During his reign as king, there were many unique highlights that set him apart in history. Emperor Ly Anh Tong, who ascended to the throne at the age of 2, was the first king in Vietnamese history to travel on the East Sea, and he built an important international trading port for the country. Ly Anh Tong is considered a good king in historical books, caring for the country and its people, worthy of the title “Anh Tong” (enlightened descendant) of the dynasty.
Ly Anh – a good king, caring for the country and its people
Ly Anh Tong, whose real name is Ly Thien To, was born in the Binh Thin month of the year 1136. He was the eldest son of Ly Than Tong and his mother was Queen Cam Thanh – a descendant of King Le Dai Hanh. He ascended to the throne at the age of 2 on October 1, Mau Ngo year (1138), and reigned as emperor until July, At Mui year (1175), a total of 37 years on the throne.
Ly Anh Tong inherited the throne as a child. During his reign, Ly Anh Tong was very concerned about nation-building and defending the country, especially focusing on safeguarding the seas and islands.
“Dai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu” records that in November, Tan Ty year (1161), the king instructed General To Hien Thanh to “send 20,000 troops to patrol the coastal areas of the Southwest region to keep the border tranquil”. Then, in Tan Mao year (1171), “the king personally went on a trip to the islands outside the sea, surveyed the mountains and rivers, and wanted to know the suffering of the people and the distance of the journey”.
In February, Nham Thin year (1172), “the king went on another trip to the islands outside the sea in the border areas of the North and the South, drew maps, recorded geographical features, and then returned”. Through these trips, King Ly Anh Tong compiled a book called “Nam Bac Phien Gioi De”. Unfortunately, this book is now lost. The “Kham Dinh Viet Su Thong Giam Cuong Muc” compiled during the Nguyen Dynasty also mentioned this.
Although information about Ly Anh Tong’s sea voyages is not detailed or specific, it can be seen that he was the first king of Vietnam who not only paid attention to safeguarding the land borders but also focused on the sea and islands. Historical books evaluated his actions as “praiseworthy in terms of protecting the people and the country” (Dai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu).
To protect the coastal areas, the king ordered the construction of multiple ships of different sizes, strengthened the naval forces, and regularly trained the soldiers. Specifically, in 1151, he had two ships named Vĩnh Diệu and Thanh Lan built; in 1154, he had the Vĩnh Chương ship built; in 1167, the Nhật Long ship was built; in 1173, the Ngoạn Thủy ship was built.
There is not much information about the navy of the Ly Dynasty, but what is left in some ancient documents is enough to confirm that although the naval forces of the Ly Dynasty were not numerous, they were highly skilled in naval combat. The book “Dai Nam Quoc Su Dien Ca” has a passage: “The Thanh Nam fortress opens its training grounds/The palace horses are skillful and extraordinary/Famous names reach the border line/In Chiêm Thành and Ngưu Hống, everything is peaceful”.
The important trading port of Van Don was also established during the reign of King Ly Anh Tong in the 10th year of Dai Dinh (1149). Since then, Van Don has become an important international trading port of the country with a system of docks, checkpoints for ships, cargo, tax collection, and defense bases. It can be said that King Ly Anh Tong’s voyages to the East Sea demonstrated the great strength of the Ly Dynasty’s naval forces and their art of mobility and tactical warfare. Moreover, it encouraged the Vietnamese navy in the activities of patrolling, monitoring, raising awareness, and responsibility in protecting the sacred sovereignty of the country’s territorial waters.
Ly Anh Tong adhered to the proper order of one Emperor, one Queen
Since he ascended to the throne at a very young age, Anh Tong could not make decisive decisions for the country, nor did he have the ability to decide on marriage. However, in his first year on the throne, according to Dai Viet Su Luoc, the emperor, who was not even 2 years old, established a palace and arranged a marriage with a little girl, crowning her as the Queen (Queen Chieu Linh).
What is noteworthy here is that even when he grew up, Ly Anh Tong still strictly adhered to the order of one Emperor, one Queen, rather than granting the title of Queen to anyone he fancied, as some previous emperors did. This is the first special characteristic of this emperor, but not everyone knows about it.
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