Showing posts with label Vietnam History. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vietnam History. Show all posts

The meaning of Paintings (Part II)

As Blogger -Emoporer said: “Wow, female warrior and military families”.

Exactly, I think anyone who has a chance to read previous post, they’ll utter “Amazing”
When Vietnamese talk each other,
they can’t talk about “Trung Sisters” story without mentioning “Le Chan – Woman General of Trung Sisters ” story.
In this article of unknow author, I want to introduce everyone Great Woman General in Trung Sisters army.

Biography

Le Chan was also born in An Bien village, under Dong Trieu district, Quang Ninh province. Her father was Le Dao, a teacher, and a medicine person; her mother was Tran Thi Chau. Le Chan's beauty and good character attracted the Chinese Governor, To Dinh, who wanted to take her as a wife in his harem. Her family was protested and she had to hide herself in the coastal village of An Duong, Kinh Mon. Unable to marry her, To Dinh put her family to death. Le Chan determined to avenge them and, along with other families, set up Ven hamlet - afterwards renamed An Bien hamlet - where the Tam Bac River met the Cam River. Her new home became a revolutionary base where for ten years she collected volunteer soldiers and trained hard.

When the Trung Sisters rebelled, Le Chan and her volunteer soldiers joined the insurrection. Within months they had helped to take back the sixty-five citadels from the Chinese, and had liberated the region. The Trung Sisters became queens of the country, and Le Chan was nominated for the position of 'Chuong quan binh quyen noi bo' with responsibility of defending Hai Tan region.

In 42AD, Ma Vien, a Dong Han general led a great navy and land army along northeast lines to put down the insurrection. Despite facing overwhelming odds, the army of women took to the battlefields once more. Legend tells of Phung Thi Chinh, a pregnant noble lady who was the captain of a group of soldiers that were to protect the central flank. She gave birth on the frontline, and with her baby in one arm, and a sword in the other, continued to fight the battle. Le Chan also directly led her troops to fight against the Chinese forces, causing them to suffer great losses, but the overall situation was unfavourable. She had to withdraw the troops to Me Linh base.


End game

Despite their many heroic efforts, the Trung Sisters realised that they had been defeated and that to fight further would mean certain death at the hands of the Chinese. Therefore, to protect their honour and to elude ridicule, the two queens committed suicide by drowning themselves in the Hat River (AD 43). Some of their loyal soldiers continued to fight to the death whilst others committed suicide, including Phung Thi Chinh, who also took her newborn baby's life. Le Chan and her troops still continued to resist violently. Inevitably, however, a disadvantageous situation become a hopeless one. Having become exhausted, Le Chan drowned herself in the King Thay river, thereby preserving her virginity in death.

Nghe Temple

After her death, a temple - known today as Nghe Temple - was built to honour her in Ma region by the people of An Bien. For a long time it remained a small temple with a thatched roof, but in 1919 it was spaciously rebuilt and has now become one of the most famous places of historical interest in the locality.

Legend has it that Le Chan was wise in life and supernatural in death. When she threw herself into the river, she turned into a stone that miraculously floated on the river surface from Dong Trieu area to her old homeland to Ben Binh. An Bien villagers, who believed that Le Chan had become a genie, brought rods and robes to pick up the sacred stone and carry it back to the village. Suddenly a storm began to rage and the robes broke. Then the place where the stone dropped was chosen to build the temple for worshipping Le Chan.

The temple has two main halls: the front worshiping hall and the sanctuary. On the roof of the front worshiping hall there is the inscription: 'An Bien co mieu' (An Bien Ancient Shrine). A statue of Le Chan was placed in the sanctuary, with altars for worshipping her parents on either side.

The statue of Le Chan in Hai Phong City

In Hai Phong City, her statue is located in front of the City Exhibition House, at the western end of the city centre parks. The statue is made of bronze and stands 7.49m high. With its pedestal, it measures 10.09m and weighs 19 tons. On top of her head, the feather alone stands 0.7m high. In all, the statue is the second biggest in Vietnam, after Hung Dao Vuong Statue in Nam Dinh. It has been built to withstand earthquakes measuring 8.5 on the Richter scale.

