Le Quy Don Memorial

History names Lê Quý Đôn as the person in 18th century Vietnam who read the most, wrote the most and understood the widest range of things.

He was born in 1726 in a place now called Lê Quý Đôn commune, in Hưng Yên province. It was formerly Độc Lập commune, in Thái Bình province. His birth name was Lê Danh Phương. His courtesy name was Doãn Hậu, and his pen name was Quế Đường. In 1743, at only 17, he won the title Giải nguyên. Nine years later, in 1752, he took first place in the metropolitan examination and also passed the palace examination with top honors. He is known as Tam Nguyên.

But what set Lê Quý Đôn apart from an ordinary official was his writing. He wrote a great deal, and on a great many subjects. He left about 40 books, covering the fields of knowledge of his time: history, geography, literature, philosophy, farming, astronomy and encyclopedic learning. Later generations called him a great scholar of 18th century Vietnam.

The Lê Quý Đôn Memorial is a national monument of architecture and art, recognized by Decision number 235, dated December 12, 1986. It has three main parts: the ancestral hall, Lê Quý Lake, and the tomb of his father.

At the gate of the ancestral hall, a line of characters reads "Lê tướng công cố trạch". This was the old house of Lê Trọng Thứ, the father of Lê Quý Đôn. The detail matters. The memorial honors more than one man. It also recalls a family tradition, the ground that raised a figure of renown.

In the front yard of the ancestral hall stand two stele houses. One holds a stele called "Hà quốc công bi kí", set up in the 12th year of the reign of Emperor Tự Đức, around 1860. The other records the life of Lê Quý Đôn, along with a note written by General Secretary Đỗ Mười when he visited in 1996. The two steles come from moments more than a hundred years apart, yet both grew from the same respect for one person.

The main hall, called Đại Bái, has three bays. On the left are the Lê family tree and handwritten notes from people who visited in different periods. Here the family's line of scholars is recorded, and the part the family played in shaping a man like Lê Quý Đôn.

In the middle chamber hangs a large inscribed panel reading "Văn hiến truyền gia", given by the court of the Lê dynasty. Beside it are two more, "Hàn Mặc Lưu Hương" and "Vật báu hồ trinh". Together the three lines sum up the spirit of the family and its legacy. Learning is passed down from one generation to the next. The craft of writing leaves a fragrance behind. And true worth is a treasure that never fades.

In the rear chamber, the space grows quieter and more solemn. It holds a shrine alcove, a throne and spirit tablets for the founding ancestor and the foster ancestor of the Lê family. It also holds three statues. One is of Lê Phú Thứ. Another shows Lê Quý Đôn himself. The third is of Lê Quý Kiệt.

In October 2025, the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference, held in Samarkand, adopted a resolution to join in marking 300 years since the birth of the cultural luminary Lê Quý Đôn. It is a notable event.

Every year, on the 12th day of the fourth lunar month, the people of Đồng Phú hamlet carry the incense of Cụ Bảng Đôn in procession to the village festival. The festival lasts three days, with offerings and rites, chess and folk games. On those days the monument is more than architecture and statues. It is community life, still alive.

Standing in this memorial, you are close to a man who took the trouble to set down the knowledge of his country and his age. He wrote it in ink on paper, so that later generations could read it and understand.