Attending the event were former State President Truong Tan Sang; Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports, Tran The Thuan; representatives of the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission of the municipal Party Committee; former leaders of Thu Duc City; religious organizations; and residents.
Attendees gathered to offer incense and pay tribute to Nguyen Huu Canh, a renowned army commander and an accomplished administrator. He is credited for expanding the country's territories to the south and laying the foundations for the city of Saigon—Ho Chi Minh City.
Delegates respectfully presented ceremonial offerings in tribute to the spirit of Marquis Nguyen Huu Canh. The ritual also honored the ancestors and pioneers who contributed to the expansion and protection of the nation’s territory.
Nguyen Huu Canh (1650-1700) was born in Phuc Tin Village, Quang Ninh District, in the central province of Quang Binh. He was the third son of Nguyen Huu Dat, who was one of the most esteemed founding figures in service of the Nguyen Lords at the time.
In 1698, Lord Nguyen Phuc Chu appointed Nguyen Huu Canh to the task of leading a military expedition to the South. His mission was to establish an administrative system, stabilize local settlements, and affirm the sovereignty of Dai Viet over the region that now comprises the Southern region, including Saigon-Ho Chi Minh City.
On the same day, a ceremony marking the 325th death anniversary of Marquis Nguyen Huu Canh was also held at the historical site featuring a temple worshipping Marquis Nguyen Huu Canh and his grave in Bien Hoa City, Dong Nai Province.
327 years ago, Commander Nguyen Huu Canh, under the orders of the Nguyen Lord, embarked on an expedition to the South. Going upstream along the Dong Nai River, he arrived at Cu Lao Pho, where he summoned local elders to issue directives for organizing civil life, compiling household registries, and establishing the Tran Bien garrison. This marked the beginning of the formal integration of the southern region into the administrative structure of Dang Trong (the Southern Realm).
Speaking at the ceremony, Vice Chairman of the Dong Nai Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Son Hung said that this year’s memorial festival holds special significance as it has been officially recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as an Intangible National Cultural Heritage.
He called on the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism to collaborate closely with local authorities and relevant agencies in the province to preserve and restore the festival’s original values in their entirety. Furthermore, he urged the preparation of a scientific dossier to advise the provincial People’s Committee in submitting to the Prime Minister for approval to recognize the festival as a Special National Heritage Site in the coming time.
