Thế Miếu, also called Thế Tổ Miếu, is the ancestral temple of the Nguyen dynasty, which ruled Vietnam from 1802 to 1945. The temple was built in 1821 by Emperor Minh Mạng to honor his father, Gia Long, the founder of the Nguyen dynasty. It is a large complex of buildings, including the main sanctuary, where the spirit tablets of the Nguyen emperors are enshrined, and the outer chambers, where offerings are made to the ancestors.