(chữ Hán: (; 2 August 1726 â 11 June 1784), , on his pen name is Doãn HáºÂu , and Quế ÃÂðá»Âng was an 18th-century Vietnamese poet, encyclopedist, and government official. His pseudonym was Quế - ÃÂðá»Âng. He was a native of Duyen Ha village in present-day Thái Bình Province. He is considered one of the most outstanding and prolific Vietnamese polymaths of the early modern period.
Lê was born in the province of Thái Bình, and lived in the reign of Emperor Lê Hiá»Ân Tông. The period of his life was marked by a split between the Trá»Ânh lords of the north and the Nguyá» n 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 Trá»Ânh lords' bureaucracy, Lê Quý ÃÂôn was supposed to help restore civil government in a region of Viet Nam that had been separate from the Trá»Ânh lords' control for over two centuries, and facilitate the reincorporation of the southern territories, particularly those controlled by the Nguyá» n lords, into the authority of the Trá»Ânh-led northern government.
In 1760, Lê Quý ÃÂôn went to China as an ambassador. He later served as a government official in the ministries of war, finance and public works. He also served as the rector of the National University situated in the VÃÂn Miếu in Hanoi and as Director of the Bureau of Annals. It is said that Lê was traveling with some Qing officials, and along the way they saw a Chinese poem inscribed on a stone palette. Later, one of the Qing officials, to test his merit, asked him if he could remember what was on the stone palette. Lê recited the entire poem, word for word, in Chinese. That earned him a great deal of respect from the Chinese.
Lê Quý ÃÂôn was responsible for a large number of encyclopedic, historical, bibliographical, and philosophical works. It is estimated that he has the largest volume of works among Vietnamese literature using Chinese characters (about 40 series with hundreds of volumes).
Today, one of largest technical universities in Hanoi, Le Quy Don Technical University (LeTech), and many schools in Vietnam are named after him. Most cities in Vietnam have named major streets after him.
is the first high school to be established in Saigon, Vietnam. The school was built in 1874 and it has been fostering generation of students up until this day. Despite being over a century old, Le Quy Don High School has still maintained most of its original architecture. The school's location in central Saigon makes it one of the most popular spots for filming.
Finally, "Lê Quý ÃÂônâ³ is also the name of a new Vietnamese sail training ship, built in 2015 by the Polish ship yard Marine Projects Ltd. on behalf of Polish Defence Holding in Gdynia. Some of its data: overall length: 65.0 m, breadth: 10.0 m, air draft: 42.0 m, sails area: 1395 m<sup>2</sup>, propulsion: 880 kW, crew and cadets: 30 + 80 persons.
A renowned anecdote illustrates the precocious genius of young Lê Quý ÃÂôn. Scholar Và © Công Trấn, upon visiting fellow graduate Lê Trá»Âng Thứ (formerly Lê Phú Thứ), tested the boy with the poem title Rắn ÃÂầu biếng há»Âc ("Stubborn-headed snake, indolent in study" â a metaphorical rebuke for obstinacy and laziness in learning).
In mere moments, Lê Quý ÃÂôn composed an exquisite poem in the classical thất ngôn bát cú form, ingeniously embedding **the name of a distinct snake species into each line** as subtle self-deprecating wit, while perfectly adhering to rhyme, tone, and structure:
No lowly water snake, yet true to noble lineage!
Stubborn snake-head, indolent in studyâÂÂno leniency shall be shown.
Shamed beneath the lamp, coral snake dreads the flameâÂÂmother's heart in anguish.
Shouts today, golden-banded roars tomorrowâÂÂfather's throat grows hoarse from constant reprimand.
Rat snake's tongue versed only in deceit and insolence.
Whip snake's back bears the lash's cruel stripes without complaint.
Henceforth, buffalo snake of Zou and Lu vows diligent pursuit of learning.
Lest cobra carry disgrace upon the family's honored name!
The poem masterfully turns paternal admonition ("rắn ÃÂầu" â hard-headed laziness) into profound humility and promise of redemption. Each line integrates a snake reference (liu ÃÂiu = water snake, rắn ÃÂầu = stubborn snake-head, há» lá»Âa = coral/tiger-fire snake, mai gầm = golden-banded/roaring snake, ráo = rat snake, lằn = whip/striped snake, trâu = buffalo snake/há» trâu, há» mang = cobra), weaving reptilian imagery with themes of indolence, parental sorrow, deserved punishment, and vowed scholarly diligence. This demonstrates Lê Quý ÃÂôn's extraordinary talent even in childhoodâÂÂtransforming rebuke into elegant verse of self-reflection and filial piety.
Under the 2025 Vietnam Provincial and City Merger Program, Thái Bình province was merged into Hðng Yên province. It is planned that 3 communes of Hðng Hàincluding Minh Tân, ÃÂá»Âc LáºÂp, and Há»Âng An will be merged into Lê Quý ÃÂôn commune. The headquarters of the commune People's Committee will be located in the former ÃÂá»Âc LáºÂp commune, the hometown of Lê Quý ÃÂôn.
The name Lê Quý ÃÂôn has been used to name many schools throughout Vietnam, such as:
His name is also used for a sail training ship of the Vietnam People's Navy: the ship HQ-286 Lê Quý ÃÂôn.