King Tu Duc was the fourth king of the Nguyen court. His birth name was Nguyen Phuc Hong Nham, and his familial name was Thi. He was born on 25 August, the Year of the Ox (22 September, 1829). He was the second son of King Hien To Chuong Hoang De Thieu Tri and Queen Nghi Thien Chuong Hoang Hau Tu Du.
King Tu Duc had his reign in the last half of the 19th century during the most troublesome period of the nation, wherein it faced a tumultuous economic, political and social situation. The royal family faced internal conflict for power. The North suffered from continual famine caused by losses of crops, and epidemics which gave rise to widespread uprisings from the farrmers. As to foreign affairs, the nation faced invasions from foreign countries; In addition, the king frequently fell ill, and was grieved about his incapability to have a son. As such, King Tu Duc kept living with constant sorrowful feelings..
According to the concept “Sinh ký tử quy”, meaning “Life is but temporary; death is our permanent home”, and to be sure of a suitable burial place for them, most of the Nguyen kings had their tombs built when they were still reigning. King Tu Duc was no exception. He had his second mansion built as a relaxation place and also as a precautionary mausoleum for an unexpected death.
According to the Ministry of Construction’s plan, the mausoleum would be built in 6 to 7 years with the service of 3.000 soldiers and workers, under the direct management of Vice minister of the Ministry of Construction Nguyen Binh (later promoted to Minister of Construction), official for financial management of the Ministry of Construction Nguyen Van Chat together with the Field Marshal Le Van Xa. Soldiers and workers were permitted to take turn having leases every three months.
In 1865, Nguyen Van Chat and Le Van Xa, so as to gain King Tu Duc’s trust, suggested to hasten the speed of construction and complete the mausoleum in just three years. To ensure a timely accomplishment of the construction, the two mandarins try to speed up the construction by all means. Thousands of soldiers and workers had to labour ceaselessly under severe conditions. As a result, in 1886 an insurrection of the soldiers and workers broke out at the construction site which was led by Doan Trung, Doan Tu Truc, and Doan Huu Ai. The Nguyen court called this event the Lime-Pounding Pestle Uprising since the rebellions utilised the pestles they used to crushed lime for plaster as weapons when attacking the Imperial City. Though the insurrection failed and the Doan family was subjected to the capital punishment tru di tam toc [ killing of three clans of their relatives: clan of the culprit’s father, clan of his mother and clan of his wife], from then on the king’s name suffered serious defilement with a atmosphere of grief enveloping the land and the Van Nien Co construction site. The people’s complaints and curses were heard in the folk’s saying :
“Vạn niên là vạn niên nào
Thành xây xương lính, hào đào máu dân”
[How could Vạn Niên Cơ bring a Ten-Thousand-Year Career
While the bulwark was built of the soldiers’ bones and the moats are filled with the people’s blood? ]
So as to erase those terrible memories in the people’s mind, the king had the name of the construction “Van Nien” to “Khiem Cung” [Mansion of Modesty] and after he passed away the mausoleum was named Mausoleum of Modesty. After the uprising, the king convened the mandarin Nguyen Tri Phuong to the capital so as to pacify the troublesome situation; also he had the courtier Phan Dinh Binh to proclaim his decree for the “consolation of the people”. The construction was continued and basically finished in 1867.
In his lifetime King Tu Duc only designed more than half of the plan for Khiem Cung, that is, just the area for his rest and relaxation; the rest such as the courtyard, Holy Abode.. were not planned yet. On 16 June, 1883, the king passed away and it was not until August 1883 that the Ministry of Construction had the tunnel and the Holy Abode built. The funeral for King Tu Duc was not carried out until 2 December , the Year of the Goat (30 December, 1883). After the funeral, the Ministry of Construction went on with the construction of the mausoleum until September, the Year of the Monkey (October, 1884) . Later on, as an additional part ,the tombs of King Kien Phuc and Le Thien Anh Queen were added to the ground of Khiem Lang.
Tu Duc mausoleum is called Khiem mausoleum, including Vu Khiem Gate and Chi Khiem Temple, Luu Khiem Lake and Tinh Khiem Island, Du Khiem Pavilion and Xung Khiem Pavilion, the Worship Zone, Khiem Cung Gate, Le Khiem Pavilion-Phap Khiem Pavilion, Hoa Khiem Temple, Lương Khiem Palace, Minh Khiem Theater, Ôn Khiêm Palace, Section of Residential Houses and Ich Khiem Temple, The Burial Zone, The Courtyard, The Stelae Pavilion, The Khiem Cung Ky Stelae, The Consecrated Bulwark and the Holy Abode, Queen Le Thien Anh’s Mausoleum (Khiem Tho Mausoleum), King Kien Phuc’s Mausoleum (Boi Mausoleum)