Lady Phi Yến, whose real name was Lê Thị Răm, was a concubine of Lord Nguyễn Ánh. Her memorial festival is held annually on the 18th day of the 10th lunar month at An Sơn Shrine in Côn Đảo.
According to historical records, in 1783 (Year of the Water Cat), Lord Nguyễn Ánh, pursued by the Tây Sơn forces, fled with his family to the Côn Lôn archipelago (present-day Côn Đảo District). Unable to withstand the Tây Sơn army, Nguyễn Ánh intended to hand over his young son, Prince Hội An (birth name: Prince Cải), to the French missionary Pigneau de Béhaine as a hostage in exchange for French military support.
Prince Cải’s mother, Lady Phi Yến, advised him not to rely on foreign powers, fearing future consequences. Suspicious that she was secretly collaborating with the Tây Sơn, Nguyễn Ánh grew furious and ordered her execution. Thanks to the intervention of his court officials, she escaped beheading but was imprisoned in a cave on a deserted island southwest of the archipelago—later named Hòn Bà Island.
When Nguyễn Ánh learned that Tây Sơn forces were preparing to attack Côn Lôn, he fled again by sea, leaving Phi Yến and her attendants behind. Their son, Prince Cải—only five years old—cried and begged to stay with his mother. Unable to calm him, Nguyễn Ánh threw the child into the sea. His body washed ashore at Cỏ Ống Village, where villagers recovered, buried him, and built a shrine in his memory.
Legend has it that while imprisoned in the cave, Lady Phi Yến was cared for by a white gibbon that brought her fruit and stream water, and later rescued by a black tiger, which carried her back to Cỏ Ống Village near her son’s grave. She remained there to tend his resting place. This is the origin of the folk verse:
“The wind carries the cải plant back to heaven,
While rau răm remains to endure sorrow and hardship.”
Later, when An Hải villagers held a ceremonial feast, they invited Lady Phi Yến to attend. That night, Biện Thi—the butcher—attempted to assault her. As he touched her arm, she cried out for help. To preserve her honor, she severed her own arm and took her own life.
Moved by her chastity and loyalty, the villagers of An Hải built An Sơn Shrine to honor her. Despite the many vicissitudes of history, the shrine has remained in its original location and retains its traditional appearance. Its yin–yang tiled roof rests beneath a canopy of shade trees, surrounded by lush greenery. On full-moon days, locals and seafarers visit the shrine to offer incense and pray for peace and good fortune.
To commemorate this virtuous woman, the former villagers of An Hải and today’s Côn Đảo residents host the Phi Yến Memorial Festival every year. During the festival, the ancestral tablet of Prince Cải is ceremonially carried from the Miếu Cậu Shrine in Cỏ Ống to An Sơn Shrine for reunion with his mother.
Each year on the 17th and 18th days of the 10th lunar month, thousands of locals and visitors gather at An Sơn Shrine to take part in the festival.
Ceremonial Activities
In the solemn rhythm of ceremonial music, representatives from Côn Đảo’s residential communities—dressed in traditional attire—offer local specialties such as incense, flowers, fruit, sticky rice, and sweet desserts. The officiant then reads the prayer text, expressing wishes for national peace, favorable weather, prosperous lives, and community well-being.
Festive Activities
The festival also includes cultural performances, sports activities, folk games, and traditional music, including đờn ca tài tử. A highlight is the theatrical reenactment of the life, hardships, and virtue of Lady Phi Yến.
Over the years, the Phi Yến Memorial Festival has become a cherished traditional event, solemnly organized by the Party Committee, local authorities, and the people of Côn Đảo at An Sơn Shrine. The festival preserves and promotes the spiritual and cultural values of the people of Côn Đảo and the Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu Province.
