Despite 100 years of colonization, the Vietnamese continue to hold a deep sense of gratitude for certain French citizens, particularly those who contribute to Vietnamese society and culture. These people are considered not only great men but also saints. This is the case for Alexandre Yersin and Victor Hugo. The former is one of only two French citizens, along with Pasteur, to have streets named after him in several Vietnamese cities
Yersin (1863-1943)
was in Vietnam in 1889 as a military doctor. He spent his entire life for researching medicinal plants. He settled in Dalat, a health resort in Vietnam. He was the one who introduced quinquina and rubber trees in Vietnam. His popularity in the Vietnamese community is largely due to his concern for the underprivileged and the poor among whom he shared his life in a thatched hut in a fishing zone. He died in 1943 and is buried in Suối Giào, southwest of Ðalat, where every March 1st, locals still come to offer incense sticks and fruit. There is even a high school named after him in Dalat. In Vietnam, everyone knows his name and cherishes his memory.
Livingston of Indochina
Alexandre de Rhodes (1593-1660 )
No one disputes what he did for Vietnamese writing in order to facilitate evangelization. Without this French Jesuit, it is difficult for Vietnam to free itself from the Chinese cultural influence. He established and perfected a first model of romanization by publishing in 1651 his « Dictionnarium annamiticum, lusitanum et latinum » (Tự Ðiển Việt-Bồ-La) based on elements provided by his Portuguese predecessors Gaspar de Amaral and Antonio de Barbosa. Thanks to Alexandre de Rhodes, the Vietnamese have a romanized script that they usually call « quốc-ngữ la tinh. »
Victor Hugo
Thanks to his literary works (Les Misérables) and his humanitarian philosophy, he is adored by the 7 million followers of Caodaism. « Les Misérables » is a thesis novel that addresses the problem of the relationship between human criminality and the social environment. There is a point where the unfortunate and the infamous mingle and merge into a single word: « Les Misérables. »
It is the fault of poverty, injustice, and social misunderstanding, opting for repression. There is always a chance to save hardened criminals through patience and love. This seems to be Victor Hugo’s response through the story of Jean Valjean.
Is it through this humanitarian thesis that Victor Hugo was consecrated by Caodaism in the image of its hero Jean Valjean?