The tombs of Minister Le Quang Dinh and his wife are located next to each other in Ngu Tay.

On the morning of Sunday, June 30, at Ngu Tay cemetery (An Tay ward, Hue city) on the left side of Thuyen Ton pagoda, a ceremony to thank the tomb took place. The ceremony was simple and plain like that of many other common families. But the person sleeping under that tomb was not an ordinary person, but the Minister Le Quang Dinh and his wife, Mrs. Hoang. His and her tombs were independent, lying parallel to each other for more than two hundred years, and for a very long time it seemed to be lost. Fortunately, in recent years, by chance, they were discovered and informed. The descendants of the old man and benefactors joined forces to restore them to their original state. And on that day, the ceremony was completed, "thanking the Earth for its grace", respectfully informing the souls of the old man and his wife.

The ceremony was simple, without any announcement or invitation, but when we accidentally heard the news and came to worship, we occasionally saw a few journalists, researchers, and people from Tien Non village (Phu Mau, Phu Vang, now Hue City) - the hometown of Mr. Thuong Le - also coming to offer incense with respect, gratitude, and joy.

The tomb was in ruins before it was found.

So who was Le Quang Dinh that made posterity admire him so much? Le Quang Dinh (1759-1813), whose courtesy name was Tri Chi, and his pen name was Tan Trai. When he was young, he followed his older brother to Gia Dinh to live and study with Vo Truong Toan. He passed his exams very early (1788), and was talented in literature, poetry, and painting... Together with Trinh Hoai Duc (1765-1825) and Ngo Nhan Tinh (1761-1813), he was praised by the world as the "Gia Dinh Tam Gia" of the ancient Gia Dinh land. His achievements, not to mention his career path with high positions and important positions, just being the author of the book "Hoang Viet Nhat Thong Du Dia Chi" is enough to leave his name forever.

“Hoang Viet Nhat Thong Du Dia Chi” is considered the first geography book of the Nguyen Dynasty. Teacher Phan Dang, who translated and annotated “Hoang Viet Nhat Thong Du Dia Chi” (the only work awarded the A prize in the 5th National Book Award - 2022), commented: “The book is both an official document to affirm the country's territory and clearly shows the independence and culture of a self-reliant nation in the early 19th century. Looking at the majestic form, rich and serious content of the book, one can see the determination and strategic and correct ideological awareness of King Gia Long; the intelligence and effort of author Le Quang Dinh... The vast territory from South to North recorded in it is a manifestation of the power of Vietnam in the early 19th century”.

(Elaborate book series by Minister Le Quang Dinh; Phan Dang; Nguoi Lao Dong October 5, 2022).

The tomb of Mr. Thuong, Le family, seen from the outside; the ancient stele of both him and her is fortunately still intact, the words are still legible.

After many years of being lost, some people even believed that he was not buried in Hue but might have been brought back to the South, where he established his career, famous with the "Gia Dinh Tam Gia". Unexpectedly, he and his wife were still there, sleeping peacefully for two hundred years with the sound of pine trees and the wind of the mountain, with the ancient temple bells in Thien Thai. Now, descendants and future generations have the good fortune to discover that, although they are in ruins, although they are covered by grass and trees, the physical traces and stone steles are still there. Then, in the happiness of "reunion", with a sincere heart, the two tombs have been repaired and restored to be as bright and intact as they were in the past. They may not be relics or tourist attractions, but they will certainly be the "destination" for those who love history and culture, those who are filled with gratitude for their ancestors who have contributed to the country.

Dien Thong