Van Van tomb was the resting place of the Dowager Empress of Nguyen dynasty Duong Thi Thuc. Born in 1868, Dowager Empress Duong Thi Thuc was the wife of Emperor Dong Khanh who ruled the country from 1885 to 1889, the mother of Emperor Khai Dinh whose reign lasted from 1916 to 1925, and the grandmother of Emperor Bao Dai who led the country from 1926 to 1945.
It was believed that the place which is chosen to construct Emperor's tombs must be "Van nien cat cuc" or "Van nien cat dia". The plot of land in which Emperor's parents rest in peace must be "Van van nien cat cuc" or "Van van nien cat dia". Therefore, the tomb was named "Van Van". The neighborhood living by the An Cuu river on the way leading to the tomb was also called Van Van.
Built in north west - south east direction, Van Van tomb is situated on a stretch of land in An Dong ward, Hue city. The tomb was located on the basis of Fengshui principles "ta Thanh Long" (green dragon on the left), "huu Bach Ho" (white tiger on the right), "tien chu Tuoc" (red bird in front) and "hau huyen vu (black tortoise and snake on the back).
Ngu Binh mountain is situated on its back while a "hoi" (river) which flows from mountain, across Cong Bac and to the An Cuu river is considered as "tien Chu Tuoc".
There is a pretty large guarding screen serving as "an son" in front of the tomb. Giant pillars are erected on two sides. Mountains which represent for "ta Thanh Long" (green dragon on the left) and "huu Bach Ho" (white tiger on the right) are placed in the front yard.
Van Van tomb is highly valued in terms of arts, history and sightseeing. Today, the architecture still stays intact and was recognized as national relic by of the Ministry of Culture and Information on Decision 874 - QD/BVHTT on May 12th, 1997.