Ho Quyen Tiger Arena

A unique royal arena of earth and brick where elephants and tigers fought before the emperor, built in 1830 and among the only surviving structures of its kind anywhere.

Ho Quyen was built in 1830 under Emperor Minh Mang to stage contests between elephants, the symbol of royal power, and tigers, which represented rebellion and disorder; the tigers were declawed and the outcome was never in doubt. Before this, such fights had been held on the riverbank and even in front of the Citadel, until a tiger broke loose and threatened the emperor's boat. The arena is a solid ring some 44 metres across, with walls of brick and earth about five metres high, a ramp and viewing platform for the emperor and mandarins on the north side, and five vaulted tiger cages set into the wall opposite. The last contest was held in 1904. Today it stands quietly in the village of Truong Da in Thuy Bieu, next to the small Long Chau temple dedicated to the royal elephants. Climb the emperor's ramp for a view into the ring and combine the visit with a bicycle loop of Thuy Bieu village.