Lê Văn Duyệt (1763–1831) was a Vietnamese general who helped Nguyễn Ánh put down the Tây Sơn rebellion and unify Vietnam.

[1] Born into a family of peasants nearby Tiền Giang, Duyet joined prince Nguyễn Ánh's side in fighting the Tây Sơn rebellion.

[2] 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.

[5] After the establishment of the colony of Cochinchina, Duyet was continuously venerated in spite of the French policies of dismantling the Vietnamese imperial system and its ritual customs.

After the fall of Saigon in 1975, Duyệt was disliked by the current government because of his role in the expansion of French influence in Vietnam and his tomb got dilapidated because of the lack of state maintenance.

[7][8] This attitude remained unchanged until the year 2008, when the current government had Duyệt's tomb renovated and let a play portraying the life of Duyet be performed publicly.