Six royal tombs are scattered across land to the south east of the citadel on the other side of the Perfume River and one on the same side. They are monuments to nine of the thirteen rulers of the Nguyen Dynasty, mostly built during the Emperor’s lifetime. Although designed individually, sometimes by the intended occupant himself, they share certain design conventions.
All were built according to strict rules of geomancy, which often involved making substantial modifications to the landscape to ensure that the sight lines and orientation of the constituent elements complied with celestial and supernatural forces. These were
a courtyard with stone effigies of elephants, horses and mandarins
a pavilion containing a massive stele with eulogies to the departed incumbent
a temple containing an altar for worshipping the Emperor’s soul
a pleasure pavilion, and
the tomb itself
Each Royal Tomb reflects the personality of the ruler.
Three of the tombs attract large numbers of visitors:
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