A festival to commemorate two national heroes Trung Sisters (Trung Trac and Trung Nhi), who led the country against northern invaders 1970 years ago, opened in Hanoi’s outskirts district of Me Linh on February 19.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Vice State President Nguyen Thi Doan suggested Hanoi and Me Linh district pay continued attention to combining tourism development with preserving national cultural values.

The city should promote the management of its relics and raise public awareness of preserving historical and cultural sites, she added.

A series of activities were held during the three-day event, including a procession of king’s palanquin, fighting elephants and offerings from the Ha Loi Temple to the Trung Sisters’ Temple, singing performances, dragon and lion dances and folk games.

In 39 AD, aristocrat widow Lady Le Chan and her Trung Sisters formed an army to revolt against the Chinese yoke coming from the North.

The revolt was briefly successful and the older sister, Trung Trac, established herself as ruler of an independent state and chose Me Linh as a new capital.

However, four years later, Chinese feudal armies returned and the Trung forces were routed. The Trung Sisters drowned themselves in the Hat river rather than submit to capture.