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The Trung Sisters

ABOUT THEM
The Trung sisters, Trung Trac and Trung Nhi, were born to a Vietnamese lord during the first century, a time when China ruled Vietnam. They grew up watching the Chinese cruelties to the Vietnamese and so spent their childhoods also mastering the art of warfare and weaponry.

In a.d. 40 a Chinese commander killed Trung Trac's husband. In retaliation, the Trung sisters organized civil war. With the support of nearby tribal lords, they formed an army of 80,000. Thirty six of the generals were women. Within months the sisters had retaken 65 cities. They managed to keep the Chinese out for two years during which the sisters ruled the area as co-queens.

When the Chinese finally won back the area, the Trung sisters committed suicide rather than surrender. A nearby pregnant noblewoman-warrier, not knowing of the sisters' defeat continued to fight on, delivering her baby on the battlefield and then carrying her baby while she fought. When informed of the sisters' suicide, she slit her own throat and that of her baby.

The people of Vietnam celebrate the sisters' memory every year with a national holiday.

QUOTE

"Foremost, I will avenge my country,
Second, I will restore the Hung lineage,
Third, I will avenge the death of my husband,
Lastly, I vow that these goals will be accomplished. "

- Trung Trac

All the male heroes bowed their heads in submission;
Only the two sisters proudly stood up to avenge the country.

- A fifteenth century poem

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