Admire the Unique Million-Dollar ‘City of ghost An Bang’ in the Heart of Hue
Although not a famous tourist destination in the ancient capital region, An Bang Village (Vinh An Commune, Phu Vang District, Thua Thien Hue) still captivates visitors with its extravagant and luxurious burial sites, unlike any other in Vietnam.
Located approximately 36 km from Hue City, along the coastline, An Bang Village is a renowned fishing village that has attracted a large number of visitors for many years, despite not being a well-known tourist spot.
Driving along the road leading to An Bang Village, many are amazed by the grandiose burial sites, various in size and style, lining both sides of the road amidst the residential area.
City of ghost An Bang covers an area of about 40 hectares, stretching close to the sea, and to date, it contains over a thousand graves ranging from 40 to 400 square meters, adorned with gates as high as 7 to 8 meters. The construction costs of each tomb vary from hundreds of millions to several billion Vietnamese dong, with some even reaching nearly ten billion dong. Even the experienced elderly craftsmen who specialize in building tombs here cannot remember the exact number of graves within this cemetery.
The porcelain patterns on the graves resemble the decorative styles seen at the Khai Dinh Tomb, leaving many in awe of the meticulous craftsmanship exhibited by the artisans. Each tomb resembles a miniature palace, complete with mythical creatures (unicorns, dragons, tortoises, and phoenixes) guarding them. According to research, the residents of An Bang Village used to make a living by fishing and struggled to make ends meet, often having just enough to eat.
In recent years, thanks to remittances from overseas, the villagers’ lives have become noticeably prosperous. Most households have relatives who are currently living and working in the United States.
It is from these remittances that luxurious houses have been built, and notably, opulent burial sites with tombs worth billions of dong have started to appear.
Mr. Tran Tuan (48 years old), a longtime tomb builder, shared: “Creating these extravagant tombs takes a considerable amount of time. Each step of the process is almost entirely manual, requiring meticulous attention to every detail. The primary materials for inlaying the patterns, such as dragons and phoenixes, are fragments of porcelain and ceramics.”
In general, the tombs are designed to resemble royal burial sites, featuring three entrances with curved roofs, couplets, stone stelae, pillars, and enclosures.
One extremely unique feature found only in the City of ghost An Bang is the service of offering incense, protection, and tomb cleaning, providing employment opportunities for many. Each person can earn from 2 to 3 million Vietnamese dong per month from this service.
Elderly residents of An Bang Village explain that building tombs in advance is a way to ensure that when a family member passes away, they do not have to worry about constructing a tomb. Additionally, pre-building tombs ensures that everything is done decently and meticulously. Therefore, it is understandable that many living individuals are willing to prepare million-dollar tombs for themselves.
How to get to the cemetary By private car with english speaking driver:
Hue to Da Nang by private car via Hai Van pass
Da Nang to Hue by private car via Hai Van pass