Yesterday at work, I was speaking to a coworker in Vietnamese. He was a older gentleman. This Egyptian coworker of mine starts making fun of my language and my heritage. Disrespect and insult to my culture. Also my dignity and honor was disrespect. Call him out on it and reminded him that he is a minority to. Said to him Have you taken a look at your skin color and realize the the white man don't like you either. I swear most of these people from other countries come here and have no social awareness of what they said is rude and offensive.

After some Tây Sơn generals were defeated by the Siamese, Nguyễn Huệ himself led his armies against the invaders. At the battle of Rạch Gầm - Xoài Mút, the Siamese were defeated and were forced to retreat back to their homeland.

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One of the secret weapons of the Tây Sơn force was the Hỏa Hổ Thần Công (Flaming Tiger Cannon), which could release a stream of fire at a very long range.

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Many Siamese wooden fleets were burnt by that siege weapon, reducing the Siamese navy's capability to carry out attacks against its enemies,

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Mai Xuan Thuong (also known as Mai Van Sieu) was an intellectual and a leader in the movement to oppose the French colonization at the end of the 19th century. He excelled in both martial arts and in his academic studies. When he was captured by French, he told his captors that for a captured general there is no surrender, only beheading. Realizing that they would not be able to convince him to their side, they executed him. He was 27 years old. His last name “Mai” also means white apricot blossoms and thus the reason for the white flowers in the artwork.

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Do doc Tuyet (birth name Nguyen Van Tuyet) (?-1802) and his wife Tran thi Lan were famous generals under the Tay Son Dynasty. He is considered one of the elite seven Tiger Generals. Both he and his wife were skilled martial artists. This fantasy artwork shows them performing sword play.

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Yet Kieu (1242-1301; birth name Phạm Hữu Thế) was a hero during the resistance against Mongol invasion in the 13th century. He was an excellent swimmer/diver and used his underwater skills to attack enemy ships by poking holes into them while underwater using basic tools..

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Việt Nam Anh Hùng – Con Rồng Cháu Tiên – Trai Gái Tài Sắc Vẹn Toàn Referring to the Viet proud lineage as descendants of the Dragon and Fairy – Both men and women as talented and beautiful.

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Việt Nam Anh Hùng – Con Rồng Cháu Tiên – Trai Gái Tài Sắc Vẹn Toàn Referring to the Viet proud lineage as descendants of the Dragon and Fairy – Both men and women as talented and beautiful.

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Truong Cong Dinh (1820 – 1864) sometimes known as Trương Công Định. He was a mandarin in the Nguyễn Dynasty. He is best known for leading a guerrilla army in southern Vietnam against the French invasion in defiance of the emperor. This artwork illustrates the moment he was named “Bình Tây Đại Nguyên Soái” – meaning “Defeating-the-French General”

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Trieu Thi Trinh (also known as Bà Triệu or Lady Trieu) (225–248 AD) was a Viet female warrior in the 3rd century AD who fought against the Kingdom of Wu. She is famously quoted as saying, “I want to ride the strong winds and fierce waves, conquer the monster sea creatures, fight the Chinese oppression, free our land of invaders, and get rid of the yoke of slavery; I refuse to kowtow and be someone’s mistress.” This artwork is an imagery of her quote.

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Triệu Việt Vương (?-571) was a Viet independence leader in the 6th century who succeeded Lý Bí. This artwork shows him as a pioneer in waging guerilla war tactics and using terrains such as swamps to his advantage while leading a resistance against the Chinese Liang Empire.

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Tran Quoc Toan (1267–1285) was a marquis of the Trần Dynasty who was well known for his role in the second war of resistance of Đại Việt against the Mongol invasion. He is a symbol of young Vietnamese patriots. This artwork illustrates the story of how he crushed an orange in his hand out of frustration when he learned that he was not allowed to take part in a military conference to plan for the Mongolian invasion due to his young age.

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Prince Chiêu Minh Trần Quang Khải (1241–1294) was the third son of Trần Thái Tông, the first emperor of the Trần Dynasty. In the second war of resistance against Mongol invasion, Trần Quang Khải and Trần Hưng Đạo were two key commanders of the Đại Việt army who helped the emperor defeat the forces of Kublai Khan’s prince Toghan. This artwork illustrates his famous naval battle at Chương Dương.

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Tran Quang Dieu (1760–1802) was another famous general under Tây Sơn dynasty. He was also considered as one of the “Tây Sơn Seven Tiger” generals. This artwork illustrates his battle at Quy Nhơn.

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Prince Chiêu Văn Trần Nhật Duật (1255–1330) was the sixth prince of Trần Thái Tông, the first emperor of Trần Dynasty. In the second war of resistance against Mongol invasion, Trần Nhật Duật was the general who commanded Đại Việt army to defeat the navy of Mongol general Sogetu in Battle of Hàm Tử, one of the most important victories of the Trần Dynasty.

