Photo Gallery

Khai Dinh Tomb (built 1920-31)

This is the final resting place of Khai Dinh, Emperor of Vietnam from 1916-1925. The tomb represents a fusion of traditional Vietnamese style and modern influence. Begun in 1920 and completed in 1931, the tomb is almost entirely made of concrete and includes many European architectural details, likely inspired by the Emperor's visit to France in 1922 where he viewed the Marseilles Colonial Exhibition.

Khai Dinh was an extremely unpopular ruler during his lifetime, mostly due to his close collaboration with the French. To finance the tomb, he requested permission of the French advisors to raise taxes on the peasantry, which they allowed. Although he died prematurely at age 40 of tuberculosis, his son and successor, Bao Dai, completed the tomb several years later. Bao Dai would prove to be the final ruler of the Nguyen dynasty and lived until 1997. Thus, the tomb of Khai Dinh became the last grand imperial tomb in Vietnam.

Plan view

Image adapted from signpost located on site.

Location

The approximate location of the tomb is 16.398925' N, 107.590267' E (WGS 84 map datum).