Cover#104 United Nations, Vietnam Heritage Cover: Tomb of Khải Định,

This cover arrived today. It was sent by the United Nations Post in Austria. The stamp show Tomb of Khải Định, Hue, Vietnam.

Sent: 5/6/2015

Arrived: 19/6/2015

The Tomb of Khải Định is located in Chau Chu mountain near Huế in Vietnam. It was built for the Nguyễn Emperor Khải Định. It was built from 1920 to 1931 taking 11 years to complete. The tomb is a blend of Western and Eastern architecture. It is located on a steep hill.

Khải Định's tomb's surface area is much smaller than the tombs of his predecessors. However, the building itself is far more elaborately designed than others of its era, being a mix of a number of architectural styles. The tomb is of a rectangular structure leaning against Chau Chu Mountain in the outskirts of Huế. The side walls are formed by the biggest sculptures of dragons in all of Vietnam. The tomb is home to an imperial audience court, featuring a reinforced concrete stele monument, as well as twelve stone statues representing bodyguards. Close to the top floor is the Khai Thanh Palace, featuring intricately designed glass and porcelain decorations on the walls. The ceiling of the palace is decorated with nine intricate dragons. The rear room of the palace is home to a temple containing Khải Định's grave, an altar to him as well as a statue of his likeness, cast in Marseilles.

Thank you Marco!