Visiting the tomb of Emperor Bảo Đại in Paris.

Although we had been to Paris many times and had heard of the Passy Cemetery, we were still surprised when we searched on Google Maps and found it in such an easily accessible location. From the Eiffel Tower, simply cross the Pont d'Lena bridge towards the Trocadero Square next to the Maritime Museum, look past the roundabout, and you'll see this famous Parisian cemetery.

Passy is surrounded by a wall about 5 meters high, resembling an old city wall. From the outside, you can see crosses, often erected on the graves of Westerners.

A section of the wall surrounding the Passy cemetery.

The cemetery is open during the day and unguarded. Inside, there are many imposing tombs, some dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries, interspersed with smaller, simpler ones. The tomb of former Emperor Bảo Đại is located near the end of the cemetery, with a black headstone inscribed with words in multiple languages, easily recognizable from afar.

From the tomb of King Bao Dai, you can see the Eiffel Tower in the distance.

According to some records, from the time of his death and burial here in 1997 until 2006, King Bao Dai's tomb had no headstone, displaying no information about the deceased as his wife wished; it simply consisted of two concrete slabs and a few flower pots placed on top.

The reason was that Emperor Bảo Đại's last French wife, Monique Baudot, prevented anyone from restoring or erecting a tombstone for him. In 1996, his youngest son, Nguyễn Phúc Bảo Ân, contacted Baudot in France and renovated the tomb and erected a tombstone for his father.

The inscriptions on the tombstone of the last king of the Nguyen dynasty.

A path between two rows of green trees leads to the tomb, a peaceful scene amidst the bustling city of Paris, with its constant flow of people and traffic throughout the four seasons.

Passy Cemetery in the 16th arrondissement of Paris is one of the largest cemeteries in the French capital, covering nearly 2 hectares. It is the resting place of the renowned painter Edouard Manet, the comedian Fernandel, the composer Claude Debussy, the Givenchy family (owners of the famous perfume brand of the same name), and the Renault family (owners of the car brand of the same name)...

The walkway leads directly towards the Eiffel Tower.

The cemetery was established in 1820 and became the burial place of the aristocracy on the right bank of the Seine River.

Emperor Bảo Đại was born in 1913 with the birth name Nguyễn Phúc Vĩnh Thụy and died on July 31, 1997, in Paris. He was the 13th and last emperor of the Nguyễn dynasty, and also the last emperor of the feudal regime in Vietnamese history.

In 2022, there were reports that the family was requesting land and would bring King Bao Dai back to Hue for burial, but representatives of the Nguyen Phuc Clan Council of Vietnam affirmed that the information was inaccurate.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/tham-mo-vua-bao-dai-giua-paris-185230514010151406.htm