1 00:00:00,760 --> 00:00:04,400 Speaker 1: Welcome to Noble Blood, a production of I Heart Radio 2 00:00:04,640 --> 00:00:08,480 Speaker 1: and Grim and Mild from Aaron Mankie. Listener discretion advised. 3 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:23,759 Speaker 1: There's a fifteenth century poem from Vietnam that reads, all 4 00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:28,200 Speaker 1: the male heroes bowed their heads in submission, only the 5 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:33,519 Speaker 1: two sisters proudly stood up to avenge the country. Another 6 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:38,400 Speaker 1: poem from the seventeenth century echoes a similar sentiment. The 7 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:43,600 Speaker 1: Han Emperor was extremely furious this insignificant speck of a 8 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:46,760 Speaker 1: zoo chi, And it was not even a man, but 9 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 1: a mere girl who wielded the skill of a hero. 10 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:56,080 Speaker 1: These poems are recounting, albeit a little pompously, the story 11 00:00:56,120 --> 00:01:00,280 Speaker 1: of Hai Bouchung or the Chung Sisters, once queen of 12 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:04,360 Speaker 1: an independent Vietnam. The meaning of the phrase zao chi 13 00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:08,679 Speaker 1: in the second poem is in reference to Chinese occupied Vietnam, 14 00:01:08,920 --> 00:01:13,280 Speaker 1: where in the year thirty nine, the two sisters raised 15 00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:17,360 Speaker 1: an army of eighty thousand troops and led a revolt 16 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:23,000 Speaker 1: against Chinese rule. The actual historical story of the Trunk 17 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:27,600 Speaker 1: Sisters is fascinating, but it's even more interesting to understand 18 00:01:27,720 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 1: the role that their story has played in the larger 19 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:35,440 Speaker 1: culture and how it's evolved over time, if you hadn't 20 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:39,319 Speaker 1: realized the year thirty nine was a long time ago, 21 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:42,680 Speaker 1: long enough for a narrative to take on all different 22 00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:46,600 Speaker 1: shapes and sizes, as was the case with Boudica the 23 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:50,640 Speaker 1: Iceni Queen, another ancient revolutionary that I've talked about on 24 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:54,840 Speaker 1: this show. Being an iconic figure from the very distant 25 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:59,560 Speaker 1: past means your story is by and large malleable. It's 26 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:02,600 Speaker 1: a vailable to be what the country needs it to 27 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:06,320 Speaker 1: be at any given moment. The Chung Sisters have seen 28 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:11,520 Speaker 1: spikes of popularity in different moments in Vietnamese history, but 29 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:14,919 Speaker 1: each time there is a spike, it's through a newfound 30 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:20,880 Speaker 1: cultural lens. Whether the Sisters are portrayed as nationalists, comrades, 31 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:24,800 Speaker 1: or feminist icons, there are some details in their story 32 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:28,480 Speaker 1: that always remain the same. The story of the Chung 33 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:33,360 Speaker 1: Sisters is that of two sisters wielding the skills of heroes, 34 00:02:34,040 --> 00:02:39,960 Speaker 1: proudly standing up to avenge their country. I'm Danis Schwartz, 35 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:57,600 Speaker 1: and this is noble blood. Though information on the chungs 36 00:02:57,760 --> 00:03:02,000 Speaker 1: is relatively sparse and very across sources, there are some 37 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:06,200 Speaker 1: things that remain consistent. We don't know exactly when the 38 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:09,360 Speaker 1: sisters were born, but we do know that Chung Chu 39 00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:12,800 Speaker 1: was older than Chung Ni. We do know that they 40 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:16,320 Speaker 1: were born under Han dynasty rule of what is now Vietnam, 41 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:20,480 Speaker 1: a period known as Baktua. The Chungs hailed from Nam 42 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:24,600 Speaker 1: viet which comprised the north part of modern Vietnam as 43 00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:28,360 Speaker 1: well as parts of southern China. They came from an 44 00:03:28,360 --> 00:03:32,440 Speaker 1: aristocratic family. Their father was a lach lord and Mailing 45 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:36,640 Speaker 1: which is modern day Mailand District Hanoi. The Lack where 46 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:41,120 Speaker 1: a group of multi lingual tribal people in ancient northern Vietnam. 