Trung Trac and Trung Nhi were daughters of a Lac Lord from Tay Vu, a city located on the
Red River northwest of the modern capital, Hanoi. Trung Trac, the elder sister, married Thi Sach, an aristocrat from
the nearby Chu Dien.
In 39 A.D., Thi Sach was arrested and executed for complaining about taxes imposed by the Chinese
prefect Su Ting. To avenge his death, Trung Trac and Trung Nhi led a rebellion against the Chinese. With an army of
80,000 people, the Trung sisters drove the Chinese out and reclaimed the territory extending from Hue to southern
China. After their victory, the people proclaimed Trung Trac as their ruler and called her "Trung Vuong".
She established her royal court in Me-linh (Hong River plain). During her rule, Trung Trac abolished the hated
tribute taxes levied by the Chinese, and attempted to restore a simpler form of government, one more in line with
traditional Vietnamese values.
But the victory was short-lived. In 43 A.D., under the command of General Ma Vien, the Chinese defeated
Trung Trac and reclaimed the territory. Abandoned by most of their "Lac Lord" followers and refusing
to surrender, the Trung sisters drowned themselves in the Hat River.
The Trung's heroism soon inspired legends and poems, and became a source of pride for women who
lived more restricted lives. Today, stories, poems, plays, postage stamps, posters and monuments still glorify the
heroism of the Trung sisters.
