Although we have been to Paris many times and heard of Passy Cemetery, we were still surprised when we searched on Google Map and found Passy in an extremely easy-to-reach location. From the Eiffel Tower, just cross the Pont d'lena bridge towards Trocadero Square next to the Maritime Museum, look through the roundabout and you will see the famous cemetery of Paris.
Passy is surrounded by a wall about 5m high, similar to the old city walls. From the outside, you can see crosses, usually erected on the graves of Westerners.
Part of the wall surrounding the Passy cemetery
The cemetery is open during the day and is unguarded. Inside, there are many large tombs, some built in the 18th and 19th centuries, interspersed with small, simple tombs. The tomb of former Emperor Bao Dai is located near the end of the cemetery with a black stele engraved with words in many languages, easily recognizable from a distance.
From the tomb of King Bao Dai, you can see the Eiffel Tower in the distance.
According to some records, from the time he died and was buried here in 1997 to 2006, King Bao Dai's tomb had no tombstone, no information about the deceased according to his wife's wishes, just two concrete "woven" slabs and a few flower pots placed on top.
The reason was that King Bao Dai's last French wife, Monique Baudot, prevented anyone who wanted to renovate and erect a stele for him. In 1996, the youngest son, Nguyen Phuc Bao An, went to France to contact Mrs. Baudot and had the tomb renovated and a stele erected for his father.
The inscriptions on the tombstone of the last king of the Nguyen Dynasty
The path between two rows of green trees leads to the tomb, a peaceful scene in the middle of the bustling capital Paris all year round.
Passy Cemetery in the 16th arrondissement of Paris is one of the largest cemeteries in the French capital, nearly 2 hectares, and is the resting place of famous painter Edouard Manet, comedian Fernandel, composer Claude Debussy, the Givenchy family (owner of the famous perfume brand of the same name) or the Renault family (owner of the car brand of the same name)...
Walkway looking straight towards the Eiffel Tower
The cemetery was founded in 1820 and became the burial place of the aristocracy on the right bank of the Seine.
King Bao Dai was born in 1913 with the birth name Nguyen Phuc Vinh Thuy, and died on July 31, 1997 in Paris. He was the 13th and last king of the Nguyen Dynasty, and also the last king of the feudal regime in Vietnamese history.
In 2022, there was information that the family requested land and would bring King Bao Dai back to Hue for burial, but a representative of the Nguyen Phuc Clan Council of Vietnam confirmed that the information was incorrect.
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