Tomb of Khai Dinh

dronepicr · CC BY 2.0

The one imperial tomb in Hue built of concrete and European porcelain — lavish enough to have been controversial.

The tomb of Khai Dinh took eleven years to build and looks like no other imperial tomb in Hue: reinforced concrete instead of timber, dragon staircases in the Asian manner leading up to masses that read as European, the exterior blackened by the material itself. Step into the Thien Dinh palace and everything reverses — walls and ceiling are set with tens of thousands of porcelain and coloured-glass fragments forming the four seasons, the eight treasures and, on the ceiling, nine dragons in cloud. At the centre sits a bronze statue of Emperor Khai Dinh on his throne, cast in France in 1920, with his body directly below. Contemporaries called the tomb extravagant and mongrel; today it is the most photographed of all the Hue tombs.

Visitor information

When is the best time to visit Tomb of Khai Dinh?

January to April

How much does it cost to visit Tomb of Khai Dinh?

150,000₫

How long do you need at Tomb of Khai Dinh?

1 - 2 hours

What are the opening hours of Tomb of Khai Dinh?

07:00 - 17:30

Did you know

The tomb was built over eleven years, from 1920 to 1931.
It is the only imperial tomb in Hue built chiefly of reinforced concrete.
The Thien Dinh palace interior is set with tens of thousands of porcelain and glass fragments.
The bronze statue of Emperor Khai Dinh was cast in France in 1920.
It forms part of the Complex of Hue Monuments, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Travel tips

Spend most of your time inside Thien Dinh palace; the exterior is only the shell.
Come in the afternoon to miss the morning groups from central Hue.

Source: https://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lăng_Khải_Định

Updated: 2026-08-06