Tomb of Lê Văn Duyệt
Tomb of Lê Văn Duyệt (Lăng Tả quân Lê Văn Duyệt), also known as Tomb of the Marshal in Ba Chieu (Lăng Ông Bà Chiểu) is a Vietnamese tomb located in Bình Thạnh District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The tomb was originally built for Marshal Lê Văn Duyệt and his wife but later became some other Nguyễn dynasty's mandarins worship house. Lê Văn Duyệt (1763–1831) was a Vietnamese general who helped Nguyễn Ánh put down the Tây Sơn rebellion and unify Vietnam. Born into a family of peasants nearby Tiền Giang, Duyet joined prince Nguyễn Ánh's side in fighting the Tây Sơn rebellion. Because of Duyet's military ability, he quickly rose through the rank of Nguyễn army and became a marshal when the Tây Sơn-Nguyễn war ended. After the foundation of Nguyễn Dynasty, Duyet served as a high-ranking mandarin and, later, viceroy of southern part of Vietnam. His governance greatly stabilized and developed the south of Vietnam, turning it into a wealthy and peaceful region. In addition, Duyet opposed emperor Minh Mạng's succession and defended Christian missionaries and converts from the emperor's isolationalist and Confucian policies. On 3 July 1832, Lê Văn Duyệt died in the Citadel of Saigon at the age of 68. He was buried at Bình Hòa, Gia Định (present day Ho Chi Minh City). His tomb was called "Lăng Ông (ở) Bà Chiểu" (Tomb of the Marshal in Ba Chieu) by the local people. Duyet's death opened the way for Minh Mạng to apply his policies in the south, as the viceroy's successor would have lacked the influence to defy the emperor. The emperor also tried to reduce Duyet's followers’ political power by abolishing the post of viceroy and putting the south under his direct rule, thus making Duyet the last viceroy. Soon after Duyet's death, Minh Mạng's new appointees arrived and took over the local administration. The new officials then launched an investigation and reported that Duyet and his aides had engaged in corruption and abusive practices. As a result, Bạch Xuân Nguyên, who led the investigation, ordered the posthumous humiliation of Duyet.
