Tiger Arena (Ho Quyen)

Tiger Arena (Ho Quyen) is an open-air circular arena located on Long Tho Hill in Thuy Bieu Ward, Hue City. Built in 1830 under Emperor Minh Mang of the Nguyen Dynasty, it was used for staged combats between elephants and tigers to train war elephants and for royal entertainment. The brick arena is the only surviving animal-fighting arena of its kind in Vietnam and is part of the Complex of Hue Monuments.

Visitors can expect an open-air, circular brick arena set in a quiet, wooded area on Long Tho Hill. The structure features thick outer walls, an inner circular fighting area, and tiered seating areas where the emperor and mandarins once sat. The site is largely in ruins with weathered brickwork, overgrown vegetation, and open sky. Visitors can walk around the arena, enter the central pit, view the royal viewing pavilion, and see informative plaques. The surroundings are rural and tranquil, near rice fields and the nearby Voi Re Temple.

Built in 1830 during the reign of Emperor Minh Mang of the Nguyen Dynasty. The arena was constructed to stage annual combats between elephants and tigers as a form of military training for war elephants, royal entertainment, and ritual spectacle. The last recorded fight was held in 1904 under Emperor Thanh Thai. It is the only remaining arena of its type in Vietnam and forms part of the Complex of Hue Monuments.

Reflects Nguyen Dynasty martial culture and royal court traditions, symbolizing the power of the elephant, associated with the monarchy, over the tiger. The arena and the nearby Voi Re Temple together illustrate the cultural importance of elephants in Vietnamese court life and are valued as unique heritage structures within Hue's imperial legacy.