A ceremony to commemorate an uprising by two women known as the Trung Sisters 1979 years ago took place on March 11 at a temple dedicated to them in Hai Ba Trung district in central Hanoi.
The re-enactment of the Trung Sisters' Uprising (Photo: Ha Noi Moi)
The event aimed to honour the feats of the Trung Sisters, their generals and soldiers who wrote a glorious page in Vietnam’s early days of national establishment and defence.
At the start of the ceremony, Hanoi Secretary Hoang Trung Hai, delegates and the people of Hai Ba Trung district offered their incense to the two national heroes and listened to a speech in praise of their contributions.
Chairman Vu Dai Phong of Hai Ba Trung district, which is named after the two ladies, said that the uprising went down in history as a legend.
In 40 AD, the Trung Sisters staged a successful rebellion against the harsh rule of China’s Han dynasty and the elder lady Trung Truc proclaimed herself queen.
Three years later when the Han dynasty invaded Vietnam again, the two Trung Sisters continued to lead the people against the invasion. In the final battle, the two women threw themselves into the Hat River so as not to be captured by the enemy.
Legend has it that after killing themselves, the souls of the two Trung Sisters transformed into a statue, which was later carried onto the bank by the people of Dong Nhan village.
In 1142 Emperor Anh Tong of the Ly Dynasty ordered the establishment of a temple to worship the Trung Sisters. The temple was relocated to higher ground in 1819 due to river bank erosion.
Following the rituals, there were art performances re-enacting the uprising 1979 years ago and asserting the patriotism and heroism of the Trung Sisters and the Vietnamese people.