47 00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:44,920 Speaker 1: Because of that status, it's believed that the sisters received 48 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:49,200 Speaker 1: some form of martial arts education. Their role also meant 49 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:53,520 Speaker 1: that they saw first hand the cruelty and disrespect their 50 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:56,920 Speaker 1: people were subject to at the hands of Chinese colonization. 51 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 1: An interesting note about the lach it thought the status 52 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:04,480 Speaker 1: of luck lord's was passed through the family line of 53 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:09,080 Speaker 1: one's mother, and, in contrast with Chinese society, wealth was 54 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:11,760 Speaker 1: inherited from the mother's side of the family as well. 55 00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:15,440 Speaker 1: For years, there has been debate among historians as to 56 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:20,080 Speaker 1: whether or not ancient Vietnam was a matrilineal society and 57 00:04:20,279 --> 00:04:25,800 Speaker 1: luck practices seemed to point toward confirmation back to the sisters, 58 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:30,279 Speaker 1: though in all tellings, the story of revolution actually begins 59 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:34,040 Speaker 1: with a love story. When a neighboring lord came to 60 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:37,040 Speaker 1: visit me Ling, he brought with him his son, a 61 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:41,720 Speaker 1: prince named Teesack. Teesock and Tung Trot fell in love, 62 00:04:41,839 --> 00:04:45,000 Speaker 1: and they were soon married. When Teasock became lord of 63 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:48,680 Speaker 1: the Chudien, he faced off against Soo Ting, the Chinese 64 00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:52,400 Speaker 1: governor known for his cruelty, who carried out the policy 65 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:56,440 Speaker 1: of forced assimilation. According to the Book of the Later Han, 66 00:04:56,920 --> 00:05:00,800 Speaker 1: Teesock was quote of a fierce temperament, and he took 67 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:05,000 Speaker 1: a stand, And it was his wife, Chung Chak quote 68 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 1: of a brave and fearless disposition end quote, who quote 69 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:13,600 Speaker 1: stirred her husband to action and became the central figure 70 00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:18,040 Speaker 1: in mobilizing the Loach lords against the Chinese end quote. 71 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 1: What happened next differs across sources, Vietnamese sources, and therefore 72 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:29,320 Speaker 1: the more widely disseminated ones generally tell the story like this. 73 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:34,599 Speaker 1: Teasock was made an example of and executed. Upon his death, 74 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:38,919 Speaker 1: an enraged Chung Cha took charge of their cause and 75 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:43,279 Speaker 1: was joined by her sister in building an army. Chinese 76 00:05:43,279 --> 00:05:46,800 Speaker 1: sources tell the story a little differently. In their version, 77 00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:51,160 Speaker 1: Teasock was not killed and he was alive and followed 78 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:54,359 Speaker 1: his wife's leadership as she and her sister took command 79 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:57,760 Speaker 1: of the army. While it may not seem like the 80 00:05:57,800 --> 00:06:01,200 Speaker 1: most important detail in the larger story of the rebellion, 81 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:05,560 