Lady Triệu, also known as Triệu Trinh Nương, was born and raised in Cửu Chân district (Thanh Hóa). In 248, at only 22 years old, she led an uprising with her brother against the Wu invaders in the Ngàn Nưa mountains.
The image of the Queen wearing a short golden armor, a golden turban, and curved-toe shoes, bravely riding a one-tusk elephant, waving a golden flag and commanding her troops in battle, struck terror into the enemy. Lady Triệu's leadership reputation led the enemy to call her "Lệ Hải Bà Vương" (Beautiful Queen of the Sea).
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At the age of 19, when asked about marriage, she boldly replied: “I want to ride the strong wind, Trample the fierce waves, Kill the giant fish in the East Sea, Drive away the Wu invaders, Regain our land, Break free from slavery, Rather than bend my back to be a concubine for someone.” |
Although Lady Triệu's uprising did not succeed in driving the Wu forces back to their country like the Trưng Sisters, it demonstrated the indomitable will and refusal to be enslaved of the young woman from Quan Yên mountain. Upon reading about Lady Triệu's uprising, Emperor Tự Đức commented: "Many women in our country are extraordinarily heroic."
The village of Quan Yên is the birthplace of Triệu Thị Trinh. Tùng Mountain is where the Queen passed away. And the Ngàn Nưa mountain range, chosen as the base for the uprising, still retains legends of trống chiêng Hill, the stone table stream of Bãi Bò, etc., reminiscing about the time Lady Triệu trained her army. Lady Triệu's elephant tracks have been imprinted on every mountain and field of Thanh Hóa.
(*) Images taken at the thousand-year-old Bà Triệu Temple, in Phú Điền, Triệu Lộc, Thanh Hóa.