Lý Long Tường

Lý Long Tường (1174–?) was a prince of the Ly Dynasty of Dai Viet (in modern-day Vietnam) and later became Lee of Hwasan, a general of Korea. He is an ancestor of one branch of the Lee (or Rhee) family today in both South and North Korea.

Tuong was born in 1174, the seventh son of Emperor Ly Anh Tong (who reigned from 1138–1175) and his consort Le My Nga. He was appointed the Great National Tutor.

In 1225, Tran Thu Do overthrew the Ly Dynasty by introducing his nephew Tran Canh to the imperial court to serve the incumbent Empress Ly Chieu Hoang, he then orchestrated a political marriage between Tran Canh and Ly Chieu Hoang and thereafter forced Ly Chieu Hoang to abdicate in favour of her husband Tran Canh. This marked the end of the Ly Dynasty and the beginning of the Tran Dynasty. With the Tran family having just gained the throne, Tran Thu Do ordered the massacre of the Ly family members and forced all of its descendants to change their surname to Nguyen, and sent them to the northern mountainous areas.

Life in exile
In 1226, (Kien Trung's year of the Second Tran Dynasty of Thai Tong), in order to avoid further bloodshed by the Tran family, Ly Long Tuong, together with 6000 mandarins and servants departed from the Than Phu (now Thanh Hoa Province) estuary and fled to the South China Sea in three large ships. They carried relics with them, including the imperial crown, imperial costumes, and the heaven imperial sword (Thượng phương bảo kiếm). After a month on the high seas, they were forced to land in Taiwan due to a typhoon. When Ly Long Tuong decided to leave, his son Ly Long Hien was severely ill and had to stay in Taiwan together with 200 mandarins, followers and servants. Ly Long Tuong continued northwards to Ongjin County and then on to Haeju, Hwanghae in the Yellow Sea. Legend has it that the Korean king Kojong of the Goryeo Dynasty (1192–1259) had dreamt of a grand phoenix flying from the south and landing in his nation. Therefore, he ordered the local government of Hae-ju to give the Vietnamese royal refugees a red-carpeted welcome and allow them to live in a manor in his country.

Tuong and his companions started their culture of fishing and breeding. He also opened a school for literature (poetry, rhythmical prose and worship rituals) and a school to teach martial arts - the art of war. Thousands of local students joined his two schools.

Defeat of the Mongol invaders
In 1232, an army of the Mongol Empire led by General Sartai launched an attack on Korea by both sea and land. The troops, using the waterways, attacked Hwang-hae but were defeated by the army and the local inhabitants led by Ly Long Tuong. Ly Long Tuong always rode a white horse and as a result, was dubbed the "White Horse General."

In 1253, The Mongol army led by the great Khan Mongca launched a second attack on Korea. The Yuan-Mongol army, led by Tang Ji, attacked Hwang-hae overland and by using the waterways. Ly Long Tuong, although by then over 70 years old, led the army and the local inhabitants to victory after a five-month campaign. As a result of this important triumph, the Korean king renamed Chen-san Hwa-san (花山) and appointed Ly Long Tuong Hwa-san a General. The location of the Mongol army surrender was called the Gate of Surrender Acceptance (Su-hang-mun). The Korean king also had a pillar erected here to honour Ly Long Tuong. (The pillar can still be seen today).

When Ly Long Tuong died, he was buried at the foot of Mount Di A near Panmunjeom (板門店). The mountain peak (Kwang-dea) where Ly Long Tuong always sat to look southwards and cried is now called the "Peak of Nostalgia".

Descendants in Korea
Today, there are some 1500 households in North Korea and 600 in South Korea with connections to Ly Long Tuong. A descendant of Ly Long Tuong, Lee Chang Kun (Ly Xuong Can), the director of Golden Bridge Finance Group visits Ly's temple in Dinh Bang village in Bac Ninh Province every year with his family living and sends money to help in the reconstruction of the temple. He has also invested in local projects and together with this family took up Vietnamese citizenship in 2010. His son born in 1997 was named Ly Viet Quoc. At the end of 1995, a report on Ly Long Tuong was broadcast by South Korean TV channel KBS.