Speaker 1: the status of Tisak says a lot about the perspective 82 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:09,560 Speaker 1: of the storyteller. Modern sources will argue that there's no 83 00:06:09,680 --> 00:06:14,320 Speaker 1: evidence Tisak was killed. Vietnamese tellings are influenced by a 84 00:06:14,360 --> 00:06:20,000 Speaker 1: Confucian patriarchal bias. The thinking is, surely Chung Chow couldn't 85 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:22,960 Speaker 1: have led a revolution and assumed the position of queen 86 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:26,960 Speaker 1: while her husband was still alive. On the other hand, 87 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:30,839 Speaker 1: Chinese sources at the time likely had an investment in 88 00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:36,560 Speaker 1: making Vietnamese men look weak. It's frustrating to accept the 89 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:40,200 Speaker 1: truth that the truth will never be known, but we 90 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:43,880 Speaker 1: can be confident in our knowledge that Chung Chaw undisputedly 91 00:06:44,120 --> 00:06:48,000 Speaker 1: led the rebellion. In thirty nine, Chat and her sister 92 00:06:48,240 --> 00:06:52,080 Speaker 1: raised an army of eighty thousand troops, whom they led 93 00:06:52,080 --> 00:06:55,599 Speaker 1: to the capital, writing on the backs of their war elephants, 94 00:06:56,120 --> 00:06:59,159 Speaker 1: the image we see in most artistic depictions of the 95 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:02,760 Speaker 1: sisters through out history, and of course, why wouldn't we 96 00:07:03,080 --> 00:07:07,279 Speaker 1: sisters riding on the backs of elephants. It's amazing. Most 97 00:07:07,320 --> 00:07:09,960 Speaker 1: of their soldiers were in their twenties, and many of 98 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:13,800 Speaker 1: them were women. There are even Vietnamese sources claiming that 99 00:07:13,840 --> 00:07:17,600 Speaker 1: in one province's army, thirty two of the sixty nine 100 00:07:17,640 --> 00:07:22,080 Speaker 1: generals were women. The book Women Warriors acknowledges that this 101 00:07:22,120 --> 00:07:26,520 Speaker 1: group perhaps even included the Chung's elderly mother, who legend 102 00:07:26,640 --> 00:07:30,640 Speaker 1: says trained the sisters in the arts of war. The 103 00:07:30,760 --> 00:07:35,360 Speaker 1: revolt was successful. They forced Suiting to flee, and within 104 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:41,480 Speaker 1: a year held sixty five northern citadels at Malang, their hometown. 105 00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:46,040 Speaker 1: The Chung sisters joyfully proclaimed themselves queens of an independent 106 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:50,280 Speaker 1: state extending from southern China to the present site of 107 00:07:50,360 --> 00:07:54,000 Speaker 1: hugh While they both held the title of queen, Chung 108 00:07:54,080 --> 00:07:57,160 Speaker 1: Cha was the one in charge, with Chung Ni being 109 00:07:57,200 --> 00:08:00,600 Speaker 1: known as more of her companion. One of their most 110 00:08:00,640 --> 00:08:05,320 Speaker 1: remembered policies was the abolishment of the Chinese governor's taxes 111 00:08:05,400 --> 00:08:09,880 Speaker 1: on the Vietnamese people. The Han had imposed monetary taxes 112 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:13,360 Speaker 1: on the lack despite the lack cultural practice being closer 113 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:16,840 Speaker 1: to a trade based community. There isn't much of a 114 00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:20,560 Speaker 1: record of the queen's other actions, but that may be 115 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:24,880 Speaker 1: because their reign was short lived. For two years, the 116 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:28,400 Speaker 1: sisters ruled the country and were able to successfully fend 117 00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:32,720 Speaker 1: off attacks from the Chinese. That changed, however, when in 118 00:08:32,920 --> 00:08:37,319 Speaker 1: forty two, the Emperor Guangwudi sent one of his best generals, 119 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:43,439 Speaker 1: Mayun south to reconquer Vietnam. The Sisters once again raised 120 00:08:43,559 --> 00:08:46,600 Speaker 1: their army and fought back with everything they had, but 121 00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:50,200 Speaker 1: they were ultimately defeated in forty three in a battle 122 00:08:50,280 --> 00:08:55,400 Speaker 1: near modern day Hannoi. According to Chinese sources, thousands of 123 00:08:55,480 --> 00:08:59,600 Speaker 1: Vietnamese soldiers were captured and beheaded, and more than ten 124 00:08:59,720 --> 00:09:03,319 Speaker 1: thous and surrendered. Chung Cha and Chong Ni were not 125 00:09:03,440 --> 00:09:07,520 Speaker 1: among them. They refused to surrender willingly to their enemies. 