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The height of the Nguyen Dynasty was reached during the reign of Emperor Minh Mang (1820-1840). His tomb was built 12km from Hue in four years (1840-1843). The king had the plans drawn and the location chosen by the royal advisor, the mandarin Le Van Duc. The king passed away as construction commenced. His successor, the Emperor Thieu Tri sought the completion of the project. The ground of his tomb are large and peaceful, and his actual bomb oversees the Lake of Tranquillity. The first entrance is guarded by a life size stone entourage of soldiers, horses and elephants, and opens to a courtyard containing three temples. Past the temples, you will cross Trung Minh Ho (The Lake of Impeccable Clarity) which is bridged in three places. The central bridge was for the sole use of the Emperor whilst the other two were for his entourage. Beyond the pond there is Sung An Temple that Minh Mang dedicated to his Empress. Following this temple you need to cross another bridge before reaching his tomb that is a huge walled-in dirt mound, which you cannot enter. To give Minh Mang peace of mind whilst ruling, all his servants were eunuchs. |
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