Minh Mang Tomb

Hue, Vietnam
1840
Upon the death in 1840 of Minh Mang, second king of Vietnam's Nguyen Dynasty, a 40-building tomb complex was built in the southwest mountainous region of Hue city. Unlike any previous ruler, Minh Mang was able to unify Vietnam at a time when the region was mired in feudalism. Each of the 40 brick-and-tile structures is architecturally distinctive and all managed to survive the heavy wartime bombing of Hue. Today, some 500,000 tourists--among them 150,000 foreigners--visit the tomb annually. Prior to 1996 Watch listing, the structures of Minh Mang Tomb were plagued by cracking and sinking foundations, termite infestation, leaking roofs, and rotting wood frames. An American Express grant helped restore one of the main structures in the complex. It is hoped that this restoration will serve as a pilot project for the other structures, most of which require considerable repair and new materials. The Complex of Hue Monuments is on the World Heritage List.

Listed in 1996