Besides modern characteristics as the country’s biggest economic hub, HCMC also boasts of ancient historical, cultural and artistic values of the southern region, with the Tomb of Le Van Duyet or the Tomb of the Marshal in Ba Chieu being a typical example.
The relic site, located next to Ba Chieu Market in Binh Thanh District, was built for Marshal Le Van Duyet (1764-1832) and his wife—Do Thi Phan. Marshal Le Van Duyet was a high-ranking mandarin serving under the first two Nguyen emperors—Gia Long and Minh Mang.
The Tomb of the Marshal in Ba Chieu was built based on the design of architect Nguyen Van Tan in 1949 and used to be a symbol of Saigon and the south as a whole, together with Thien Mu Pagoda, which symbolized Hue and the central region, and Dien Huu Pagoda which symbolized Hanoi and the north.
The temple covers 18,500 square meters of land and is surrounded by fences. It has four gates on Le Van Duyet, Phan Dang Luu, Trinh Hoai Duc and Vu Tung streets.
On the last day of the seventh month and the first two days of the eighth month of the lunar year, the death ceremony of Marshal Le Van Duyet is held annually at the temple, attracting many HCMC residents, who pray for peace, health and love. The youth can also learn about the country’s history and a national hero during the ceremony.
