Nguyễn Hữu Cảnh
Nguyễn Hữu Cảnh (chữ Hán: 阮有鏡, 1650–1700), also known as Nguyễn Hữu Kính and his noble rank Lễ Thành Hầu, was a high-ranking general of Lord Nguyễn Phúc Chu. His military expeditions into the Mekong Delta placed the region firmly under Vietnamese administrative control. Considered to be the most famous military general during the time of Vietnam's southward expansion (Nam tiến), Nguyễn Hữu Cảnh founded the city of Saigon in 1698. His establishment of Saigon and military forts in and around the Mekong Delta served as the foundation for later military expeditions by the Vietnamese imperial court in its quest to expand its southern territory. In Vietnam, Nguyễn Hữu Cảnh is widely beloved and revered by the Vietnamese as a national hero with various shrines (miếu) and communal houses (đình) dedicated to him.
Marquess Lễ Thành Nguyễn Hữu Cảnh | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Nguyễn Hữu Kính |
| Born | 1650 Quảng Ninh District, Quảng Bình Province, Đại Việt |
| Died | 1700 (aged 49–50) Rạch Gầm, Mỹ Tho, Đại Việt |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | Nguyễn lords |
| Battles/wars | Battle of Phan Rang (1693) A Ban's revolt (1694) Capture of Saigon (1698) Battle of An Giang (1699) Battle of Rạch Giá (1699) Battle of Kampot (1700) Capture of Phnom Penh (1700) |
| Awards | Founder of Saigon-Gia Định |
| Relations | Nguyễn Hữu Dật (father) Nguyễn Thị Thiện (mother) Nguyễn Hữu Hào (elder brother) |