Amazon Warriors in Vietnam!!

One of my favorite historical novels when growing up was James Clavell's Shogun. Of course, it was about a westerner's experience in feudal Japan and not from an Asian's viewpoint. Since then I can't think of another Asian-based historical novel that has caught my attention but after touring China and Vietnam I have run into several historical personalities who each deserve their own historical novel.

When I was in Nha Trang Vietnam I walked into town along a lovely white sand beach passing a war Memorial to the Vietnamese hero Tran Hung Dao.

Here are some photos of the monument and the bas reliefs depicting his victories over the invading Mongol Armies of Kublai Khan.

There was also a Vietnamese inscription, I am awaiting a translation.

Like many great heros, he was a man of many talents unwillingly called to serve his nation. He was a poet as well as a student of Chinese literature and was very familiar with Sun Tzu's "The Art of War". His treatises on military strategy were consulted in succeeding wars against the Chinese, French and Americans. He was born during an imperial dynastic transition in Thang Long (Hanoi) with all the attendant bitter intrigues.

 French Interpretation of Queen Trung Trac

Vietnam heros are not limited to men. There are also the famous Truong Sisters, as well as Lady Trieu who led successful but short-lived rebellions against the oppressive Chinese during their four lengthy periods of domination.

The North Vietnamese sisters Trung Trac and Trung Nhj began a rebellion against the occupying Chinese armies and raised an army of woman warriors, capturing over 65 Vietnamese cities and destroying bridges along the norther frontier with Han Dynasty China. They ruled an independent Vietnam for three years until Emperor Gwangwu ordered an irresistible army to reclaim the lost territories. Facing final defeat the sisters committed suicide (How Cleopatra like!). They are still revered, especially in northern Vietnam. An intriguing observation in wikipedia reads: The stories of the Trưng sisters and of another famous woman warrior, Triệu Thị Trinh, are cited by some historians as hints that Vietnamese society before Chinese influence was a matriarchal one, where there are no obstacles for women in assuming leadership roles. What we need here is an asian Chris Gortner to tell these triumphant but ultimately tragic stories of these heroic women.

The fine arts community in Saigon is alive and well with many galleries of stunning paintings. This is a quick snapshot of a painting by a Vietnamese artist that I am pretending is Lady Trieu

China also has its share of heroes but one in particular caught my attention. I have always been interested in the purple twilight of the Byzantine imperial enclave at Trebizond and China has an analogue in the fading years of the Ming Dynasty in the fortress island of Xiamen. 

The above photo is of a heroic statue of Koxinga that stands on a promontory of Gulang Yu island a five minute ferry ride from Xiamen.

Zheng Chenggong, known by the more popular epithet Koxinga (or Koxingua) was born in Japan to a Japanese mother and Chinese Father. He grew up in the fading Ming imperial court, attending the imperial University in Nanking, studying under the scholar Qian Qianyi. He was torn from his studies to lead a heroic resistance movement supporting a series of Ming emperors who had retreated to Southern China. From his fortified island of Xiamen he dealt the Manchus of the invading Qing dynasty defeats on land and sea before capturing Taiwan from the Dutch. He fortified Taiwan and used the island's resources to harry the Manchus until his untimely death at age 37 of Malaria. His son Zheng Jing succeeded him as the King of Taiwan.

There may already be historical novels already written about these fascinating people caught in the firestorm of war and rebellion -- so, if you know author and title please leave the information in the comments. Also, if you know of a novel that is untranslated maybe there is a way to bring these riveting stories to western audiences.