Khai Dinh Emperor Tomb

The Emperor Khai Đinh ruled Vietnam from 1916 to 1925. His tomb is an impressive cement and marble structure built on a hill at the south end of the Imperial City of Hue. The spot was chosen because the movement of the wind was deemed to be in accordance with the oriental philosophy of Phong Thủy (wind and water), otherwise known as Feng Shui. It's is pretty different from the rest of the tombs in that it fuses both European and Vietnamese decorative elements, as per the emperor's tastes.

The entrance is located at the end of a staircase which has a handrail in the form of a dragon. After you finish the second set of stairs you arrive at a courtyard containing the Stele Pavilion and life-size sculptures of elephants, horses, and Mandarin soldiers.

The Emperor Khai Đinh (October 8th, 1885 – November 6th, 1925) was the 12th emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty, but reigned for only nine years ( 1916-1925).

Chau Chu mountain was chosen as the best place to build his tomb. Building began in 1920 and lasted over 11 years; the emperor himself did not live to see it completed. It's smaller than the rest of the imperial tombs and features a mixture of European and Asian architectural techniques. You reach the tomb via a long staircase (if the day is hot, which is usually is, it can be tough) and on both sides of the courtyard there are statues of the emperor's guards.