President Nguyen Xuan Phuc received Ly Xuong Can.

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc received Ly Xuong Can (Lee Chan Kun), the 31st descendant of King Ly Thai To and also Vietnam's Tourism Ambassador to the Republic of Korea at the Presidential Palace on the afternoon of Nov. 17.

According to the VNA, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc was pleased to meet Ly Xuong Can again and highly appreciate Ly family's successes in business activities in Vietnam.

The president addressed the important contributions of the two Ly families to promoting the friendship between the two peoples of Vietnam and South Korea. He hoped that Ly Xuong Can continue to make efforts to further promote the friendship between the two peoples.

Ly Xuong Can expressed his honor to be received by the president. He sends his sincere thanks to the relevant agencies of Vietnam for facilitating him and his family to adopt Vietnamese nationality.

Referring to tourism cooperation between the two countries, Ly Xuong Can said that he would spend more efforts to act as a bridge to introduce more South Korean tourists to Vietnam, and vice versa, in the coming time.

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc took a photo with Ly Xuong Can.

The president highly appreciated Ly Xuong Can's contribution as Vietnam's Tourism Ambassador to the Republic of Korea. Ly Xuong Can has contributed to bringing more than four million South Korean tourists to Vietnam before the pandemic.

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc hoped that after the pandemic, the number of tourists to Vietnam will reach 5 million, and more South Korean investors would come to Vietnam.

He affirmed that the Party, State, and People of Vietnam welcomed the two Ly family members in South Korea and were willing to support them to invest and do business in Vietnam.

The party and state of Vietnam support and promote activities to nurture friendship, enhance understanding and trust between the two peoples, especially boosting South Korean people's understanding of Vietnamese culture and history through stories about royal uncle Ly Long Tuong and prince Ly Duong Con who came to Goryeo nearly 1,000 years ago.

Emphasizing that South Korea is a comprehensive strategic partner of Vietnam in all fields, from investment, culture, to tourism. The president wished that the 31st generation descendant of King Ly Thai To would continue to contribute to the relations between the Vietnamese and South Korean.

He also assigned the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other units to support Ly Xuong Can in tourism and investment in Vietnam.

Who is Ly Xuong Can? Ly Xuong Can is the 31st generation descendant of Vietnamese king Ly Thai To and the 26th descendant of Ly Long Tuong, a Ly relative who fleed to South Korea at the end of Ly Dynasty. Statue of King Ly Thai To (Photo: Vista) King Ly Thai To was crowned in the context of a serious political and socio-economic crisis and the threat of invasion from the Chinese Song dynasty. He was determined to end the political crisis that lasted through several reigns and bring stability to his kingdom. His first decision as king was to move the capital from Hoa Lu (Ninh Binh) to Dai La (Hanoi now). Hoa Lu was chosen by King Dinh Tien Hoang (924-979) as the seat of his court to suit the needs of defending the nation in the early days after the civil wars. In 1010, Dai La officially became the new capital. After moving the capital and renaming it Thang Long, Ly Thai To ordered to build a citadel to protect the city. Since then, Thang Long has become the political, economic, and cultural center of the country. King Ly Thai To also implemented a series of comprehensive reforms. The king’s efforts were paid off with a thriving economy, creating abundant and strong resources for the country, according to VOV. Ly Long Tuong is the prince of Ly Anh Tong, the sixth king of the Ly Dynasty. Due to the fall of Ly Dynasty, he left Thang Long to protect his family and ancestral altars. After months of sailing, the prince reached Goryeo. According to folk, the king of Goryeo had previously dreamt of a giant bird flying into his land, therefore, he sent staff to welcome Ly Long Tuong. While settling in Goryeo, prince Ly Long Tuong and his soldiers opened classes to teach literature and martial arts. As Goryeo was invaded by Mongol, Ly Long Tuong, despite his age of 80, joined the battle to protect the land. He was granted title and land by the king of Goryeo. Ly Xuong Can said he was told stories of Vietnamese ancestors from a young age. After his uncle Ly Huan died, Can took over Huan's collection of documents relating to the Ly family and decided to visit Vietnam in 1992, trying to reach his relatives. Ly Xuong Can came to the Ly's ancestor altar in Bac Ninh in 1993. His family moved to Vietnam in 2000 and received Vietnamese nationality in 2010. Ly Xuong Can holds the position of head of Vietly company's board of directors. He was Vietnam's Tourism Ambassador to the Republic of Korea from 2018 to 2020. Ly Xuong Can (Photo: Bao Phap Luat)

President: APEC Should Continue to Be Driving Force of Global Economy The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum needs to continue affirming its role as a driving force of the global economy, a hub of innovative ideas, ...

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc Looks For Continued Support From US in Pandemic Fight The Vietnamese State leader noted his appreciation for the efforts of the Biden administration to augment cooperation with countries to help them contain Covid-19 and ...

Leaders Pledge Optimal Conditions for Businesses to Operate Normally The Government will soon issue temporary guidance on safe, flexible adaptation, and effective Covid-19 control measures to create favourable conditions for businesses to operate normally.