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Tran Nguyen Han (?-1429) was a talented general who joined the Lam Sơn Uprising against the Chinese Ming forces and was victorious in many battles.''

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Tran Hung Dao (1228–1300) was the supreme commander of the Đại Việt’s armies during the Trần Dynasty that repelled two major Mongol invasions in the 13th century. He is regarded as one of the most accomplished military tacticians in world history for defeating the mighty Mongolian Empire at the height of its power.''

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Tran Binh Trong (1259–1285) was a general of the Trần Dynasty known for his heroic action in the war of Dai Viet against second Mongol invasion. This artworks illustrates him as an immortal god-protector of Vietnam’s territories after he bravely chose to die rather than betray his country when he was captured by the Yuan Dynasty. The theme of the artwork is “Heroes are mortals but their Heroism is immortal.”

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Tong Duy Tan (1837-1892) was the leader of the famous Hùng Lĩnh uprising against the French.

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To Hien Thanh (?-1179) was an official in the royal court of Lý Anh Tông and Lý Cao Tông, the sixth and seventh emperors of the Lý Dynasty. Today, Tô Hiến Thành was one of the most prominent mandarins in the dynastic time of Vietnam. This artwork illustrates his battle against Chenla.

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Thánh Gióng is one of four great immortals in Vietnamese folklores. He defeated the Chinese Ân invaders and brought peace to the country. Thánh Gióng represents the spirit of patriotism and nationalism of Vietnam.

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Quang Trung (1753-1792) was one of the three Tây Sơn brothers. He is also known as Emperor Quang Trung – the second emperor of the Tây Sơn Dynasty of Vietnam. He was also one of the most successful military commanders in Vietnam’s history. This artwork illustrates his famous battle in defeating the much larger Chinese Qing army during Vietnamese New Year at Đống Đa (close to today’s Hanoi).

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Phung Thi Chinh was a Vietnamese noblewoman who fought with the Trưng sisters in efforts to repel the Han invaders from Vietnam in 43 A.D. According to legends, she was pregnant at the time and gave birth on the front lines. She carried her newborn in one arm and a sword in the other as she fought to open the enemy ranks.

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Phung Hung (761–802) was a military leader who briefly ruled Vietnam during the 8th century. This artwork captures a legend in which he, with his great strength and fighting skills, single-handedly defeated a tiger.

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Phan Dinh Phung (1847 – 1895) was the leader of the famous Hương Khê uprising (as part of the Cần Vương Movement against the French (1885-1896)). This artwork illustrates Phan Đình Phùng with his most able general Cao Thắng.

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Pham Ngu Lao (1255–1320) was a general during the Trần dynasty. This artworks shows when he was first noticed by Prince Hưng Đạo Trần Quốc Tuấn for his talents.

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Nguyen Xi (1396-1465 ) was a general who joined the Lam Sơn uprising against the Ming. This artwork illustrates his battle against Ming general Vương Thông at Tốt Động.

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Nguyen Trung Truc (1839–1868) was the leader of the uprising against French colonial forces in the Mekong Delta in south Vietnam in the 1860s. This artwork illustrates Nguyễn Trung Trực and his men burning the French ship – L’Esperance at Nhật Tảo.

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Nguyen Tri Phuong (1800-1873) was a great general/commander under Nguyễn dynasty. This artwork shows the battle at Gia Định.

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Nguyen Trai (1380–1442) was a brilliant Đại Việt Confucian scholar, a noted poet, a skilled politician and a master tactician under Later Lê dynasty. He was the chief advisor of Lê Lợi during the war to free the country from the Chinese Ming forces. This artwork illustrates him writing “Bình Ngô đại cáo” – the Declaration of Independence from China. In the opening lines of this document, he emphasized that the role of the king is to protect and care for the people.

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Nguyen Thien Thuat (1844-1926) was a leader of the famous Bãi Sậy uprising (as part of the Cần Vương Movement or Aid-the-King Movement) to fight against the French colonial rule.

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Nguyễn Phi Khanh was a court official under Hồ dynasty. This artwork shows him and his young son – Nguyễn Trãi at the Nam Quan border gate when he was taken as a prisoner of war to China after the Hồ dynasty was defeated. He told his son to return home and find a way to fight the Ming troops and reclaim the country’s independence.

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Nguyen Huynh Duc (1748 – 1819) was a famous general who helped to establish the Nguyễn dynasty. This artwork illustrates his saving the young Nguyen Anh (later Emperor Gia Long) during a fierce battle.

