Vo Tanh

Võ Tánh was a national hero of the 18th century who raised an army with his mother’s money, and fought on the side of Nguyen Anh when war was raging between the Nguyen dynasty and the Tay Son. He was extremely successful until 1799 when he was attacked at Qui Nhon.

He held out against a superior force for two years while hoping for reinforcements from the south. None came and Vo Tanh decided to write to the Tay Son general asking him to spare his troops.

After that, he put on his state dress uniform and assembled his troops around a stake which he had erected in the center of the fort. He told the troops that he had failed in his mission of defending the town, and wished to die at the stake rather than let the enemy see his face. He personally ignited the gunpowder beneath the stake. After his death, Vo Tanh was made a duke by the Emperor Minh Mang and a tomb was built for him in Gia Dinh province.