Emperor Quang Trung street is approved

A STREET will now be named after Emperor Quang Trung, the Garden Grove City Council decided on Tuesday (Wikipedia photo).

By Jim Tortolano

The renaming of a street after an 18th century Vietnamese monarch was approved by the Garden Grove City Council on Tuesday night. Business Center Parkway off Euclid Street will become Emperor Quang Trung.

During public comments, four people spoke on the proposal, two for and two against. The council’s approval was unanimous, with all seven members in favor.

Councilmember Phat Bui, who brought the matter to the council, said “The younger generation has been inspired by this person,” and called him “an inspiration for the future.”

Trung, also known as Nguyen Van Hue, was the second emperor of the Tay Son Dynasty in what is now Vietnam, having overthrown the previous dynasty.

He was a successful military commander defeating armies from Siam (today’s Thailand) and China. Instituting reforms and religious tolerance, he was popular for advocating the interests of the peasants. He died at the age of 40 in 1792. Trung/Hue is considered a hero to many Vietnamese, although some historians claim he was ruthless in fighting his enemies, including mass killings of an opposing clan.

The cost of renaming the street – about $1000 – will be born by the Quang Trung Statue Committee, which is also erecting a statue of Trung at the northwest corner of Euclid and Business Center in a primarily Vietnamese business area.
Also the council approved on a 7-0 vote the second and final reading of an ordinance placing restrictions on the parking of recreational vehicles on public streets. It will go into effect in 30 days.