Panoramic view of Gia Long Tomb - the resting place of the king who founded the Nguyen Dynasty - in the heart of the ancient capital of Hue - Photo: NHAT LINH
Gia Long Tomb, also known as Thien Tho Tomb, is the resting place of King Gia Long - the first king of the Nguyen Dynasty.
The tomb is located deep in Thien Tho mountain, about 16km southwest of Hue city center, in Long Ho ward, Phu Xuan district, Hue city.
The mausoleum is not only an ancient mausoleum but also a harmonious picture between nature and architecture, bringing majestic and tranquil beauty.
The resting place of the "founding" king of the Nguyen Dynasty
Gia Long Tomb was built in 1814, clearly showing a simple but no less majestic architectural style.
Unlike other tombs in the Nguyen Dynasty mausoleum complex, Gia Long tomb does not have too many elaborate structures but instead is a harmonious combination of natural and artificial elements.
The main structure of the mausoleum includes the tomb area, temple, stone stele and system of gates.
The mausoleum was built on a large hill, with Thien Tho mountain as a solid support, surrounded by 42 large and small hills creating a majestic "dragon and tiger" feng shui position.
Coming to Gia Long mausoleum, visitors will feel the peace thanks to the fresh air, green trees and roads running around the hills covered with green grass.
On sunny days, the rustling pine hills bring a refreshing, relaxing feeling.
A group of young people wearing Ao Dai cycle on the green shaded roads at Gia Long mausoleum - Photo: NHAT LINH
During a spring trip at the beginning of the year, Hoai An (Hanoi) shared that she chose Gia Long mausoleum as one of the destinations when coming to Hue.
Hoai An and a group of young friends from the capital rented ao dai, rented bicycles, and then walked around the green roads in the mausoleum area to take photos.
"The air here is so peaceful and fresh. This is not just a mausoleum but also a beautiful green architectural work with green hills and tall pine trees. You can take beautiful photos anywhere!" - Hoai An shared.
The most special mausoleum in Vietnam
King Gia Long's tomb is the most special tomb complex among the feudal dynasties of Vietnam, when the tombs of the king and queen are placed next to each other, the same size, the same style and without distinction.
The resting place of King Gia Long and Queen Thua Thien Cao Tong Thi Lan - Photo: NHAT LINH
According to the book Dai Nam Thuc Luc of the National History Institute of the Nguyen Dynasty, in 1814, King Gia Long ordered the construction of Thien Tho mausoleum to bury the first wife of Thua Thien Cao, Queen Tong Thi Lan, who had just passed away.
At that time, the king and his ministers discussed and wanted to imitate the ancient ritual of burying a husband and wife in the same tomb, also called double burial. King Gia Long sent Tong Phuoc Luong and Pham Nhu Dang to take the position of Son Lang Su, along with Le Duy Thanh (son of the famous scholar Le Quy Don) to survey the mountains.
The tomb of King Gia Long and his wife was built simply, without distinction - Photo: NHAT LINH
After seven divinations, only Tho Son mountain was good. When the king came to see, he saw the land with prosperous energy gathering, the surrounding mountains seemed to bow to him, the high-ranking officials all thought this was good land forever, so they decided to build a mausoleum here.
In February 1820, King Gia Long passed away. Dai Nam Thuc Luc recorded that in the summer of 1820, King Minh Mang and his courtiers buried King Gia Long's body at Thien Tho mausoleum, next to Thua Thien Cao Queen Tong Thi Lan.
When visiting Gia Long Tomb, many tourists are surprised by the simplicity of the tomb of the "founding" king of the Nguyen Dynasty and his virtuous wife. The two tombs lie next to each other without any distinction in size or style.
According to the guard at the mausoleum, from the outside, King Gia Long's tomb is on the right, and the queen's tomb is on the left.
It is this uniqueness that makes Gia Long Tomb an attractive destination for tourists when coming to Hue.
In 2020, the Hue Monuments Conservation Center restored the Gia Long Tomb complex with a total cost of more than 40 billion VND. After the restoration, Gia Long Tomb was put into tourism exploitation with entrance fees ranging from 50,000 - 150,000 VND.
Comment (0)