Vietnam commemorates 300th anniversary of scholar Lê Quý Đôn

On 31 July 2024, Vietnam marked the 300th anniversary of Lê Quý Đôn (1726‑2026) at the Lê Quý Đôn memorial site in Lê Quý Đôn commune, Hưng Yên province. Around 30,000 delegates, citizens and visitors attended, including senior officials such as Vice‑Prime Minister Phạm Gia Túc, Party leaders Nguyễn Duy Ngọc and Trịnh Văn Quyết, and UNESCO representative Jonathan Wallace Baker, who presented a UNESCO resolution honoring the cultural figure.

Speeches highlighted Lê Quý Đôn’s lasting contributions to history, geography, philosophy, literature, education, economics, agriculture and diplomacy, and called for systematic research, collection, translation, publication and digitisation of his works. Phạm Gia Túc urged the creation of a unified digital database to make the scholar’s legacy accessible to teachers, students and researchers, and advocated stronger international cooperation under UNESCO.

A cultural program titled “Rạng rỡ Văn hiến Việt Nam” combined orchestral music, contemporary dance, modern graphics and traditional arts to celebrate the scholar’s spirit of learning and public service, reinforcing national pride and the tradition of scholarly pursuit.