A free talk on one of the most dedicated kings in Vietnamese history, Tran Nhan Tong (1258-1308), will be held at L'Espace in Ha Noi at 2pm on August 2.
The address will be given by Professor Tran Ngoc Vuong from the Faculty of Arts at the Ha Noi-based University of Social Sciences and Humanities.
Tran Nhan Tong, whose given name was Tran Kham, was the third emperor of the Tran Dynasty. He reigned over Dai Viet (Great Viet) from 1278 to 1293.
He was confronted by threats from China in the first year of his reign. The Yuan (Mongol) dynasty of China, whose invading armies had been defeated in their first attempt at invasion in 1258, never gave up its desire to conquer its southernmost neighbour.
In 1278 Kublai Khan sent his top commanders to attack Dai Viet, as the realm was then known.
King Tran Nhan Tong, after preparing his defences with great speed, defeated the Yuan invaders in 1278 and again in 1288 – feats that are considered remarkable by students of warfare.
Professor Vuong said these accomplishments would not have been possible without the king's extraordinary ability to bring all the people together and to make use of the best talents in the service and defence of the nation.
A most outstanding aspect of Tran Nhan Tong's policies was his spirit of reconciliation and compassion. When the Mongol armies retreated in 1288, they left a trunk full of documents revealing the identities of those in Dai Viet who had collaborated with them.
Tran Nhan Tong, who had by then retired as the Father King, ordered the trunk to be burned unopened.
One of Tran Nhan Tong's greatest legacies was the founding of the Zen School of Truc Lam. It emphasises active involvement in daily life in combination with Zen meditation practices, a unique feature of East Asian Buddhism.
The talk will be given in Vietnamese.