VietNamNet Bridge - Located in Huong Tho commune, Huong Tra town in Thua Thien-Hue province, the tomb of King Gia Long has the best feng shui position among the royal tombs of the Nguyen Dynasty.

As the first Emperor of the Nguyen dynasty, Gia Long's (1762-1820) choice of burial sites established the architectural pattern that his successors adopted for their own tombs. 

The tomb of Gia Long is located 16km from the centre of Hue, on top of the Thien Tho mountain, the west bank of the Huong river. 

Construction of the tomb began in 1814 and was completed in 1820. Located in a vast land covered with a wide canopy of old pine trees, the mausoleum was built according to a monumental but simple design.

The tomb of Gia Long and his primary wife are enclosed within a walled quadrangle, which is approached from a series of terraces that slope down toward a ceremonial courtyard flanked with stone statues of animals and government officials. 

Just to the south of the courtyard is a lake. On the opposite shore are two huge, ruined obelisks that jut into the sky. To the west of this ensemble is an ancestral temple in remarkably well-preserved condition. To the east of the tomb is a ruined stele pavilion housing an epitaph in stone of Gia Long's reign, composed by his son Minh Mang (who would later rule as Emperor).

Scattered in the surrounding landscape are smaller tombs and temples dedicated to others in Gia Long's life, such as his second wife.

Compiled by Pha Le