An Bang Cemetery- City of Ghosts Hue, Vietnam
An Bang Cemetery city of ghost

An Bang Cemetery also referred to as the Ghost City of Hue, is a truly fascinating and captivating historic cemetery situated in the beautiful city of Hue, Vietnam. Visiting An Bang ghost city is an extraordinary experience that offers a blend of history, culture, and a touch of the paranormal, making it an ideal choice for those seeking a truly unforgettable and hauntingly beautiful adventure.

An Bang Cemetery Introduction

Hue City is located in central Vietnam and is known for its rich history and cultural heritage. It served as the imperial capital of the Nguyen Dynasty from 1802 to 1945. Hue is famous for its historic monuments, including the Imperial City, Royal tombs, and pagodas. The city played a significant role during the Vietnam War and was heavily damaged. Today, Hue is a popular tourist destination, attracting visitors with its historical sites, delicious cuisine, and picturesque landscapes.

After visiting Hue city, including the Royal tombs and Hue’s monuments, we recommend exploring the local neighborhoods to witness the unique customs and traditions of Hue people about life after death – The city of ghosts – An Bang Cemetery

An Bang ghost city
An Bang Cemetery – Ghost city in Vietnam

Where is An Bang? Why it’s called the City of Ghosts?

An Bang village is located in Thua Thien Hue province, Vietnam. It is approximately 35 kilometers east of Hue city center, it takes approximately 1 hour from Hue center. An Bang cemetery is a cemetery of local people (Vinh An, An Bang, Ha Uc)

When you arrive here and see the main gate of the village, you also see many tombs beside/ behind the house, or tombs in the yard of some house. The Cemetery is famous for its distinctive and elaborate tombstones and mausoleums, which are designed to resemble miniature houses but sometimes it is also bigger than a villa. The village An Bang is believed to be haunted, attracting tourists who are interested in exploring and immersing themselves in the quiet atmosphere of the ghost city.

An Bang cemetery
Local people strong belief in the afterlife, and the importance of honoring their ancestors. Big is the best

Many houses or “rick houses” in An Bang village are currently empty. However, this does not necessarily mean that they are derelict. Most of the homeowners have moved to bigger cities such as Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh, and especially they live abroad in California, US, and Canada. They want to keep their house like they keep memories of their parent and ancestors. Sometimes, you can see the old people live alone in the house to keep it clean. 

What is the history and formation of An Bang Cemetery?

In the Vietnam War, many Vietnamese people left their homeland by fishing boats and crossed the sea to find a promised land. This migration was a result of the turmoil and instability caused by the war, as well as the desire for a better life and opportunities in a new country.

Someone passed away in the ocean, while someone was lucky to survive the long day. They were saved by the sailor and had a good life with a good income. And of course, they gave money back to their relatives who stayed behind and didn’t forget the man who died on the way to the “promised land” – they also built empty graves.

The residents spend their days building grand mausoleums in a cemetery that covers 250 hectares and sits next to a deserted beach. Construction began in 1995, and since then the villagers have built extravagant tombs for their deceased family members, or sometimes for themselves.

For many reasons, when you see your neighbor building a big tomb for their ancestors, you get the idea of building a bigger one for your parents. Difficult to see the ancient tomb in An Bang cemetery, some of the tombs are destroyed and made new.

 
An Bang Cemetery city of ghost
A small tomb in An Bang is bigger than a house

According to the villagers’ beliefs, maintaining and adorning a tomb with great care will bring good fortune to the family. If we look at the village of An Bang, it seems that their extensive efforts have yielded positive results! The tombs being built here can cost as much as 50.000 – 100.000 USD, which is extraordinary considering the prevalent poverty in most of Vietnam.

Walking through this unusual cemetery with its tall tombs, you could understand why it’s called the ‘City of Ghosts’. It felt like the spirits of the ancestors were still there, watching over the village from their magnificent kingdom.

private car to An Bang cemetery

You can drop in the City of Ghost on the way transfer between Hue and Hoi An Ancient Town. This is an option of the private transfer. 

What to see in An Bang Ghost City?

An Bang Village’s Culture in the Cemetery

Like another village in Vietnam, An Bang used to be a fishing village. Nowadays, you can see the Main house of the community (Nha Van Hoa Lang), the Whale Temple, and pagodas. But In An Bang, you will see the area of Bau Lang (a lake of the village) that looks like a park of An Bang Cemetery, which shows memories of famous people, and the history of An Bang village.

Mosaic art in An Bang
Colorful decor in one of the grave

Architect and the Special Grave in An Bang Ghost City

An Bang is known for its unique architectural features and extravagant graves. The cemetery contains a mix of different types of graves, including Christ graves, Buddha graves, and Vietnamese graves. Each type of grave has its distinct architectural style and design, reflecting the religious and cultural beliefs of the individuals buried there. But in VN, locals the feng-shui rule is used to build the tombs, such as Nam Ta – Nu Huu (Man is on the left – Woman is on the right); a Dragon for a Man, a Phoenix for a woman; a bat for the lucky thing; there is the screen (Binh Phong) in the front of the tomb to prevent bad thing comes; Green Dragon statues in the left, White Tiger statues in the right to protect the tomb, small lake or stream in front of tombs to keep the money or bring the good things. The Vietnamese graves often incorporate traditional Vietnamese architectural elements. These diverse architectural features create a visually striking An Bang cemetery and the big pride of local people can make for their parents and ancestors.

city of ghost an bang
The regal stone lions abound and glittering mosaic dragons, unicorns, and phoenixes inlaid the roof ridges.

Some houses use the architectural style of the Royal tomb, particularly the Mosaic art found in the Khai Dinh’s tomb, as inspiration for their graves.

What to See in An Bang ghost city?

  • Ngu Ong temple is a temple dedicated to fishermen and the worship of whales.
  • Maria Statues are statues of the Virgin Mary for people who follow Christ.
  • An Bang Church is a church located in An Bang village.
  • Bau Lang An Bang is another place near An Bang church.
  • The Statue of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva (Quan The Am – Lady Buddha)
  • And of course, we walk along the Ghost City to observe the luxurious tombs.
  • Temple of the lineage is known as the founder of the village.

How to get to the city of Ghost – An Bang cemetery?

The distance from Hue City to An Bang cemetery is about 35 km. There are 2 ways to An Bang:

  • Hue City – Thuan An Beach (QL14B) via Phu Dien Beach and arrive at An Bang village (90 mins)
  • Hue city – AH1 – turn left after crossing Phu Bai International Airport – to Truong Ha Bridge then go to Vinh An – An Bang (60 Mins)

Google Map: 

You also go to An Bang Ghost City by motorbike or by private car. The road is big enough for 2 cars can go and no public bus to go to ghost village. And one more thing, you should go with friends, it is quiet here and little bit scared if you get lost 😀 

private car to An Bang cemetery
The car is too small for a tomb

For visiting the ghost city – Huracars also offers these places an option for a trip from Hue to Hoi An or vice versa, besides seeing the landscape of the coastline, Hai Van Pass, Lap An Lagoon, and Lang Co beach. An Bang ghost city is an ideal choice for those seeking a truly unforgettable and hauntingly beautiful adventure.

 

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