The statue was designed by two artists, Nguyen Phuc Cuong and Nguyen Manh Cuong. Their design, presenting Le Chan with her hand leaning on a sword, expressing the bravery of a new regional founder, was selected from more than forty works that were judged in a national contest between 1996 and 2000. The casting was undertaken by the Hai Phong Brass Casting Company, and was paid for using money donated by local citizens and overseas Vietnamese. It took only one night to set the statue up; it was inaugurated on 31st December 2000, ushering in the first day of 21st century.




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The meaning of Paintings (Part I)

The above painting with name is called "Trung Trac". So, Who is Trung Trac? Plz, read below article to know more her

"T r u n g T r a c & T r u n g N h i
The historical vignettes presented on these pages are intended to honour the courageous spirit of the Trung sisters whose inspiration continues to flourish in the hearts and minds of the 20th century Vietnamese people. Our brief extrapolation is by no means, a complete historiography but, rather highlighting fundamental characters and resilient courage that underline our heritage. Our ancestors had fought against all odds and died in defense of human rights, dignity and independence. These tenets are not only universal but, also timeless. We believe that by understanding the past, we can help assure that future generations are not held captive by time dissociation and detachment to the concept of self-determination. We wish the viewer(s) an inspiring journey back in time to meet these magnificent warriors.
During the 1,000 years under Chinese control, the Vietnamese people engaged in a continual struggle against their ruler. In 3 BC, a large amount of Chinese mandarins invaded Nam Viet, taking over land and farms previously owned by Vietnamese people. The Chinese also made demands to the Viet people in the form of high tributary payments. They monopolized the production of salt and iron for their personal gains. They also forced assimilation of its culture throughout the population.

The struggles were often led by various members of the Vietnamese aristocracy. The skirmishes between the Chinese authority and Vietnamese people occurred mainly in the outer Tonking provinces. One of these uprisings in 39 AD was led by two women, Trung Trac and Trung Nhi.

In 36 AD, Su Ting (To Dinh) replaced Tich Quang as governor of Giao Chi was significantly dishonest and greedy. In "Dong Quan Han Ky", the author wrote: "His eyes widened at the sight of money." These Hans demanded bribes, levied unreasonable taxation on salt and handicraft products. They also taxed the local people for fishing from the rivers. They oppressed the Vietnamese people, their children and families. Both the peasant and Au Lac gentry classes deeply resented the colonialist government.

King Hung Vuong came from Me Linh (present time, Ha Tay Vinh Phu provinces). Years later, one of his descendants was named prefect of Me Linh. Although he worked for the Hans, he continued to maintain his personal affection for his country people. It was due to his patriotism that he gained the love and trust of the populace. His wife, Man Thien was equally committed to the same affection and purpose towards the people. They had two daughters, Trung Trac and Trung Nhi. These young women grew up witnessing the cruel Chinese treatment of the Vietnamese people. Their compassion for the people fueled their deep-seated hatred of the Chinese. They spent their time studying the art of warfare, weaponry and fighting skills.

Chu Dien, located next to the town of Me Linh (presently, Dan Phuong of Ha Tay and Tu Liem zone of Hanoi suburb) was a large, populated and wealthy province. The military chief of Chu Dien was a chivalrous and indomitable man. His son, Thi Sach was also greatly interested in military sciences and weaponry. He spent a great deal of effort in mastering the art of warfare. His goals were to rise up against the Chinese.

The two military leaders of Chu Dien and Me Linh were close friends. They often visited with each other. Their discussions frequently involved the miserable state of the Viet people who suffered under the cruelties of To Dinh and Han officers as well as their soldiers. They planned and plotted to fight against the Chinese. They vowed to drive the aggressors out of Nam Viet.

Thi Sach, although youthful was often permitted to attend the military planning meetings with the Me Linh chief and other leaders from the neighboring areas. He aspired to avenge his country by using his acquired war waging skills. He recruited other young men and women patriots to join his insurrection against the Chinese.

