Battle of Tốt Động – Chúc Động
Tốt Động and Chúc Động villages, Chương Mỹ district, Hanoi, Vietnam
What happened
Vietnamese forces of the Lam Sơn uprising, led by Lê Lợi with commanders Lý Triện and Đinh Lễ, fought a Ming Chinese army under General Wang Tong. Vietnam was then ruled by Ming China, and Lê Lợi had led an uprising since 1418. Near two villages in the Red River Delta, Lam Sơn troops lured part of the Ming army into muddy rice fields, then hid in silence beside a shortcut the Ming took. When they attacked, the surprised Ming army broke, and Wang Tong fled to the citadel of Đông Quan.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It ended the Ming army's plans to attack and let the Vietnamese surround Đông Quan. It is called the decisive battle of the Lam Sơn uprising, which won back Vietnam's independence.
What came next
Ming rule ended in 1427, and in 1428 Lê Lợi became emperor, founding the Later Lê dynasty.
Did you know?
A legend says Lê Lợi later returned a magic sword to a golden turtle in a Hanoi lake, which became known as the 'Lake of the Returned Sword'.
Timeline
- February 1418Lê Lợi begins the Lam Sơn uprising.
- 7 November 1426The Vietnamese win at Tốt Động – Chúc Động.
- October 1427Ming rule ends after the fall of Xương Giang.
- 1428Lê Lợi becomes emperor of Đại Việt.