Minh Mang Tomb is the mausoleum of Minh Mang king, the 2nd emperor of the Nguyen dynasty. He ruled Vietnam from 1820 to 1840, and had great contributions to the country. His mausoleum became famous because of its grand buildings set in beautiful man-made landscapes. In this article, HoiAn Day Trip Company informs visitors of Minh Mang Tomb, one of the best royal tombs in Hue.
You may also like: Royal Tombs in Hue, Vietnam
• Content by Tam Le, founder of HOIAN DAY TRIP CO.,LTD
• Designed by Giang Cong Minh, co-founder of LS E&C LTD and his team
• Photo by Dang Cong Loi, Dao Xuan Son, Tam Le & others
Must Knows about Minh Mang Tomb in Hue
– Location/Address: Long Ho ward (formerly Huong Tho commune), Hue City, Vietnam
– Other name(s): Tomb of Minh Mang Emperor, Mausoleum of Emperor Minh Mang, Hieu Lang
– Opening hours: 6:30 AM to 5:30 PM (summer/dry season), 7 AM to 5 PM (winter/rainy season)
– Entrance fee: 150,000 VND for adult (2024)
– Reason(s) to visit: one of the best royal tombs in Hue, the tomb of the greatest king of Nguyen dynasty
– Time to spend: 1-2 hours
– Best time to visit: anytime of the day
– Tour guide: contact +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo)
– Travel blog: https://hoiandaytrip.com/minh-mang-tomb-hue-vietnam
– Recognition(s): Unesco world heritage site (1993)
Minh Mang Tomb on Map
Better to Know about Minh Mang King
Before coronation, Minh Mang king was Nguyen Phuc Dam prince, the 4th son of Gia Long king (1762-1820, 57 years old). He was borned on 25th May 1791, at Gia Dinh (today Ho Chi Minh city), in the wartime. His mother was Mrs Tran Thi Dang (later Thuan Thien empress) (1769-1846, 77 years old), one of two beloved wifes of his father, and daughter of a duke.
On 14th February 1820, the first day of the Vietnamese new year festival, Nguyen Phuc Dam prince succeeded his father’s drone, becoming the 2nd king of the Nguyen dynasty. At that time, he was 31 years old. His emperor’s name was ‘Minh Mang’ or ‘Minh Menh’ (literally ‘the bright favour of Heaven’). Before that, Nguyen Phuc Canh, the first son of Gia Long king who was believed to be crowned, died young in 1801. His son wasn’t chosen too because that man had French influences. Nguyen Phuc Dam prince was chosen due to his intelligence, hard work, in-depth knowledge, assertiveness,…
During his life, Minh Mang king had about 142 children, including 78 boys and 64 girls, more than any kings of the dynasty. Number of his wifes and concubines was up to 500-600, and about 40 of them slept with him. Much of which came from southern provinces of Vietnam. To avoid confusion about the name of his descendants, an ‘imperial succession poem’ was used (de he thi in Vietnamese). It included 20 words, and each word would follow the family name ‘Nguyen Phuc’ (and sure, before the name). A collection of other words was also determined, to name children in his son’s family.
In 1831, Minh Mang king renamed Thang Long old capital to Hanoi, and it’s still in use up to date. Hanoi or Ha Noi means ‘inside the river’. In 1833, Minh Mang re-planned the Imperial City, and added new constructions, such as the Meridian Gate (Ngo Mon), The Mieu Temple, Duyet Thi Duong Theater, Nine Holy Cannons, Nine Dynastic Urns,…
On 20th January 1841, Minh Mang king passed away. His oldest son, Nguyen Phuc Mien Tong succeeded the throne, became Thieu Tri king, and ruled the country for over 6 years then. This emperor continued the successes of his dad. More information about Thieu Tri king & Thieu Tri tomb
Minh Mang king was believed to be the most successful emperor in the dynasty. In his reign, Vietnamese territory was largest at all times, including present-day Vietnam, a part of Laos, a part of Cambodia, and archipelagos in the East Sea. He enacted the final conquest of the Champa kingdom, and after that, it officially disappeared and became a part of Vietnam. He implemented large economic, cultural, and social reforms, to make the country turn into a strong and prosperous one.
History of Minh Mang Tomb in Hue
Minh Mang Tomb was built from 1840 to 1843, with a total area of up to 18 hectares. Its location and its design were directly chosen by its owner, Minh Mang king. This emperor dignified Confucianism, so his tomb’s design proved this.
