Offering incense in memory of celebrity Le Thanh Phuong

On February 25th (the 28th day of the first lunar month of the Year of the Snake), a solemn incense offering ceremony was held at the Le Thanh Phuong Temple, a national historical site (My Phu 1 village, An Hiep commune), Tuy An district, to commemorate the 138th anniversary of the passing of the renowned figure Le Thanh Phuong.

Comrade Cao Thi Hoa An, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairwoman of the Provincial People's Council; members of the Provincial Party Standing Committee; Comrade Nguyen Thai Hoc, Acting Secretary of the Lam Dong Provincial Party Committee; former provincial leaders, leaders of departments, agencies, organizations, localities, and people from all walks of life in the province came to offer incense, reminisce about the life and career, and express gratitude and remembrance of the meritorious scholar and distinguished figure Le Thanh Phuong to his homeland and country.

Born in 1825 in My Phu village, Xuan Vinh commune (now My Phu 1 hamlet, An Hiep commune, Tuy An district) into a family with a tradition of Confucian scholarship and deep patriotism, Le Thanh Phuong passed the baccalaureate examination at the age of 30 and opened a school in his hometown. In 1885, in response to King Ham Nghi's Royal Edict of Resistance, the patriotic scholar Le Thanh Phuong, along with a number of patriotic intellectuals and scholars in Phu Yen, rose up to gather forces and raised the banner of rebellion against the French colonial invaders.

On February 11, 1887, while on his way back to Tuy Hoa to prepare a plan for a general counter-offensive to retake the delta, Le Thanh Phuong fell into enemy hands. Despite the French colonialists' attempts at bribery, coercion, and torture, his unwavering resolve remained. Le Thanh Phuong defiantly declared to the enemy: "I would rather die than live in shame."

Excerpt about the renowned figure Le Thanh Phuong at the festival. Photo: THIEN LY

On February 20, 1887 (the 28th day of the first lunar month of the Year of the Pig), the French executed Le Thanh Phuong and several other resistance fighters at the Cay Dua ferry landing (in what is now An Dan commune, Tuy An district). Before his execution, Le Thanh Phuong calmly recited the poem "Final Pen" to express his profound patriotism, his resentment and hatred towards the foreign invaders and their traitors; and at the same time, to entrust his faith in future generations.

The uprising organized and led by the patriot Le Thanh Phuong clearly demonstrated the independent spirit, self-reliance, and indomitable courage of the people of Phu Yen. In 1996, the tomb and temple of the renowned figure Le Thanh Phuong were recognized as a national historical relic. Every year, on the 28th day of the first lunar month, people come to light incense and commemorate him.

Martial arts performance at the Le Thanh Phuong festival. Photo: THIEN LY

On the same day, the Le Thanh Phuong festival also took place with many cultural and sporting activities and folk games, attracting a large number of local people and tourists.

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