Hai Ba Trung Day has been a special day for women in Southern Vietnam and celebrates the anniversary of the death of the Trung Sisters. The two sisters led a revolt against the ruling Chines and won freedom for Vietnam in A.D. 41.
The driving force for their leadership was provided when one of the sister’s husband was killed by the Chinese and in retaliation the successfully formed the revolutionary army which defeated the Chinese.
In fact, the sisters made Me Linh in Northern Vietnam the capital of the freed country. However, their reign was short-lived, only three years. The Chinese recaptured Vietnam and the sisters, in deep sorrow, drowned themselves in the Hat Ciang River.
An interesting monument stood at the foot of Hai Ba Trung Street in Saigon on the water-front commemorating the two sisters. Many people said the face of one the sisters was that of Madame Nhu, the disliked sister-in-law of President Ngo Dinh Diem. According to a Vietnamese writer, on this holiday Madame Nhu once rode in a parade atop an elephant, as one of the Trung sisters. On the successful coup d’etat of November 1, 1963, jubilant mob tore the statue apart. They did this because of their dislike for Madam Nhu, not because of the Trung sister’s history.
Other Popular (Typical) Festivals, Holidays & Recreation In Vietnam
– Vietnamese Tet Nguyen Dan
– Thanh Minh, Holiday Of The Dead
– Doan Ngu (Opening Ceremony Of Summer)
– The Whale Festival
– Trung Nguyen (Wandering Souls’ Day)
– Trung Thu, Mid-Autumn Festival
– Recreation Activities