Origins & Early Life

Lê Quý Đôn (chữ Hán: (黎貴惇; 2 August 1726 – 11 June 1784), né Lê Danh Phương, also known by his pen names Doãn Hậu 允厚, and Quế Đường 桂堂 was an 18th-century Vietnamese poet, encyclopedist, and government official. He was a native of Duyen Ha village in present-day Thái Bình Province. Alongside Lý Thường Kiệt, Trần Hưng Ðạo, Chu Văn An, and Lý Tế Xuyên, he is considered one of Vietnam's nationalist writers and a revered polymath of the early modern period for the "astuteness of his work and phenomenal productivity." Lê was born in the province of Thái Bình, and lived in the reign of Emperor Lê Hiển Tông. The period of his life was marked by a split between the Trịnh lords of the north and the Nguyễn lords, in the aftermath of an examination system scandal involving his son Lê Quý Kiêt (who was sent to prison for changing examination books), had been ordered south of the Linh Giang River to serve as an official ...As a member of the Trịnh lords' bureaucracy, Lê Quý Đôn was supposed to help restore civil government in a region of Viet Nam that had been separate from the Trịnh lords' control for over two centuries, and facilitate the reincorporation of the southern territories...

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Lê Quý Đôn (chữ Hán: (黎貴惇; 2 August 1726 – 11 June 1784), né Lê Danh Phương, also known by his pen names Doãn Hậu 允厚, and Quế Đường 桂堂 was an 18th-century Vietnamese poet, encyclopedist, and government official. He was a native of Duyen Ha village in present-day Thái Bình Province. Alongside Lý Thường Kiệt, Trần Hưng Ðạo, Chu Văn An, and Lý Tế Xuyên, he is considered one of Vietnam's nationalist writers and a revered polymath of the early modern period for the "astuteness of his work and phenomenal productivity." Lê was born in the province of Thái Bình, and lived in the reign of Emperor Lê Hiển Tông.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

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