Emperor Gia Long, who founded the Nguyen dynasty and reunified Vietnam in 1802, chose a spot for his tomb about eleven kilometres from Hué, and he chose it far from the city on purpose. The Thien Tho hills rise south-west of the capital, and his burial ground lies tucked among them, a long, quiet complex of terraces, stone courtyards and guarding statues of mandarins and elephants. He died in 1820. His queen is buried beside him, which was unusual enough that guides still mention it.
Compared with the more elaborate tombs of his successors, Gia Long's is plain and weathered, and that is exactly why it appeals. Pine trees stand around the stone, moss is on the steps, and when you arrive there may be nobody else there at all. Much of the timber architecture has been lost over the years, and what remains is mostly stone and open ground. Take your time and look at the way the whole site was laid out to face the hills, with a lake in front, following the geomancy rules the court took seriously.
The ride out from Hué follows the river upstream, and this is where the day gets pleasant. You leave the flat grid of town behind and pass villages with gardens, small temples, fishing nets, and long stretches of road running under trees. It is not twisty in a mountain sense, but the surface is mostly decent, the traffic thins quickly, and you can enjoy the smell of woodsmoke and wet earth. Pay attention to water buffalo and children on bicycles in the villages, and to the occasional pothole after rain.
Bring water. Go in the morning, when the air is cooler and the hills are blue behind the stone, and give it an hour rather than ten minutes.