Vietnam's Central Vietnam
Imperial Tombs
Throughout Hue rests inspiring remembrances of those integral to the foundation of this now thriving city. At the Imperial Tombs, find the ornate, miniature palaces of 7 of the 13 Nguyen emperors.
Set in decorative gardens and overlooking lakes, each offers insight not only into the revered figures of the Nguyen Dynasty, but also into the complex laws of the Chinese practice of geomancy, in which architecture becomes the means to integrating Feng Shui with the delicate Yin-Yang balance. Explore Khai Dinh, the last of the Nguyen Dynasty’s great tombs standing on an isolated hilltop and marked with an elaborate, semi-Europeanized style; or venture to the Tu Dac Mausoleum, in which the exorbitant nature of its construction spurred a strike amongst its workers.
Only several kilometers from the Tombs, discover Vietnam’s proud postcard celebrity, Thien Mu Pagoda. Fully deserving of its photogenic resume, Thien Mu sits pleasantly on a hill overlooking the Perfume River. Noted by its octagonal seven tiered tower, this 1621 pagoda is the premier tribute to the Buddhas who appeared in human form to each of the Nguyen ancestors.
