ABSTRACT
The Trung sisters known as Hai Ba Trung in Vietnamese, led a rebellion against the ruling Chinese in 40-43 CE. The two sisters have been hailed ever since as national heroines by the Vietnamese people. This was so also during the modern conflict led by the National Liberation Front. The Trung sisters were the daughters of the prefect of Me Linh and were trained in martial arts. The elder of the two sisters, Trung Trac, was married to Thi Sach, son of a neighboring prefect. As the Chinese rule became more and more harsh and exacting, people complained and Thi Sach acted to oppose the Chinese rule. The commentator compared the Trung sisters with Chao To, "Martial Emperor Trieu," and the sixth-century independence leader Ly Bi, "Southern Emperor Ly." The Trung sisters were leaders of a ruling class and of the society dominated by this class. They thereby became the symbolic guardians of the cultural heritage of the society.
