His most notable works include research into the history of the feudal system in Vietnam, the Lam Son Uprising against the Ming Chinese rule, land ownership and agriculture in the 15th century and the Tay Son Peasant Movement.
He is also known for his works on the history of Hanoi and Vietnamese cultural values.
He had been working as chief editor of a new national history of Vietnam consisting of 30 volumes expected to be completed in 2019.
Professor Phan Huy Le was born in 1934 in the central province of Ha Tinh into a family with a strong scholarly tradition.
He began his teaching career at the History Faculty of the Vietnam National University of Vietnam in 1956 and became head of the Department of Ancient and Medieval Vietnamese History two years later.
The noted Vietnamese historian has received many accolades including the Fukuoka Prize in 1996, the Vietnamese State Award in 2000, the French Order of Academic Palms in 2002, and the honour as foreign correspondent member of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres in 2011.
In 2016, the professor was presented with the Ho Chi Minh Award for his significant contributions to Vietnamese historical research.
Professor Phan Huy Le was dubbed as one of the four pillars of modern Vietnamese history along with Dinh Xuan Lam, Ha Van Tan and Tran Quoc Vuong.
