are beautiful but the real treasure comes inside the main building on top. So many details and great stone work. It's worth it!
100,000d entrance fee. This is not very much money. This place is quite big & there are some stairs to negotiate, but not too many. This is the only tomb we saw whilst in Hue. But we both thought that it was really good, and certainly worth seeing.
This guy certainly spared no expense in constructing this complex over 11 years.
Yes, there a steps, nothing unusual in that but not over demanding. Everything is set out on a small site. Nothing less than 30 minutes to walk around for intelligent people with an appreciation of what was created here.
The level of detail on the walls and ceiling is simply beautiful. There is a TV here showing a video about the complex with both Vnese and English subtitles.
Well worth the trip out of town.
