Bao Dai

B?o ??i (??) (October 22, 1913 – July 30, 1997) was the last Emperor of Vietnam, the 13th and last Emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty.

Life in Exile

In 1972, Bao Dai issued a public statement in France, and appealed to the Vietnamese people for national reconciliation, stating "The time has come to put an end to the fratricidal war and to recover at last peace and accord".

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Bao Dai still held great influence among political figures in the Quang Tri and Thua Thien Provinces and also in the city of Hue, the ancient capital of Vietnam. The Communist government of North Vietnam sent representatives to France hoping that Bao Dai would become a member of a coalition government to re-unite Vietnam, which would also attract his supporters in the regions where he has influence.

Related Topics:
Quang Tri - Thua Thien - Hue - North Vietnam

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As a result of the meetings conducted, Bao Dai publicly spoke out against the presence of American troops on the territory of South Vietnam, and he also criticized President Nguyen Van Thieu's regime in South Vietnam. He called for all political factions to create a free, neutral, peace-loving government that would resolve the tense situation that had taken form in the country.

Related Topics:
Nguyen Van Thieu - South Vietnam

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In 1982, Emperor Bao Dai and Princess Monique Vinh Thuy along with other members of the Vietnamese Imperial Family visited the United States. His agenda was to oversee and bless Buddhist religious ceremonies, in the Califonia and Texas Vietnamese-American communities.

Related Topics:
1982 - Monique Vinh Thuy - Buddhist - Vietnamese-American

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While in the United States, Emperor Bao Dai gauged opinion among the exiled Vietnamese-American community, hoping to find a route towards national reconciliation.

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Bao Dai converted to Catholicism before he died at a military hospital in Paris in 1997 and was interred in the Cimetière de Passy, Paris. After his death, his eldest son Bao Long inherited the position of head of the Nguyen Dynasty.

Related Topics:
Paris - 1997 - Cimetière de Passy - Bao Long - Nguyen Dynasty

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