The Trung Sisters

In 111 BC troops under the command of China's Han Dynasty invaded the country of Vietnam. In a short period of time they crushed the ruling Hung Dynasty and seized control of the land. Fearing their enemies would finish them off; the Hungs changed their name to "Trung" and moved into obscurity amongst the local tribes. It would be 150 years before their descendants would reclaim the throne.

Although Vietnam was now under the control of China, leaders of the various native tribes were permitted to retain their authority. Trung Trac and Trung Nhi were the daughters of one such lord. They grew up during a time when Vietnamese women possessed liberties they would be denied in future years. Females were able to become traders, combatants, and political leaders, as well as inherit property through their maternal lines.

The girls shared a close bond. They were constant companions their entire lives, even after Trung Trac married. At 19, she wed Thi Sach, a powerful and respected lord. Thi Sach shared the sisters' hatred for the Chinese command of their homeland.

By this time Vietnam had been declared a Chinese province and was renamed Giao Chi. It was under the command of To Dinh, a barbaric and severe Chinese governor. Resentful over the suffering of the Vietnamese people, Thi Sach and the sisters began to rouse other lords to prepare for a revolt against To Dinh. It was not long before word leaked to the Governor and in an attempt to startle the people back into obedience he sent a commander to murder Thi Sach. Trung Trac's beloved husband was killed and his body placed on display at the city gate. Heartbroken and enraged, Trung Trac sent General Nguyen Tien Co to retrieve Thi Sach's body and cremate it before it could be further disgraced.

Brave, determined, and seething with fury, Trung Trac decided to push forward with the revolt. She sent Trung Nhi, well known for her diplomatic skills, to scour the country and unite all other resistance groups. In order to gain the trust of the other lords, the girls began to perform courageous acts such as slaying a savage, man-eating tiger and using its skin to write a proclamation pressing the people to join the insurgency.

The citizens strongly supported the sisters. With Trung Trac serving as Commanding Officer, a headquarters was established in Nan Nguyen and they began to organize the lords and their tribes. They trained 36 women, including their mother, to be generals. By the year's end, their army was 80,000 strong, most of which were in their twenties, including Trung Trac and Trung Nhi.

In 40 AD the rebellion openly declared war on China. The army squashed the opposition at To Dinh's residence and other key sites. Within a year they had reclaimed the land stretching from Hue into southern China and emancipated 56 provinces.

The people declared Trung Trac and Trung Nhi co-queens. The girls set up their Royal Court in Me-linh, an ancient political center. Returning to traditional Vietnamese ideals, they established a simpler, kinder government and abrogated Chinese tribute taxes. The Queens spent the next few years rebuilding the country while constantly battling with the Chinese. In 43 AD, the Han Emperor sent a legion to recapture the territory. Outnumbered and outarmed, the Vietnamese troops suffered a devastating defeat. Defiant to the end, Trung Trac and Trung Nhi chose to reject the conquest and maintain their honor. On February 6, 43 AD they committed suicide by drowning themselves in the Hat Giang River. Many of their generals followed the sisters in the Vietnamese tradition.

Although it would be many years before Vietnam would gain independence, the Trung Sisters planted the seeds of rebellion by leading the first national uprising against the Chinese. Some feel had they not resisted, there would presently be no Vietnamese nation. Over the years temples were built to honor Trung Trac and Trung Nhi and the sisters are celebrated annually with a national holiday.