Khai Dinh Emperor ruled from 1916 to 1925, and his tomb majestically appears from the side of a mountain covered by forest. Unfortunately, the tomb lacks the harmonious blending with nature that many of the other tombs and Vietnamese architecture tries to achieve. This is due to the fact that the tomb was built earlier this century during the French colonial occupation and under their influence. The weather-stained and blackened concrete walls make the tomb seem older than it actually is, but the different style of Khai Dinh’s tomb makes it worth a visit.

The tomb is layered, and each stage is divided by stairs. The entrance to the tomb begins with a long climb up from the street level staircase that is bound by dragon banisters. This opens up onto a courtyard, but it is the second level that has a stone statued entourage made up of life size mandarins, horses and elephants. You must contend with more stairs to get to the main part of the tomb and to where Emperor Khai Dinh is buried. The Khai Dinh temple is 10 km south of Hue City, and a sealed road passes straight past its entrance. The view from the top is quite beautiful, looking at the plains and surrounding mountains. The large white statue farther south standing on a hillside is of Quan Am, the Goddess of Mercy.