Top 10 Remarkable Female Heroes in Vietnamese History

1. Hai Ba Trung – The First Queen in History

It's a great honor for Vietnamese women to have Hai Ba Trung kick off the glorious history pages of resisting foreign invasion and winning independence for the homeland. Hai Ba Trung are Trung Trac and Trung Nhi, daughters of Lac general Me Linh in the Hung Kings era, who were greatly educated by their mother about patriotism.

Trung Trac's husband, Thi Sach, was killed by the Han invaders led by Tô Định. To fight against the Han occupation and avenge her husband, Trung Trac and her sister, Trung Nhi, raised the banner of rebellion, gathering peasants nationwide to expel Tô Định and rebuild the ancient kingdom of the Hung Kings. The Hai Ba Trung uprising took place in the early 40s of the 1st century. Trung Trac proclaimed herself queen (called Trung Vuong), and the independent reign lasted for 3 years: Đô Kỳ became the capital of Me Linh Territory, forming a separate royal court of our country. In 42, Han generals invaded our country again.

Hai Ba Trung and female generals like Lê Chân, Thánh Thiên, Thiều Hoa... fiercely fought and won many battles. However, unable to resist the cunning schemes and tactics of the Han, they ultimately chose to sacrifice themselves by drowning in the Hat River. In the Đại Việt sử ký (1272), Lê Văn Hưu wrote: 'Trung Trac, Trung Nhi are women, who just yelled once and the regions of Cửu Chân, Nhật Nam, Hợp Phố, and 60 fortresses in the outskirts all responded. Establishing a kingdom and proclaiming oneself king seemed as easy as turning one's hand...!'

2. Bùi Thị Xuân – The Admiral of the Tay Son Dynasty in Vietnamese History

Bùi Thị Xuân (1752 - 1802) was one of the Tây Sơn Five Generals, the wife of Deputy General Trần Quang Diệu, and an Admiral of the Tay Son Dynasty in Vietnamese history. Bùi Thị Xuân was born into a wealthy family and received education in literature and martial arts. Inspired by the stories of Trưng Sisters riding elephants to fight invaders, Bùi Thị Xuân eagerly wanted to follow the example of these heroic women, practicing elephant riding and combat.

At the age of 15, Bùi Thị Xuân mastered her martial skills. At 20, she used her sword to rescue Trần Quang Diệu from a ferocious tiger attack, and from that encounter, they became husband and wife, joining the Tây Sơn forces under the banner of Phú Lạc battlefield. With her martial prowess and bravery, Bùi Thị Xuân, along with her husband, quickly became key military leaders, making significant contributions to the Tây Sơn cause from the beginning. She achieved numerous remarkable feats on the battlefield, striking fear into the forces of Nguyễn Ánh. In 1802, she and her husband were captured and executed at the age of 45. Bùi Thị Xuân was honored and recognized as a national hero. Today, a statue of her has been erected to commemorate and honor her contributions to the homeland.

Triệu Thị Trinh was born on October 2, Binh Ngọ year (November 8, 226) in the Quan Yen mountains, Cửu Chân district, now part of Quan Yen village, Định Tiến commune, Yên Định district, Thanh Hóa province. From an early age, she showed exceptional courage. When her father asked about her future aspirations, she boldly replied: “When I grow up, I will fight the invaders like the Trưng Sisters, Trưng Trắc, and Trưng Nhị.” Growing up, she possessed extraordinary strength, martial skills, and a strong will.

In 248, under the ruthless rule of the Eastern Wu (China), Triệu Thị Trinh and her brother, Triệu Quốc Đạt, revolted against the oppression and quickly gained support from the people of Cửu Chân district, spreading rapidly to Giao Chỉ district. After Triệu Quốc Đạt fell in battle, Triệu Thị Trinh assumed leadership of the entire uprising, fighting against the Ngô invaders. The rebel army won consecutive battles, growing in strength. Upon hearing of the powerful rebellion, the Eastern Wu dynasty dispatched General Lục Dận with 8,000 soldiers, including warships, to counter Triệu Thị Trinh’s uprising. Fierce battles took place at the Bồ Điền stronghold, where the Ngô army employed treacherous tactics to counter the rebel forces. To preserve the heroism of the rebel army, Triệu Thị Trinh chose to sacrifice herself on Mount Tùng. Triệu Thị Trinh became a symbol of patriotism, and her story has been passed down through generations, inspiring the people of Vietnam.