126 00:09:08,679 --> 00:09:12,440 Speaker 1: Stories of the sisters deaths once again differ based on 127 00:09:12,600 --> 00:09:16,640 Speaker 1: where your sources from. It is generally agreed upon that 128 00:09:16,679 --> 00:09:20,679 Speaker 1: they did not surrender, but Chinese sources allege ma Yuan 129 00:09:21,040 --> 00:09:24,760 Speaker 1: captured and executed them and sent their heads to the 130 00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:29,880 Speaker 1: Han Court, Vietnamese sources claim that the sisters committed suicide 131 00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:36,600 Speaker 1: by drowning themselves in the Hot Gung River. Vietnamese sources 132 00:09:36,679 --> 00:09:40,400 Speaker 1: claim that the sisters committed suicide by drowning themselves in 133 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:44,360 Speaker 1: the Hat Young River now known as the Die. As 134 00:09:44,520 --> 00:09:47,680 Speaker 1: was the case with the story of Chung Chunk's husband, 135 00:09:48,080 --> 00:09:52,120 Speaker 1: the logic behind the biases and cultural investments of these 136 00:09:52,160 --> 00:09:57,520 Speaker 1: different narratives is clear. From the Chinese, we see a decisive, 137 00:09:57,840 --> 00:10:02,880 Speaker 1: brutal victory reclaiming what was in their minds stolen from them, 138 00:10:02,920 --> 00:10:07,720 Speaker 1: even if it had been actually reclaimed by its rightful inheritors. 139 00:10:07,920 --> 00:10:12,200 Speaker 1: For the Vietnamese, the tragedy ends poetically with the sisters, 140 00:10:12,240 --> 00:10:15,640 Speaker 1: who gave everything they had to their homeland, choosing to 141 00:10:15,760 --> 00:10:19,560 Speaker 1: end their lives in its own water. While much of 142 00:10:19,600 --> 00:10:22,880 Speaker 1: the discussion of the Chung sister centers around the idea 143 00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:25,760 Speaker 1: of them, it's also worth thinking about the role that 144 00:10:25,800 --> 00:10:30,320 Speaker 1: their physical bodies in these two alternate endings take. When 145 00:10:30,320 --> 00:10:33,080 Speaker 1: they drown in the head Young, they are dying in 146 00:10:33,200 --> 00:10:37,520 Speaker 1: their own country, returning their bodies to its soil. When 147 00:10:37,559 --> 00:10:41,360 Speaker 1: they're executed by the Chinese, their heads are taken back 148 00:10:41,400 --> 00:10:44,439 Speaker 1: to the Han court to be put on display as 149 00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:48,800 Speaker 1: a show of domination. That's the tricky thing with icons 150 00:10:48,880 --> 00:10:52,599 Speaker 1: from any point in history, even their bodies are absorbed 151 00:10:52,640 --> 00:10:55,520 Speaker 1: into the narratives, and it's impossible to know what the 152 00:10:55,559 --> 00:10:59,960 Speaker 1: truth is. So now let's talk about how the leg 153 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:03,559 Speaker 1: to see of the Chung Sisters has evolved. Our first 154 00:11:03,640 --> 00:11:07,400 Speaker 1: recorded account of the Chung Sisters comes four centuries after 155 00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:12,560 Speaker 1: their rule, when the Chinese historian Fanie compiled the historical 156 00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:16,360 Speaker 1: records of the later Han, and it wasn't until twelve 157 00:11:16,520 --> 00:11:20,720 Speaker 1: seventy two that the Sisters entered Vietnamese records. When lev 158 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:24,320 Speaker 1: On Who, the court historian of the Chong dynasty, wrote 159 00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:28,640 Speaker 1: them into the official dynastic histories. He cited their rule 160 00:11:28,760 --> 00:11:33,000 Speaker 1: as one of the earliest Viet kingdoms, prompting future historians 161 00:11:33,040 --> 00:11:36,439 Speaker 1: to do the same. He even referenced Chung Chunk as 162 00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:41,120 Speaker 1: a female king, and that title has persisted. As more 163 00:11:41,240 --> 00:11:44,400 Speaker 1: historians added to the record, the scope of the Chong 164 00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:49,280 Speaker 1: sisters legacy expanded. Another early archivist would tell us that 165 00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:53,320 Speaker 1: just three years after their final defeat, locals built a 166 00:11:53,400 --> 00:11:56,600 Speaker 1: temple to honor the sisters, where the locals would come 167 00:11:56,679 --> 00:11:59,720 Speaker 1: in times of need to ask the sisters for aid. 168 00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:04,120 Speaker 1: There's a story recognizing the spiritual role the Chongs played 169 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:08,120 