On Tuesday, an event to celebrate the 186^th death anniversary of the talented Vietnamese general Nguyen Van Thoai, also known as Thoai Ngoc Hau, took place in Son Tra District’s An Hai Tay Ward.   The event was attended by municipal People’s Committee Vice Chairman Dang Viet Dung, the leaders of An Giang Province which was considered the general’s second home, and a large number of residents from the ward.

The event featured solemn rituals including incense offerings to commemorate the ancestors and heroes for their significant contributions to their homeland.  

Local pupils beside the statute of the General Thoai Ngoc Hau ( Photo: nhandan.com.vn)

Thoai Ngoc Hau was born on 26 November 1761 in An Hai Village, Dien Ban District, Quang Nam Province (now called An Hai Tay Ward, Son Tra District, Da Nang).  He was one of the meritorious officials in the reign of Emperor Gia Long of the Nguyen Dynasty.  The general became actively involved in founding new villages and building canals and embankments in the southern region.  He himself founded An Giang Province’s Thoai Son Village and directed the digging of the Thoai Ha and Vinh Te canals in the province, which assisted the trading activities of the residents.

Thoai Ngoc Hau visited his hometown in An Hai Village in 1827, 2 years before his death.  During his stay in the village, he directed the construction of the Ha Than market and appealed for donations from the general public to restore worshipping houses for ancestors.