Brian Jeffrey
Recently, the burial sites of emperors, royal relatives, and influential nobles in Vietnam have increasingly fallen prey to grave robbers in search of valuables. These acts have inflicted significant harm on cultural heritage and ignited considerable public outrage.
In early May 2025, the tomb of King Le Tuc Tong (1469–1509), situated in Xuan Giang Commune, Tho Xuan District, Thanh Hoa Province, was illicitly excavated.
On May 3, two individuals, Deng Zhui and Shen JiangYang from Guangxi Province, China, were caught digging at the royal tomb using tools and scanning devices throughout the day. They fled upon noticing nearby residents.
The following day, May 4, the duo was apprehended in Quang Ninh Province while trying to exit the country through Mong Cai City. They were subsequently hand over to Thanh Hoa Police for investigative proceedings concerning their violation of a tomb.
King Le Tuc Tong’s tomb is acknowledged as a provincial historical site in Thanh Hoa, known for its rich cultural and historical value.
In the early hours of January 8, 2025, members of the Nguyen Phuoc clan council visiting the Truong Thai Mausoleum in Long Ho Ward, Phu Xuan District, Hue City—final resting place of Lord Nguyen Phuc Khoat (1714–1765)—noticed signs of unauthorized excavations.
The disturbed area had been concealed with dead leaves and was only discovered during the routine maintenance by site staff. Although the hole had been hurriedly covered, freshly turned soil and stones were still apparent.
This was not an isolated incident, as the site had previously been subjected to grave robbing during wartime as thieves sought hidden treasures.
Numerous burial sites of the Nguyen lords, royal consorts, and emperors have suffered similar offenses. The tomb of Empress Dowager Tu Du was plundered in the 1980s, and the tombs of Vinh Mau (mother of Lord Nguyen Phuc Chu) and Vinh Thai (wife of Lord Nguyen Phuc Khoat) faced similar violations in 1990.
Other sites that have endured desecration include Boi Lang (King Kien Phuc), An Lang (King Duc Duc), Kien Thai Vuong’s tomb, and Truong Phong Mausoleum (Lord Nguyen Phuc Chu).
In March 2012, in An Son Ward, Tam Ky City, a group of individuals forged the signatures of local officials to unlawfully excavate a 300-year-old ancestral tomb belonging to royal official Hoang Hoang Nhan from the Gia Long era.
The historic tomb displayed traditional architectural features, robust stonework, grand lotus-shaped columns, and inscriptions in ancient script. The heavy stone lid of the coffin, ornately carved, had been brutally removed.
Previously, the site was protected by stone soldiers, which have gradually disappeared over time.
In December 2010, thieves breached Khai Dinh’s tomb, part of the Hue Imperial Complex in Thuy Bang Commune, Huong Thuy Town, stealing items of cultural significance.
Security personnel indicated that the intruders likely accessed the site through a narrow pathway, entered Thien Dinh Palace, and escaped the same way. Although the number of stolen items was minimal and not of high monetary value, they held immense cultural and historical significance.
In the 1980s, the Xuong Tho Mausoleum of Empress Dowager Tu Du – mother of Emperor Tu Duc – located in Thuy Bang Ward, Thuan Hoa District, Hue City, suffered desecration.
An investigation by Lao Dong newspaper in April 1990 uncovered that a group of six individuals had stolen 18 to 19 pieces of royal jewelry, including gold bracelets, gemstone rings, ornate gold boxes, decorative gold buttons, colorful bead-like stones, a rectangular green gemstone engraved with a phoenix, and stone wristbands.
A report from Tuoi Tre in 2022 highlighted that numerous tombs were targeted in 1990 alone. On January 22, the tomb of Tong Thi Lanh (mother of Lord Nguyen Phuc Chu) at Vinh Mau was robbed. Just three days later, on January 25, the nearby tomb of Tong Thi Doi (mother of Lord Nguyen Phuc Thai) was also violated.
On March 4, the tomb of Truong Thi Dung (wife of Lord Nguyen Phuc Khoat and grandmother of Emperor Gia Long) at Vinh Thai was invaded in Duong Xuan Hill. A month later, the tomb of Dinh Vien Duke, brother of Emperor Minh Mang, was desecrated.
Y Nhuy