Speaker 1: during this time. During a great draft, the twelfth century 170 00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:13,320 Speaker 1: emperor Lion Thong ordered Buddhist masters to perform rituals to 171 00:12:13,400 --> 00:12:17,280 Speaker 1: pray for rain. The rain did come, and soon after 172 00:12:17,480 --> 00:12:22,000 Speaker 1: the emperor dreamed of two women riding steel horses and 173 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:26,440 Speaker 1: pulling the rein behind them. A fourteenth century text of 174 00:12:26,480 --> 00:12:30,840 Speaker 1: the tale describes the women's appearance in the dream, quote 175 00:12:31,240 --> 00:12:34,920 Speaker 1: their faces were fair, and their brows like willows. Their 176 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:38,959 Speaker 1: robes were green, and their trousers read. Their hats were red, 177 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:43,280 Speaker 1: and they wore belts and quote. When the emperor asked 178 00:12:43,360 --> 00:12:47,959 Speaker 1: them who they were, they responded, we are the Chong sisters. 179 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:51,120 Speaker 1: We have responded to your request and have made the rain. 180 00:12:52,120 --> 00:12:55,480 Speaker 1: When the emperor awoke, he ordered the restoration of their 181 00:12:55,520 --> 00:12:59,440 Speaker 1: temple and made offerings to honor their spirits, and he 182 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:04,680 Speaker 1: gave them the title Divine Chase. Ladies. We don't have 183 00:13:04,760 --> 00:13:08,200 Speaker 1: time to unpack everything behind that title, but I do 184 00:13:08,280 --> 00:13:12,240 Speaker 1: think it's worth thinking about portraying the sister specifically as Chased. 185 00:13:12,800 --> 00:13:16,480 Speaker 1: In connection with the Vietnamese version of events, in which 186 00:13:16,559 --> 00:13:20,120 Speaker 1: Cheung Cha is a widow performing her rebellion in honor 187 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:24,280 Speaker 1: of her late husband. The emphasis on their fair faces 188 00:13:24,360 --> 00:13:27,920 Speaker 1: and willowy browse is also part of a repeating theme. 189 00:13:28,440 --> 00:13:33,640 Speaker 1: Not only are the Trunk Sisters military prowesses celebrated throughout history, 190 00:13:33,679 --> 00:13:37,880 Speaker 1: but so is their supposed beauty. These descriptions elevate their 191 00:13:37,880 --> 00:13:43,040 Speaker 1: status to something mythological and distinctly feminine, which falls in 192 00:13:43,080 --> 00:13:48,480 Speaker 1: line with narrative surrounding iconic women across cultures. Athena is, 193 00:13:48,640 --> 00:13:51,480 Speaker 1: after all, the goddess of wisdom and warfare, but she's 194 00:13:51,520 --> 00:13:54,800 Speaker 1: known just as well for the countless depictions of her beauty. 195 00:13:55,280 --> 00:13:59,800 Speaker 1: People love to talk about Boudica's flaming red hair. Through 196 00:13:59,840 --> 00:14:03,479 Speaker 1: these texts on the Chung Sisters, we see a conflict 197 00:14:03,600 --> 00:14:07,760 Speaker 1: as to how to characterize them. They're often described in 198 00:14:07,880 --> 00:14:10,880 Speaker 1: terms typically reserved for men when it comes to their 199 00:14:10,920 --> 00:14:15,280 Speaker 1: wartime prowess, yet there's an emphasis on their appearance fitting 200 00:14:15,320 --> 00:14:20,320 Speaker 1: traditional feminine beauty standards and Chung trucks case a strong 201 00:14:20,440 --> 00:14:24,480 Speaker 1: devotion to her husband. It's a conflict that will evolve 202 00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:28,880 Speaker 1: over time but never quite resolve. They're usually made to 203 00:14:29,000 --> 00:14:35,440 Speaker 1: be everything at once, both fierce masculine kings but also beautiful, devoted, 204 00:14:35,680 --> 00:14:40,560 Speaker 1: chaste widows. The sisters gained their next boost in popularity 205 00:14:40,760 --> 00:14:45,000 Speaker 1: years later, when Vietnam was struggling against French colonialism in 206 00:14:45,040 --> 00:14:48,680 Speaker 1: the early twentieth century. Here we begin to see the 207 00:14:48,680 --> 00:14:51,560 Speaker 1: sisters show up more frequently in works of art and 208 00:14:51,640 --> 00:14:55,600 Speaker 1: theater as a means of protesting the French government. In 209 00:14:55,680 --> 00:14:59,960 Speaker 1: one famous drama written by the anti imperialist activist Bongboche, 210 00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:02,840 Speaker 1: Uh Cheong Cha is worried that she cannot lead the 211 00:15:02,960 --> 00:15:06,800 Speaker 1: army after her husband's death as a quote, mere woman, 212 00:15:07,400 --> 00:15:10,800 Speaker 1: and so she passes the responsibility to her nephew, who 213 00:15:10,880 --> 00:15:15,280 Speaker 1: also dies. Chung Ni advises her elder sister quote not 214 00:15:15,360 --> 00:15:18,640 Speaker 1: to behave just like ordinary women, but to rise to 215 00:15:18,680 --> 00:15:22,640 Speaker 1: the occasion only at the point that no men are left. 216 00:15:23,200 --> 00:15:26,640 Speaker 1: In the story, once the sisters capture the Chinese governor, 217 00:15:26,680 --> 00:15:29,720 Speaker 1: they read out a list of the crimes of the invaders. 