During one of his visits with his father to the headquarter of the Me Linh military chief, Thi Sach met the Trung sisters. Shortly thereafter, he befriended one of the sisters, Trung Trac. As time passed, the sentiment between Thi Sach and Trung Trac developed into a romantic interest which resulted in a marriage. The united couple from two military families gave hope to the villagers.

The nature of exploitation and forced assimilation of Vietnamese people by the Hans became increasingly ruthless. Thi Sach and his wife, Trung Trac violently opposed and protested against these Chinese practices. Their resistance so enfuriated the Chinese that Su Ting ordered the execution of Thi Sach as a warning to other Vietnamese rebels. This cruel act had provoked the Vietnamese people instead. The local population and military leaders jointly declared war on the Hans.

On 2.6.40 AD, Trung Trac stood in full military regalia to address the 30,000 soldiers gathered at the Hat estuary. She set her personal tragedy aside by not wearing the traditional mourning attire. She vowed revenge on behalf of her people and husband. She formidably declared to her soldiers these memorable words:

"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
source: Thien Nam Ngu Luc, 17th century

Trung Trac and her sister, Trung Nhi, rallied their troops to fight against the Chinese. Within months, the Trung sisters armed with military skills and passion for independence had regained control of 65 citadels, including Luy Lau citadel where they defeated To Dinh and his soldiers. They kept the Chinese military power out of Nam Viet for two years. The Trung sisters reigned as queens to the country. The short-lived liberation received wide support from the nobility and peasants throughout Nam Viet. By 43 AD, the Chinese had amassed large battalions of soldiers to retaliate against the Trung queens which resulted in the Chinese re-occupation of Nam Viet. The Trung sisters committed suicide in the Hat River (Hat Giang) rather than surrendering to their conqueror.

During the 43 AD Chinese incursion to Nam Viet, a warrior friend of the Trung sisters was Phung Thi Chinh, a pregnant noblewoman from Son Tay province, was in charge of protecting the central flank of Nam Viet. She led her troops against the indomitable Chinese general, Ma Yuan (Ma Vien). She delivered her child at the battlefront. She carried her newborn while "brandishing her sword to open an escape route in the ranks of the enemy". When she discovered that the Trung sisters had committed suicide. She too, ended her life and that of her baby.

Nam Viet's short-lived independence was followed by the Chinese cruel punishment of inflicting harsh physical tortures, psychological and cultural oppression of the Vietnamese people. Ma Yuan oversaw the operation that destroyed Vietnamese estates, executed hundreds of noblemen, humiliated many, and exiled the remaining members of the aristocracy to South China. They proceeded to set up garrisons at numerous strategic points throughout Nam Viet to guard against potential uprisings. Nam Viet was divided into three prefectures with fifty-six districts, controlled by the Chinese. The Chinese resumed their program of forcing the Vietnamese to absorb their culture. The Hans destroyed a great deal of Vietnamese history by altering texts and revising literature to suit their image. They forced the Vietnamese intellectuals to conform to their philosophical and cultural practices.

It's an important reminder that there were numerous rebellious outbreaks occurring during those dark and brutal years of Chinese occupation. These violent rebellions were more often led by women warriors. Throughout history, Vietnamese women have been vigorously involved in Vietnamese military and political affairs.

For centuries, the Vietnamese people glorified the Trung sisters through literature and monuments. There were many heroic legends about the Trung sisters which inspired the Vietnamese people for centuries in their resistance of foreign domination.

There were numerous pagodas built to memorialize the Trung sisters and their legacy. The two most famous pagodas were the Hai Ba, in Hanoi, and the Hat Mon in Son Tay province. The Government of Viet Nam has proclaimed them national warriors. To date, Vietnamese women and men continue to honor these heroines on Hai Ba Trung day in March. It has been known that soldiers in battles would carry pictures of the Trung sisters as a source of inspiration to fight for freedom. Trung Trac's words were deeply embedded in their souls.

Translaters:
Tuyet A. Tran & Chu V. Nguyen"





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