Nguyễn Thị Chiên was born in 1930 in Kiến Xương district, Thái Bình province. In the guerrilla movement in the temporary occupied areas during the early days of the resistance against the French from 1946 to 1948, she served as the women's union secretary and commanded a guerrilla platoon in the commune. In 1950, she detonated a mine to destroy an enemy patrol on Route 39. That was the first mine explosion warning the enemy forces and awakening the armed struggle of the people. When captured by the enemy and brutally tortured, she died and revived several times, but the enemy failed to exploit anything and had to release her. Back in her hometown, she was assigned tasks in the guerrilla team by the party cell. In addition to training in surveillance, harassment, and combat, she also led her sisters in land reclamation, rice cultivation, and poultry farming to earn money to buy weapons.

In 1951, unarmed, she used tactics to capture an enemy patrol right in the market, seizing 7 guns. Later, she used tactics to capture a French officer commanding a sweep operation in the commune. In 1952, at the first National Heroes and Heroic Soldiers Conference, she was awarded a pistol by President Hồ Chí Minh, awarded the First-class Resistance Medal, the Third-class Military Exploit Medal, and she was honored as a Hero of the Armed Forces.

Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai (1910 – 1941), born in Vinh Yen village, Vinh town (Nghệ An), attended elementary school, joined the student movement, was admitted to the Party in 1930. Passionate about theory, she was one of the female cadres directly guided by President Ho Chi Minh and later received training in Marxism-Leninism in the Soviet Union. Under the alias Phan Lan, she was the youngest delegate to the 7th International Communist Congress in Moscow, delivering a famous speech in the 40th session: 'We, peasant and working women from the East, colonies, and semi-colonies, suffering far more than our Western comrades, have embarked on the revolutionary path.'

She was also the first Vietnamese youth delegate to attend the International Youth Congress in 1935. As the first Secretary of the Saigon - Chợ Lớn Provincial Party Committee, she focused on training workers, building revolutionary bases in rural areas, and fostering revolutionary leadership. Minh Khai demonstrated resilience despite personal hardships, giving birth to a daughter and enduring her husband, comrade Lê Hồng Phong's arrest. On August 28, 1941, the French colonial authorities executed her along with comrades Nguyễn Văn Cừ, Hà Huy Tập, etc. Standing on a high mound, she tore off her blindfold and exclaimed: 'Dear compatriots, we must eliminate the feudal imperialists for a better life. Long live the Indochinese Communist Party! Long live the Vietnamese Revolution!'

Võ Thị Sáu (1037 – 1953), born in Bà Rịa, she was known as the “Red Soil Daughter”. When the French invaders entered her homeland, at just 12 years old, Võ Thị Sáu threw a grenade killing three French commanders. She was renowned for her intelligence gathering, guerrilla tactics, and exceptional liaison skills. While attempting to assassinate a traitor named Governor Tống, Võ Thị Sáu was captured by the French at the age of 15. Even in prison, she continued her revolutionary activities. In December 1952, she was transferred to the notorious Con Dao prison, housed in the “White Stone” labor camp. Having loved singing and dancing since childhood, not even facing execution could silence her. When the enemy offered her a priest to confess, she rebuked: “I love my country, I am not guilty. You invaders, who kill our people and steal our land, are the ones who are guilty.”

Before her death, she shouted: “Long live Vietnam! Long live Uncle Ho!” Võ Thị Sáu sacrificed herself at the age of less than 17. In 1993, the State posthumously conferred upon her the title of Hero of the Armed Forces and the First-class Military Exploit Medal.

Comrade Đinh Thị Vân, formerly a District Party Committee member in Xuân Trường district and a member of the Provincial Women's Union in Nam Định province. She did not undergo any intelligence training but excelled in fulfilling the duties of an intelligence officer. Comrade Vân delved deeply into intelligence operations during the French occupation of Hanoi and the period of American pseudo-occupation of Saigon, exploiting valuable military documents of strategic significance to serve the national liberation anti-invasion cause.