In 1827, Minh Mang king requested geomancers to travel around the mountainous area in the upstream of the Perfume River, to seek a good location to build his mausoleum. The place should be well met with all feng shui principles. The current location of Minh Mang Tomb was found by Le Van Duc, a mandarin. However, it took the king 14 years to approve that place. It lies at the foot of a large mountain (Cam Khe Mountain), and by the confluence of three rivers (the source of the Perfume River). Therefore, it’s accessible by both road vehicles and boats.
In April 1840, Tomb of Minh Mang construction started. Its official name was ‘Hieu Lang’ or ‘Tomb of the Filial Piety’. The mountain it’s located was named ‘Hieu Son’ or the ‘Mountain of Filial Piety’. More than 3,000 laborers worked here to complete the mausoleum as soon as possible, according to the king’s request. Four months later, he visited it and punished leaders because the lake was unlike what he thought.
In January 1841, Minh Mang king passed away, and the tomb’s construction was paused. In the next month, his successor Thieu Tri king requested to continue it, especially the sepulchre to bury his father. Total number of workers at that time was up to 10,000. He still followed the original planning. On 20th August 1841, the sepulchre where the body of the king would be preserved, was finished.
The whole Minh Mang Tomb was completed in 1943. During the wars, many buildings here were damaged or destroyed, especially the ones on the hills by the lakeshore.
In 1993, Minh Mang Tomb was a part of Complex of Hue Monuments, the first Unesco world heritage site in Vietnam.
Architecture of Minh Mang Tomb in Hue
Minh Mang Tomb is protected by a brick wall with a total length of 1,750 meters, following the natural topography of the mountain. Within the wall, it has about 40 buildings, all set in a beautiful man-made landscape. These buildings are also arranged along a 700-meters-long axis, running from the entrance to the king’s grave. It’s called ‘Than Dao’ or the Sacred Way. Although the king didn’t walk on it, it’s still paved by granite stone, just like the one inside the Imperial City. Minh Mang tomb’s layout shows the influence of Chinese imperial tomb ideas on Vietnam.
The planning of Minh Mang Tomb portrays a human who leans against the mountain to rest, has a head (the grave), and two legs stretching on the plain. He overlooks a peaceful and fertile land where two rivers merge to create the Perfume River. In the upstream of the rivers, not far away, there is Gia Long Tomb, the mausoleum of Minh Mang king’s father.
To enter Minh Mang Tomb, there are 3 gates to go: the Great Red Gate (Dai Hong Mon) in the middle, the Right Red Gate (Ta Hong Mon) in the left, and the Left Red Gate (Huu Hong Mon) in the right (look from outside). The middle gate was opened once in history when the coffin of the king was carried into the tomb. Today, it’s closed. Visitors need to use the gate on the right hand side. In the front of the middle gate, there is a Front Screen to protect the tomb from bad spirits.
The first ‘major’ building is the Stele Pavilion (Bi Dinh). Before it, visitors will see a tile-paved yard with statues of elephant, horse, military and literature mandarins at both sides. On anniversaries, living mandarins will come here to pray and pay homage to the dead king. After climbing stairs, that is ‘Stele of Divine Merits and Sacred Virtues’ on which 2,270 Chinese words were carved to honor the merits and virtues of the king. The content was always composed by his son who succeeded his throne, Thieu Tri king.
In the end of the stepped yard behind the Stele Pavilion, that is Sung An Palace. It’s used to worship Minh Mang king, and enclosed by a brick wall. Within the wall, besides the temple, there is one entrance gate (built in 1843, renovated in 2010, having 2 storeys & three doors), and 4 houses. Two houses in the left and right hand sides in the main temple’s front (Tay Phoi Dien and Dong Phoi Dien), are to worship literature and military mandarins who worked in Minh Mang’s reign. Two other houses in the main temple’s back (Ta Tung Vien and Huu Tung Vien), are used as storages. The back gate (Hoang Trach Mon) provides the view to an incredibly charming scene, attracting many visitors to take photos.
Between Sung An Palace and Minh Lau Pavilion, there are 3 bridges crossing the lake. These bridges are in the lowest terrace of the whole tomb, while the palace and the pavilion are on the highest locations, giving a stunning visiting experience.
