The Tu Duc Royal Tomb was built between 1864 and 1867. The opulence of Tu Duc’s tomb stands in contrast to the tragic length of his life. Tu Duc was the longest-reigning Nguyen emperor, dying childless after 35 years on the throne and cursing the French for their growing influence.

Tu Duc is the only Emperor who moved his family into his own tomb, constructing a Forbidden City of his own on the grounds. Out of the Emperors who built their tombs in Hue, Tu Duc is the only one who wrote his own particular stele, as he had no child to do this crucial obligation. No other Royal Tomb in Hue can be on a par with the size and lavishness of Tu Duc’s royal tomb. The tomb’s architecture perfectly matches with the carefully-manicured landscape. The monuments are arranged along two axes – one for the royal residence and living quarters, and the other for the necropolis.