Khai Dinh Tomb, Ung Lang in Vietnamese, is the burial place of Emperor Khai Dinh (1885-1925), the 12th emperor of the Nguyen dynasty. It stands on Chau Chu mountain and is part of the Complex of Hue Monuments that UNESCO listed in 1993.
Work began on 4 September 1920 and took 11 years. To pay for it, Khai Dinh got the French protectorate to let him raise the land tax by 30% across the country, a move historians have condemned since. He had iron, steel, cement and Ardoise roof tiles bought in France, and porcelain and coloured glass shipped from China and Japan.
The result covers much less ground than the tombs of earlier emperors, but the building and its decoration are far more elaborate. The whole tomb runs up one axis over 7 terraces and 127 brick steps; the first flight, 37 steps, takes you to the main gate between balustrades carved as huge dragons.
At the top is Thien Dinh Palace, the main building. Its interior is covered in reliefs pieced together from porcelain and glass, and among the usual motifs you can spot modern objects such as an alarm clock, a tennis racket and an oil lamp. The central room holds a statue of the emperor, with his grave beneath it.
Getting there
The tomb is about 8 km in a straight line from the Imperial City and about 6.5 km from Hue railway station; the road is longer. Phu Bai airport (HUI) is about 12.4 km away in a straight line. The Hue or Da Nang article helps if you are still choosing a base.
Hours and fees
The heritage center uses one schedule for all its sites. These are ticket-sale hours; the gates close 60 minutes after sales stop.
| Season | Ticket sales | Gates close |
|---|---|---|
| Summer, 16 March to 15 October | 6:30 AM to 5:30 PM | 6:30 PM |
| Winter, 16 October to 15 March | 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM | 6:00 PM |
| Ticket | Adult | Child aged 7 to 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Khai Dinh Tomb only | VND 150,000 | VND 30,000 |
| Imperial City, Minh Mang and Khai Dinh | VND 420,000 | VND 80,000 |
| Imperial City plus three tombs | VND 530,000 | VND 100,000 |
Single-site prices apply from 2 June 2026. The Hue Imperial City ticket article works out when a route ticket saves money.
Nearby
- Minh Mang Tomb: about 2.5 km in a straight line.
- Hue Imperial City: about 8 km in a straight line.
Questions travelers ask
Is it worth getting out to the tombs? In a thread comparing Hue with Ho Chi Minh City and Quy Nhon, one reply described a few days around Hue:
"So much history. The citadel is amazing. And the tombs. Just walking along the riverside is lovely. There's loads of stuff so totally depends what you're into. I hired a bike for a few days and went cycling and explored the tombs."
u/RevolutionaryNet1200 on r/VietNam