218 00:15:30,440 --> 00:15:33,880 Speaker 1: As the historian Sarah Womack points out in her article 219 00:15:34,280 --> 00:15:38,240 Speaker 1: The Remakings of a Legend, the Chung story serves several 220 00:15:38,280 --> 00:15:42,160 Speaker 1: purposes at this time. One it advocates for its author's 221 00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:46,720 Speaker 1: belief in an armed resistance movement, and two, in explicitly 222 00:15:46,880 --> 00:15:52,000 Speaker 1: listing the evils of a foreign oppressor. WOMAC additionally argues 223 00:15:52,040 --> 00:15:55,840 Speaker 1: that for all of its progressive values, the play quote 224 00:15:56,120 --> 00:16:01,000 Speaker 1: opposes women's liberation even as it endorses Vietnam end quote. 225 00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:05,000 Speaker 1: In this telling, the addition of the nephew character, who 226 00:16:05,040 --> 00:16:09,200 Speaker 1: never appeared in any original records, serves to further distant 227 00:16:09,320 --> 00:16:12,520 Speaker 1: Chung Cho from her authority. She passes off the role 228 00:16:12,560 --> 00:16:16,560 Speaker 1: of leader until she is the last possible choice. The 229 00:16:16,640 --> 00:16:19,720 Speaker 1: play even goes so far as to make repeated jokes 230 00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:23,320 Speaker 1: at women's expense. The author seems to be implying that 231 00:16:23,320 --> 00:16:26,040 Speaker 1: the Chung's revolution has all of the bones for a 232 00:16:26,080 --> 00:16:29,520 Speaker 1: perfect allegory. It's just too bad that they happen to 233 00:16:29,560 --> 00:16:36,560 Speaker 1: be women. At the same time, the Chungs were beginning 234 00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:41,320 Speaker 1: to appear in feminist texts with a catch. You see, 235 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:45,280 Speaker 1: the French were heavily monitoring the Vietnamese press, looking for 236 00:16:45,360 --> 00:16:51,200 Speaker 1: anything with nationalist sentiments. So Women's News, a liberal periodical 237 00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:55,560 Speaker 1: covering social, political, and economic news, had to get clever. 238 00:16:56,840 --> 00:17:00,680 Speaker 1: In their March six, nine thirty issue, the day that 239 00:17:00,760 --> 00:17:05,199 Speaker 1: traditionally commemorates the sister's death, the magazine tells the story 240 00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:07,399 Speaker 1: of the chungs in a way that the French would 241 00:17:07,400 --> 00:17:12,560 Speaker 1: read as more feminist leaning than nationalist. Chung Chra's husband 242 00:17:12,680 --> 00:17:15,640 Speaker 1: is killed, but there's an emphasis on her taking up 243 00:17:15,760 --> 00:17:18,160 Speaker 1: arms out of the love of her people and her 244 00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:21,960 Speaker 1: deceased husband, rather than out of anger or as a 245 00:17:22,040 --> 00:17:26,440 Speaker 1: last resolve. There's no added nephew here either. There is 246 00:17:26,520 --> 00:17:30,240 Speaker 1: mention of the women generals we read about in earlier texts, 247 00:17:30,280 --> 00:17:33,320 Speaker 1: and an emphasis on how the people revered Chung Chra 248 00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:37,119 Speaker 1: as their queen. This version of the story returned to 249 00:17:37,160 --> 00:17:40,920 Speaker 1: the sisters their active role, which the play had stripped 250 00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:45,600 Speaker 1: them of their skilled warriors and respected queens. And because 251 00:17:45,640 --> 00:17:49,680 Speaker 1: this magazine story is so focused on, let's say, their 252 00:17:49,920 --> 00:17:55,560 Speaker 1: girl power, the nationalist subtext could make it through French censorship. 253 00:17:57,160 --> 00:18:00,159 Speaker 1: As you might have guessed, the next big boom in 254 00:18:00,240 --> 00:18:04,399 Speaker 1: Chung popularity was in the mid twentieth century, when the 255 00:18:04,440 --> 00:18:08,639 Speaker 1: state was divided into North and South Vietnam on both 256 00:18:08,680 --> 00:18:12,600 Speaker 1: sides of the seventeenth Parallel. The iconography of the sisters 257 00:18:12,640 --> 00:18:17,199 Speaker 1: appeared on posters, monuments, and all kinds of artwork. We 258 00:18:17,280 --> 00:18:20,160 Speaker 1: also have photos from around this time of the Habang 259 00:18:20,240 --> 00:18:23,720 Speaker 1: Tung Parade in Saigan, where women rode down the street 260 00:18:23,760 --> 00:18:27,240 Speaker 1: on the backs of elephants. To honor the sister's legacy. 