KHAI DINH TOMB – PLACES TO SEE IN HUE

KHAI DINH TOMB – PLACES TO SEE IN HUE

Khai Dinh Tomb is also called Ung Lang, located on Chau Chu Mountain. This is the tomb of Khai Dinh, the 12th king of Nguyen dynasty in Hue. Khai Dinh King was born on 8th October 1885 and died on 6th November 1925.  Khai Dinh became the king in 1916 when Khai Dinh was 31 years old. As Khai Dinh became the kinh, Khai Dinh ordered to build a lot of temples, palace, and villas for himself and the Royal family, especially his own tomb. In order to build the tomb for himself, Khai Dinh Kinh had consulted a lot of fortunetellers and feng shui men and Khai Dinh King made his choice to build the tomb on the top of Chau Chu Mountain. Khai Dinh King chose this mountain as the left side looks like the dragon, the right side looks like the lion. There is also a small stream flows from left to right.
Khai Dinh Tomb as started building on 4th September 1920 and it took 11 years to finishing building Khai Dinh Tomb. To build the tomb, Khai Dinh King ordered a lot of workers, artists from all over Vietnam. Khai Dinh King also raised tax to 30% to get the finance to build his own tomb and this caused a lot of criticism from people. In compare with the tombs of previous kings, Khai Dinh Tomb has smaller area but cost so much money and time. Khai Dinh King sent people to France to buy cements, bricks, to China and Japan to buy porcelain, glass to build his own tomb.

Khai Dinh Tomb has architect and design out of traditional characters of the Nguyen Emperors as its new, unique, odd designs and decorations.   Khai Dinh Tomb has rectangular shape with 127 steps from bottom to the top. The influence of Indian, Buddhism, Roman, Gothique architect shown clearly Khai Dinh Tomb.  The “heaven palace” of Khai Dinh Tomb is on top of the mountain where Khai Dinh King was reserved; was constructed carefully and beautiful decorated. The interior of Khai Dinh Tomb was decorated with wonderful art works which were made of pottery, glass. Those art works are pictures of plants, flowers, birds and clouds. The whole ceiling of Khai Dinh Tomb was painted with nine dragons symbolized for power of the king and Nguyen Emperors. Khai Dinh Tomb now is also displayed things which were concerned to Khai Dinh King and his life like tennis racket, alarm clock, oil lamp, blow, plates, and cups. These were all gifts and stuff Khai Dinh King collected from France when he was alive. Khai Dinh Kinh was also the first Kinh of Nguyen Dynasty traveled abroad. At Khai Dinh Tomb, there is also his own statue, putting on top of Khai Dinh Tomb and this statue was made at full size of Khai Dinh Kinh. Khai Dinh King’s body was buried 30 meters deep in the tunnel. At the back of Khai Dinh Tomb was decorated the sun going down symbolized his death.

Khai Dinh King had his former name as Buu Dao. Khai Dinh King liked gambling and always lost. Khai Dinh Kinh even sold his belonging to get money for gamble. Khai Dinh Kinh also asked his wife begged her father for money for him to spend on gambling.
After accused Duy Tan Kinh for his resistance against French, Buu Dao became the kinh on 18th May 1916 and got his crown name as Khai Dinh. Khai Dinh was just a puppet king and just liked having fun. Khai Dinh King designed his own new clothes. Khai Dinh King liked makeup, wearing colorful clothes. On 20th May 1922, Khai Dinh traveled to France to join colonial exhibition in Marseille. Khai Dinh king was the first one of Nguyen Dynasty traveled outside of Vietnam. His trip to France got a lot of against and criticism from people and Vietnamese patriots.
In September 1924, Khai Dinh King came back to Vietnam and organized the biggest ceremony to cheer for his longevity and asked people sending him gifts and presents. After this ceremony, the finance of kingdom was bankrupt and Khai Dinh King raised tax up to 30% to get the money.

Khai Dinh King had 12 wives but had no children. Based on documents, Khai Dinh King did not like women, he just loved men. Khai Dinh Kinh died on 6th November 1925 when he was at his 40. Today, Khai Dinh Tomb is one of the places where most of Vietnamese as well as travelers come to visit to see the most unique tombs of the Nguyen Emperors; Khai Dinh Tomb.