HCM CITY (VNS) — HCM City will celebrate the annual Lang Ong – Ba Chieu Festival to mark the death anniversary of General Le Van Duyet (1764-1832) at his temple in Binh Thanh District on Sunday (Sept. 13).

The festival, which falls on the first of the eighth lunar month, features several rituals and other activities that attract thousands of people.

Duyet, a Governor of the Gia Dinh Citadel in the 19th century (now HCM City), made great contributions to protecting and expanding the country's southern region. His decision to dig the Vinh Te Canal, one of the most important in the Mekong Delta, contributed to its development and that of HCM City.

The temple dedicated to him, also called Lang Ong – Ba Chieu Temple, was built in 1832 and is located on a 1.85ha site that is surrounded by trees. Besides his tomb and his wife's, the temple has a pre-chamber, a mid-chamber, a main chamber. It also has a stele that extols Duyet's services to the country. The architecture is similar to that of Hue's Ancient Citadel and many structures in the south.

Recognised as a national historical and cultural relic in 1989, the temple is also a place where people pray among other things for the safety and peace of the country, favourable weather, good crops and happiness. — VNS