261 00:18:27,880 --> 00:18:31,080 Speaker 1: A statue was even commissioned by Madame Knew, the de 262 00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:35,840 Speaker 1: facto First Lady of South Vietnam, who likened herself to them. 263 00:18:36,040 --> 00:18:39,439 Speaker 1: Citizens could also post their mail with a stamp that 264 00:18:39,560 --> 00:18:44,160 Speaker 1: featured an artistic depiction of New standing alongside the sisters. 265 00:18:44,840 --> 00:18:49,240 Speaker 1: The First Lady had extensive political influence and power and 266 00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:54,560 Speaker 1: was unabashedly aggressive, remembered as the quote Dragon Lady for 267 00:18:54,720 --> 00:18:59,720 Speaker 1: her tendency towards violent word choice. As a political figure, 268 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:05,600 Speaker 1: she established the Women's Solidarity Movement, a female paramilitary organization, 269 00:19:05,960 --> 00:19:08,640 Speaker 1: the purpose of which was to rally women to join 270 00:19:08,720 --> 00:19:12,600 Speaker 1: the fight against the Viet Cong. Knew herself was often 271 00:19:12,640 --> 00:19:17,000 Speaker 1: pictured flashing her handgun in public. Aligning herself with the 272 00:19:17,080 --> 00:19:21,240 Speaker 1: Chongs made sense, but instead of the Chinese, her targets 273 00:19:21,240 --> 00:19:26,159 Speaker 1: were the communist North and the French imperialists. Let's just 274 00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:30,119 Speaker 1: say it is dangerous territory to begin even throwing the 275 00:19:30,119 --> 00:19:33,520 Speaker 1: word feminist around anything to do with Madam Knew. Though 276 00:19:33,880 --> 00:19:38,400 Speaker 1: she famously pushed for the passing of morality laws, which 277 00:19:38,440 --> 00:19:44,800 Speaker 1: included banning abortion, contraceptives, divorce, even dance halls and beauty pageants. 278 00:19:45,640 --> 00:19:49,400 Speaker 1: In North Vietnam, the Chong story took on a different role, 279 00:19:49,920 --> 00:19:53,159 Speaker 1: as one could infer, Rather than aligning the Chongs with 280 00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:58,199 Speaker 1: anyone figure, their narrative became one of collective action, turning 281 00:19:58,200 --> 00:20:01,840 Speaker 1: the clock back just a few years to nineteen forty nine. 282 00:20:02,119 --> 00:20:05,600 Speaker 1: The historian Womax cites another work from a local journal. 283 00:20:06,119 --> 00:20:09,920 Speaker 1: This one was called The People's News and They're telling 284 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:14,360 Speaker 1: of the story uniquely concentrates on the Chong's mother, Mantien, 285 00:20:14,880 --> 00:20:18,919 Speaker 1: setting the stories traditional heroes to the side. It was 286 00:20:19,040 --> 00:20:22,000 Speaker 1: she who led her daughters and son in law in 287 00:20:22,119 --> 00:20:27,760 Speaker 1: revolt against the Chinese, with quote comrades from across the land, 288 00:20:28,240 --> 00:20:31,399 Speaker 1: organizing proops of female soldiers to aid in their fight. 289 00:20:32,119 --> 00:20:35,920 Speaker 1: The mother led her troops and those of Taisak, while 290 00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:41,920 Speaker 1: Chong Ni assumed responsibility of forming people's organizations and local resistance. 291 00:20:42,640 --> 00:20:47,000 Speaker 1: Chong Cha, the typical main character, only enters the narrative 292 00:20:47,119 --> 00:20:50,960 Speaker 1: once her husband is murdered. This plot point takes on 293 00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:54,040 Speaker 1: a completely unique role in this version of the story. 294 00:20:54,520 --> 00:20:58,320 Speaker 1: Tisak started out following the command of his mother in law, 295 00:20:58,680 --> 00:21:02,320 Speaker 1: but quote fault heard in his dedication to armed rebellion 296 00:21:02,680 --> 00:21:06,199 Speaker 1: and tried to work within the Chinese system for reform 297 00:21:06,320 --> 00:21:10,880 Speaker 1: end quote. Almost immediately he was betrayed and killed by 298 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:16,760 Speaker 1: his quote imperial masters. In the end, mother and sisters 299 00:21:16,800 --> 00:21:22,680 Speaker 1: are portrayed as martyrs. The quote Flowers of Independence teasacks death, 300 00:21:22,960 --> 00:21:26,879 Speaker 1: instead of being a tragic stand against Chinese oppressors, was 301 00:21:26,920 --> 00:21:31,119 Speaker 1: the natural result of collaborating with the enemy. It's a 302 00:21:31,240 --> 00:21:35,600 Speaker 1: message Womack assesses to any wavering moderates who might have 303 00:21:35,640 --> 00:21:42,919 Speaker 1: been reading the paper. In contrast to the first play 304 00:21:43,080 --> 00:21:45,959 Speaker 1: about the sisters that I mentioned, we see a greater 305 00:21:46,119 --> 00:21:51,080 Speaker 1: unity between the Vietnamese independence movements and women's movements in 306 00:21:51,240 --> 00:21:55,320 Speaker 1: later versions of the stories. The introduction of the Chung's 307 00:21:55,400 --> 00:21:59,320 Speaker 1: mother into the narrative reflects a theme in Northern propaganda 308 00:21:59,640 --> 00:22:03,359 Speaker 1: that emphasized the importance of the role of the Vietnamese mother. 