Duong and his cousin Thi Nguyen during a visit to Tu Duc mausoleum.

Emperor Tu Duc was a romantic poet and a weak king, who ruled Vietnam from 1847 to 1883. The Mausoleum of Tu Duc is the most harmonious of all the mausoleums, with elegant pavilions and pines reflected in serene lakes. It took only three years to complete (1864-67), allowing Tu Duc a full sixteen years here for boating and fishing, meditation, and composing some of the 4000 poems he is said to have written. Entering by the southern gate, brick paths lead beside a lake and a couple of waterside pavilions, from where steps head up through a triple-arched gateway to a second enclosure containing the main temple , Hoa Khiem, which Tu Duc used as a palace before his death. Behind the temple stands the colourful royal theatre. The second group of buildings, to the north, is centred on the emperor's tomb , preceded by the salutation court and stele-house. Tu Duc's Mausoleum is 7km from central Hué by road. From the boat jetty, it's a 2km walk from the river, or there might be a Honda om waiting on the river bank.