The next building, Minh Lau or the Soul Pavillion sitting atop a tall base, so it’s needed to climb chairs to get there. The pavilion has two storeys, opening to all sides, and was equipped by a large wooden bed. In the full moon night, the soul of the king could descend here.
Behind the pavilion, there is a garden designed in ‘longevity’ letter (in Chinese form). Plants and flowers here, all symbolize death and long life too. To the left and to the right, two tall pillars symbolize the ‘height’ of merits and virtues of the dead king. Each pillar stands on a little hill, with rocks and old banyan trees.
At the end of the Sacred Way, Buu Thanh (King’s Grave) is the last building. It’s a 3,5-meters-high round hill, like an upside down bowl, and protected by a brick wall. Its diameter is 273 meters. This ‘tomb’ has one entrance gate, always closed, and has a sepulchre where the coffin of the king has been preserved. To get there, visitors need to walk on Thong Minh Chanh Truc bridge which goes across a semicircle lake (symbolizing the transition between two worlds, heaven and earth). At its ends, there are metal gates with colorful bronze enamelled panels and Chinese sentences to tell good characteristics of the king.
To return to the parking lot or finish the visit, visitors need to walk along lakeshores to see the entrance. On the way, there are many chairs to have a seat, take a rest, and enjoy the charming scenery of the tomb.
Minh Mang Tomb and Tu Duc Tomb have some similarities, so if don’t have time to see both, visitors can sightsee one only (plus Khai Dinh Tomb).
Tips to Visit Minh Mang Tomb in Hue
– Visitors must wear respectively to visit Minh Mang Tomb, a holy/solemn place. In other words, it’s needed to wear clothes which cover armpits, navel, shoulder, breast, and upper knees. See-through clothings is not accepted.
– If want to sightsee other historical monuments besides Minh Mang Tomb, visitors should buy a combo ticket, to save money. ‘Minh Mang Tomb & Gia Long Tomb’ combo costs 240,000 VND/adult and children above 12 years old. ‘Imperial City, Minh Mang Tomb & Khai Dinh Tomb or Tu Duc Tomb’ combo price is 420,000 VND/adult and children above 12 years old. It’s 530,000 VND/adult and children above 12 years old if choose ‘Imperial City, Minh Mang Tomb, Khai Dinh Tomb & Tu Duc Tomb’. See more information & details
– Visitors do not need to take shoes off, but need to remove sun glasses and hat/cap.
– In the dry season, visitors should bring sun cream, sun glasses, bottles of water, and hat/cap or umbrella. If don’t have, it’s easy to find one(s) of them in shops around Minh Mang Tomb.
– In the rainy season, visitors need to remove rain poncho/jacket, and close the umbrella. After that, hang it on the rack.
– Visitors are not allowed to take pictures inside temples in Minh Mang Tomb.
– Minh Mang Tomb is a worshipping place, so visitors can not make noise (like talking loud, laughing, singing, dancing,…) or sit inside it. Instead, nearby gardens are better places to have a seat and take a rest under tree shade.
– Visitors do not touch on any worshipping objects in temples of Minh Mang Tomb. Only members of the Nguyen royal family can burn incense sticks and do ceremonies here, not visitors. Visitors can put the incense stick in the urn outside.
– It’s better to visit Minh Mang Tomb with a guide. Contact us by +84968009827 if you need a private tour guide in Hue/Da Nang/Hoi An.
– Toilets are outside the protective wall of Minh Mang Tomb.
Places to Visit near Minh Mang Tomb in Hue
Near Tomb of Minh Mang King, visitors can go to these places: Gia Long Tomb (distance: 6,5 km), Standing Lady Buddha Pagoda (Chua Phat Dung) (distance: 2,5 km), Khai Dinh Tomb (distance: 3,5 km), Hon Chen Temple (distance: 5,5 km), Thuy Tien Lake or Abandoned Water Park (distance: 6,5 km), Thieu Tri Tomb (distance: 6,5 km), Vong Canh Hill or ‘Bunker Hill’ (distance: 7 km), Tu Duc Tomb (distance: 7 km), Dong Khanh Tomb (distance: 6,8 km), Thuy Xuan Incense Making Village (distance: 7 km), Nam Giao Esplande (distance: 8 km), Tu Hieu Pagoda (distance: 9 km).
How to Get to Minh Mang Tomb in Hue
Guided Tours to Minh Mang Tomb
Photos, Videos about Minh Mang Tomb in Hue
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