309 00:22:04,040 --> 00:22:08,399 Speaker 1: But despite the emphasis on the Chung's families military capabilities 310 00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:12,000 Speaker 1: and that telling, women in the Northern military were often 311 00:22:12,040 --> 00:22:16,200 Speaker 1: only considered capable of handling support duties, and they faced 312 00:22:16,200 --> 00:22:20,520 Speaker 1: restrictions on engaging in direct combat. After all, women are 313 00:22:20,560 --> 00:22:27,480 Speaker 1: the flowers of independence. What connects all of these cultural interpretations. 314 00:22:28,080 --> 00:22:30,679 Speaker 1: We hear that history is written by the victors. But 315 00:22:30,840 --> 00:22:34,840 Speaker 1: that's not always necessarily true, because when the lines between 316 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:39,800 Speaker 1: history and legend are blurred, history is perhaps written over 317 00:22:39,840 --> 00:22:44,440 Speaker 1: and over again. At the risk of quoting Hamilton's there 318 00:22:44,560 --> 00:22:47,719 Speaker 1: is something to be said for who tells your story? 319 00:22:48,480 --> 00:22:52,440 Speaker 1: With just a few concrete historical elements to their narrative, 320 00:22:52,840 --> 00:22:57,680 Speaker 1: the Chung Sisters can be anything and everything to whoever 321 00:22:57,960 --> 00:23:12,600 Speaker 1: needs them. That's the story of the Chung Sisters and 322 00:23:12,600 --> 00:23:16,119 Speaker 1: their legend in Vietnam. But keep listening after a brief 323 00:23:16,160 --> 00:23:19,160 Speaker 1: sponsor break to hear a little bit more about how 324 00:23:19,160 --> 00:23:32,919 Speaker 1: they're interpreted in the present day. The Chung Sisters haven't 325 00:23:32,960 --> 00:23:37,080 Speaker 1: just been staples in Vietnamese written word. Their iconography is 326 00:23:37,119 --> 00:23:41,600 Speaker 1: present in music as well. Just this year, a prominent 327 00:23:41,640 --> 00:23:45,160 Speaker 1: theater in Htm City staged a new version of Ting 328 00:23:45,280 --> 00:23:52,520 Speaker 1: Chong Mei Ling seven Kyloon, or reformed opera about the Sisters, 329 00:23:53,280 --> 00:23:58,120 Speaker 1: using young performers and incorporating modern techniques. The director's goal 330 00:23:58,240 --> 00:24:01,360 Speaker 1: was to interest more young people in the piece of history. 331 00:24:01,920 --> 00:24:05,480 Speaker 1: Kai Lung is a uniquely Vietnamese style of theater that 332 00:24:05,560 --> 00:24:10,440 Speaker 1: originated in the nineteen twenties, combining opera and spoken drama. 333 00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:15,080 Speaker 1: The drum. Sound of Mailing, as its title roughly translates, 334 00:24:15,480 --> 00:24:19,480 Speaker 1: is one of the art form's most iconic productions, staged 335 00:24:19,600 --> 00:24:24,040 Speaker 1: many times with many of Vietnam's top opera performers. One 336 00:24:24,080 --> 00:24:27,720 Speaker 1: of the play's most famous songs is a farewell from 337 00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:32,240 Speaker 1: Chung Chalk to Teasack before his execution. Even as she 338 00:24:32,320 --> 00:24:35,600 Speaker 1: says goodbye to her husband, her heart is still with 339 00:24:35,640 --> 00:24:41,280 Speaker 1: her country. The lyrics translate incredibly roughly to the sky 340 00:24:41,440 --> 00:24:45,280 Speaker 1: of our southern country is dark, the enemy so violent 341 00:24:45,440 --> 00:24:50,560 Speaker 1: throughout the country. I'm displeased with my personal happiness. Sacrifice 342 00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:54,159 Speaker 1: our blood and bones together with all people. Do not 343 00:24:54,480 --> 00:24:58,760 Speaker 1: forget the oath. If that's not operatic, I don't know 344 00:24:58,800 --> 00:25:15,800 Speaker 1: what is. Noble Blood is a production of I Heart 345 00:25:15,880 --> 00:25:19,560 Speaker 1: Radio and Grimm and Mild from Aaron Mankey. Noble Blood 346 00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:23,800 Speaker 1: is hosted by me Danish Sports. Additional writing and researching 347 00:25:23,840 --> 00:25:28,200 Speaker 1: done by Hannah Johnston, hannah's Wick, Miura Hayward, Courtney Sunder 348 00:25:28,320 --> 00:25:32,360 Speaker 1: and Laurie Goodman. The show is produced by rema Il Kali, 349 00:25:32,720 --> 00:25:37,560 Speaker 1: with supervising producer Josh Thane and executive producers Aaron Mankey, 350 00:25:37,800 --> 00:25:41,520 Speaker 1: Alex Williams and Matt Frederick For more podcasts from I 351 00:25:41,640 --> 00:25:45,640 Speaker 1: heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple podcasts, 352 00:25:45,720 --> 00:25:47,639 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.