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Nguyen Hoang (1525 – 1613) was the first of the Nguyễn Lords who ruled south Vietnam and who implemented the southward expansion initiative. This artwork illustrates his famous “exodus” to the South which helped to expand the country in the southward direction.

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Ngô Vương ushered in a new Viet era of continuous independence and political autonomy from China. This artwork illustrates his famous naval battle at Bach Dang River during which he lured enemy ships to a part of the river planted with iron spikes, which impaled the ships as the tide waters receded.

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Mai Thúc Loan (or Mai Huyền Thành, titled Mai Hắc Đế, literally Mai the Black Emperor), was the Viet leader of the 722 uprising against the rule of the Chinese Tang Dynasty. This artwork captures him riding on the back of a Black Tortoise (Xuanwu), one of the four mythological creatures. Xuanwu represents his Feng shui element – water, which is depicted as black, and thus his title of “Mai the Black Emperor.”

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Ly Thuong Kiet (Ngo Tuan) (1019–1105) was a famous general during the Lý Dynasty. To inspire his men for battle against the Chinese Song army, he wrote a four-line poem, considered to be the first Vietnamese Declaration of Independence. This artwork illustrates him with the words of the poem together with a Vietnamese bronze drum and Hoàng Sa (Paracel Islands), Trường Sa (Spratly Islands). Viet Toon dedicates this artwork to those who have sacrificed their lives to protect Vietnam’s Paracel Islands and Spratley Islands.

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Ly Thai To (974-1028) was the first emperor of the Ly Dynasty. He was a visionary and accomplished many important things during his reign. In 1010, he moved the country’s capital from Hoa Lu, a mountainous region, to a flatter, more even region that allowed for future growth and expansion. He named the new capital “Thang Long,” which means “Ascending Dragon.” The year 2010 marked the one thousand year anniversary of Thang Long (today’s Hanoi).

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Ly Bi or Lý Nam Đế, meaning the Southern Emperor Lý, (503 to 548 A.D. is considered to be the first emperor of Vietnam and the founder of the Early Lý Dynasty, which lasted from 544 to 602 A.D. He is shown with his trusted general Trieu Quang Phuc.

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An Dương Vương ruled the ancient kingdom of Âu Lạc from 257 to 207 BC after uniting the two tribes Âu Việt and Lạc Việt. This artwork illustrates the myth of him battling the white rooster creature (representing ancient China) with the sword given to him by the Magical Tortoise. The defeat of the white rooster allowed the construction of the Cổ Loa citadel to be completed. An Duong Vuong’s outfit in the painting is drawn based upon the symbols found on the ancient Viet bronze drums.

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Bui Thi Xuan (?-1802) was a general in the Tây Sơn Dynasty. This artwork captures her great composure and courage in her final moments as she was executed by enemy forces (trampled by elephants). The painting portraits her as a God-sent warrior who peacefully returns to Heaven after completing her mission on ear

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When the country faces threats from foreign forces, the Viet people will make great sacrifices to protect the country. This artwork illustrates a wife bidding farewell to her husband who is going off to war. This artwork is inspired from the song-story “Hòn Vọng Phu” and Chinh Phụ Ngâm

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With no news from her husband, Chinh Phu holding their child and waiting for her husband’s safe return. This artwork has the famous Bản Giốc waterfalls (located at the Vietnam-China border) in the background.

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Dang Dung (?-1414) was the son of Đặng Tất and was a talented general and a noted poet. In this artwork, he is sharpening his sword under the moon light and waiting for the right opportunity, but it never arrived. This is the theme of his poem “Thuật Hoài.” In the artwork, he is shown as physically strong in order to express the aspiration in the Viet culture that men and women should strive to be strong both academically and physically.

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Đinh Tiên Hoàng (birth name Đinh Bộ Lĩnh (924–979) ended the prolonged civil war –known as the Upheavals of Twelve Warlords. As a child, he often rode water buffalo and played war games with other children.

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Dinh Le and Dinh Liet were two brothers who joined the Lam Sơn uprising (led by Le Loi) against the Chinese Ming armies . Both were talented generals and were among the elite “Tiger Generals” in the Later Lê dynasty.

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Nguyen Phuc Anh (1762 –1820) (or Emperor Gia Long) unified what is now modern Vietnam in 1802 after many years of civil war. After overthrowing the rule of the Tay Son Dynasty (with the help of the French), he founded the Nguyễn Dynasty and moved the capital from Thang Long (today’s Hanoi) to Hue. During his reign, he changed the name of the country from “Dai Viet” to “Vietnam.” This painting is drawn based upon his actual image.

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According to Vietnamese mythology, Au Co was an immortal mountain fairy who married Lạc Long Quân, and bore an egg sac that hatched a hundred children known collectively as Baiyue, ancestors to the Vietnamese people. