Trưng Sisters The Trưng sisters ( 12 - AD 43 ) were leaders who rebelled against Chinese rule for three years , and are regarded as national heroines of Vietnam . Their names were Trưng Trắc ( ) and Trưng Nhị ( ) . The sisters were born in Giao Chỉ in what is now Northern Vietnam . The dates of their births are unknown , but Trưng Trắc was older than Trưng Nhị . The exact dates of their deaths are also unknown but both died around AD 43 . Historical background . Nanyue ( Nam Việt ) was a kingdom founded by the former Qin Dynasty commander Zhao Tuo ( Triệu Đà ) . The Han Dynasty Emperor Wu of Han dispatched soldiers against Nanyue , and the kingdom was annexed in 111 BC . Nine commanderies were established to administer the region . Revolts against the Han began in 40 AD , led by the Trưng sisters . Sources . The primary historical source for the sisters is the 5th century " Book of the Later Han " compiled by historian Fan Ye , which covers the history of the Han Dynasty from 6 to 189AD . The secondary source , but primary popular source , is the " Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư " ( Complete Annals of Dai Viet ) compiled by Ngô Sĩ Liên under the order of the Emperor Lê Thánh Tông and finished in 1479 . " Book of the Later Han " , 5th century . The Chinese traditional historical accounts on the Trưng sisters are remarkably brief . They are found in two different chapters of the " Book of the Later Han " , the history for the Eastern Han Dynasty , against which the Trưng sisters had carried out their uprising . Chapter eighty six of the " Book of the Later Han " , entitled " Biographies of the Southern and the Southwestern Barbarians , " has this short description : Chapter twenty four , the biographies of Ma and some of his notable male descendants , had a parallel description that also added that Ma was able to impress the locals by creating irrigation networks to help the people and also by simplifying and clarifying the Han laws , and was able to get the people to follow Han ' s laws . The traditional Chinese account therefore does not indicate abuse of the Vietnamese population by the Chinese officials . It implicitly disavows the traditional Vietnamese accounts of massive cruelty and of the Chinese official killing Trưng Trắc ' s husband . There is no indication in the Chinese account that the Trưng sisters committed suicide , or that other followers followed example and did so . Indeed , Ma , known in Chinese history for his strict military discipline , is not believed by the Chinese to have carried out cruel or unusual tactics . That account is in contrast to the Vietnamese . Excerpts from " Complete Annals of Đại Việt " , 1479 . The third book of " Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư " ( " Complete Annals of Dai Viet " ) , published in editions between 1272 and 1697 , has the following to say about the Trưng Sisters : Lê Văn Hưu ( one of the historians editing the annals ) wrote : Traditional Vietnamese account . The Trưng sisters were born in a rural Vietnamese village , into a military family . Their father was a prefect of Mê Linh ( 麊泠 ) , therefore the sisters grew up in a house well - versed in the martial arts . They also witnessed the cruel treatment of the Viets by their Chinese overlords . The Trưng sisters spent much time studying the art of warfare , as well as learning fighting skills . When a neighbouring prefect came to visit Mê Linh , he brought with him his son , Thi Sách . Thi Sách met and fell in love with Trưng Trắc during the visit , and they were soon married . Rebellion . With Chinese rule growing extremely exacting , and the policy of forcible assimilation into the Chinese mold during their expansion southward , Thi Sách made a stand against the Chinese . The Chinese responded by executing Thi Sách as a warning to all those who contemplated rebellion . His death spurred his wife to take up his cause and the flames of insurrection spread . In AD 39 , Trưng Trắc and Trưng Nhị , after successfully repelling a small Chinese unit from their village , assembled a large army consisting mostly of women . Within months , they had taken many ( about 65 ) citadels from the Chinese , and had liberated Nam Việt . They became queens of the country , and managed to resist subsequent Chinese attacks on Việt Nam for over five years Defeat . Their rebellion was short lived , however , as the Chinese gathered a huge expeditionary army under the veteran general Ma Yuan to suppress the rebellion . The Trưng sisters were defeated and committed suicide by drowning themselves in the Hát River in AD 43 . According to legend , Phùng Thị Chính , a pregnant captain of a group of soldiers who were to protect the centre of Việt Nam , gave birth on the front line . With her baby in one arm , and a sword in the other , she continued to fight the battle . She committed suicide along with the Trưng sisters and also took her newborn baby ' s life . Cultural significance . Nationalism . The Trưng Sisters are highly revered in Vietnam , as they led the first resistance movement against the occupying Chinese after 247 years of domination . Many temples are dedicated to them , and a yearly holiday , occurring in February , to commemorate their deaths is observed by many Vietnamese . A district in Hanoi called the Hai Bà Trưng District is named after them . In addition , numerous large streets in major cities and many schools are named after them . The stories of the Trưng Sisters and of another famous woman warrior , Triệu Thị Trinh , are cited by some historians as hints that Vietnamese society before Sinicization was a matriarchal one , where there are no obstacles for women in assuming leadership roles . Even though the Trưng Sisters ' revolt against the Chinese was almost 2 , 000 years ago , its legacy in Vietnam remains . The two sisters are considered to be a national symbol in Vietnam . They represent Vietnam ' s independence . They are often depicted as two women riding two giant war elephants . Many a times , they are seen leading their followers into battle against the Chinese . The Trưng sisters were more than two sisters that gave their life up for their country , they are powerful symbols of Vietnamese resistance and freedom . Temples . Temples to the Trưng Sisters , as the two Trưng Nữ Vương , are found from as early as the end of the Third Chinese domination of Vietnam . The best known Hai Bà Trưng Temple is in Hanoi near Hoàn Kiếm Lake . Other Hai Bà Trưng temples are found in Mê Linh District ( Vĩnh Phúc Province ) , Phúc Thọ District ( Hà Tây ) and Hoàng Hoa Thám Street , Bình Thạnh District , Ho Chi Minh City .