The immense achievements of Đinh Thị Vân in intelligence had a strategically significant importance in enabling the Central Committee to timely direct the struggle against the American pseudo-enemy. Those highly confidential documents were not acquired through purchase but were the result of conscientization, persuasion, and persistent mobilization of the masses, based on the principle of 'taking the people as the foundation.' Intelligence Major Đinh Thị Vân was honored by the Party and the State with the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces. After the war of resistance against American aggression to save the nation ended, liberating the South and unifying the country, Comrade Vân was promoted to the rank of Major by the Ministry of National Defense.

The image of Võ Thị Thắng standing amidst two rows of soldiers is that of a patriotic student, a guerrilla fighter with the 'Smile of Victory,' captured by a Japanese journalist during the mock trial of the U.S. invaders in 1968. At the age of 11, she acted as a liaison for the revolutionaries, and at 17, she joined the struggle movement of students, youth, and students in Saigon to build political bases in preparation for the Tet Offensive in 1968. She also participated in the Workers' Movement and armed forces within the city.

While carrying out anti-enemy missions in Phu Lam, she was captured by the enemy. They sentenced her to 20 years of hard labor, to which she responded with a smile and a challenge: 'Will your authorities last 20 years to imprison me?'. This famous statement was an encouragement to the entire people to fight against the enemy. Despite 6 years of hardship, torture, she and many other comrades were not subdued by the violent tyranny of the enemy. In prison, amidst difficulties, she used it as an environment to cultivate, challenge her values, willpower, and loyalty to the nation. The courage of the patriotic student has been a shining example for many communist soldiers to follow. In March 1973, according to the Paris Agreement, the enemy had to return the imprisoned revolutionaries. Upon release, she still held her head high with the posture of a victor. After the peace, she always remembered the teachings of President Ho Chi Minh, always obeyed the Party's principles, the State, listened to the voice of the people when elected as a National Assembly deputy. Later, she was entrusted with leading the Tourism industry and transforming it into a spearhead sector in the country's economy.

Ms. Nguyễn Thị Định was born in 1920 in Luong Hoa commune, Ben Tre province. At the age of 16, she joined the revolution, and at 18, she was recruited into the Communist Party of Indochina. After the uprising, she was one of the first to transport weapons by sea to the South during the resistance war. In 1945, she was appointed by the Central Party Committee to participate in the provincial committee of Bến Tre and was tasked by the Party to stay in the South to lead the people and women in the province in demanding the implementation of the Geneva Agreement. She was elected as the Secretary of the Bến Tre provincial party committee.

After participating in leading the Dong Khoi movement in 1960, she became a member of the Standing Committee of the National Liberation Front as soon as it was formed. In 1961, she became a district committee member of the 8th Southern Region. In 1965, she became the Deputy Commander of the armed forces for the liberation of the South, and concurrently the chairwoman of the Women's Liberation Union of the South. She was gentle, forgiving, living in harmony with everyone. Relatives and soldiers still affectionately called her 'Sister Ba Định' along with the 8 golden words that Uncle Ho bestowed upon Vietnamese women: 'Heroic, Indomitable, Generous, Capable.' In 1974, she was awarded the 'For Strengthening the Peace of Nations' prize by the Lenin International Peace Prize Committee. In 1976, she became the First Vice Chairwoman and from 1980, the Chairwoman of the Vietnam Women's Union. She was elected Vice President of the International Democratic Women's Federation, respected in the global women's movement.

Nguyễn Thị Út or Út Tịch (1931-1968) was a female Hero of the People's Armed Forces of Vietnam. Her life was portrayed by writer Nguyễn Thi as the main character in the work 'The Gun-Wielding Mother,' later adapted into the film 'The Absent Mother.'

She had a strong temperament and was early influenced by Viet Minh revolutionary propaganda, actively supporting the Communist cause. When the French reoccupied the South and expanded throughout Indochina, Út volunteered to fight against the French with the famous quote later recorded by Nguyễn Thi: 'They hit us, we hit them back!' After marrying a Viet Minh soldier locally, she continued to operate in the local guerrilla unit. Following the Dong Khoi movement, they participated in military activities of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam. In 1964, she joined the Revolutionary Party of South Vietnam. She was seriously injured and sacrificed her life in a devastating B52 raid by the US Air Force on November 27, 1968, in Chau Doc. The Vietnamese state awarded her the Third-Class Liberation Army Medal and the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces. A street in Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City, was also named after her.