The Tomb of King Gia Long, officially Thien Tho Tomb, is the tomb of Emperor Gia Long, the founder of the Nguyen Dynasty. Gia Long Tomb is in fact a complex of many tombs of the Nguyen royal family, over 11,000m in circumference, currently in Huong Tho Commune, Huong Tra Town.
Construction of the tomb began in 1814 and completed in 1820. The complex consists of 42 mountains and hills with their own names, of which the Dai Thien Tho Mountain is the largest and was chosen by the King to build his own resting place.
The complex is divided into three parts. The main part in the middle is dedicated to the King and his wife, Queen Thua Thien, with two stone tombs of the King and the Queen inside demonstrating symbols of happiness and loyalty. The front yard stands two rows of sculpted stone statues of mandarins, elephants and horses.
On the right of the tomb complex is Minh Thanh Temple dedicated to worship King Gia Long and Queen Thua Thien. The Minh Thanh Temple also displays many artefacts related to the military life of King Gia Long.
On the left of the tomb complex is Bi Dinh (stele pavilion), but there remains only one large stele exquisitely carved, on which King Minh Mang wrote “Thanh Duc Than Cong” to praise the merits of his father.
The Gia Long Tomb is a masterpiece of the combination between nature and architecture. The King rests in a tranquil and poetic space. The place has become a valuable destination for domestic and foreign visitors./.
