An Dinh Palace

An Dinh was rebuilt between 1917 and 1919 by the emperor Khai Dinh, on the site of the residence he had kept as a prince, and it is a deliberate departure: a two-storey palace in a European classical idiom with stucco ornament, columns and a mosaic-covered gate, rather than the Vietnamese timber halls of the citadel. Inside, the ground floor rooms carry murals of the imperial tombs painted directly onto the walls, restored with German assistance after long neglect. After the abdication of Bao Dai in 1945 his mother, the empress dowager Tu Cung, lived here until 1949 and again from 1955 to 1957. It is part of the Hue monuments inscription.

What to look for

• A European-style Nguyen palace - built 1917 to 1919.
• Murals of the imperial tombs - painted on the ground floor walls.
• A restoration with German help - after decades of neglect.
• Where the dowager empress lived - after the dynasty ended in 1945.

When to go

Year round. An hour.

Practical notes

Much of the building is empty rooms - the murals and the architecture are the content. Restoration has been partial and some areas are closed. It is quieter than the citadel, which is a point in its favour.

Nearby

The citadel is across the river; Truong Tien bridge is north.

Key facts