Death of Ly Thanh Tong, Builder of Dai Viet

February 1072

Emperor Ly Thanh Tong died in February, leaving behind a Vietnam transformed: renamed, culturally enriched, territorially expanded, and furnished with the Temple of Literature that would educate mandarins for centuries. His son Ly Nhan Tong, only seven years old, inherited a state strong enough to survive a regency - and soon, strong enough to fight the Song dynasty itself to a standstill on the northern frontier.