Last living imperial maid of Vietnam’s feudalism era dies at 102
Tuesday, February 23, 2021, 16:59 GMT+7
Le Thi Dinh, the last concubine of the Nguyen imperial dynasty in Vietnam, has passed away at the age of 102.
Her death was confirmed by culture expert Trinh Bach on Monday.
Dinh was the maternal grandchild of Kien Quan Cong (Duke Kien), the youngest sibling of several Nguyen emperors, including Dong Khanh, Kien Phuc, and Ham Nghi, which made him the youngest cousin of Dong Khanh’s son, Emperor Khai Dinh.
She was sent to the Nguyen Dynasty court in central Hue City from an early age as a servant for Empress Dowager Tu Cung, Emperor Bao Dai’s mother.
After the success of the August Revolution in 1945, which abolished the reign of feudalism in Vietnam, Dinh followed Tu Cung to serve her at An Dinh Palace on modern-time Hue City’s Phan Dinh Phung Street.
After the death of Tu Cung in 1980, Dinh moved to Kien Thai Vuong Temple in Hue along with her sons to take charge of altar maintenance for Emperors Dong Khanh, Kien Phuc, Ham Nghi, Khai Dinh, and Bao Dai.
Dinh was considered the last living imperial maid of the Nguyen Dynasty, who was also the last surviving eyewitness to the artisan crafting process, among other procedures in the Vietnamese imperial court.
Vo Le Nhat, director of the Hue Royal Vestiges Preservation Center, said the agency will help cremate Dinh’s body upon her family's request.
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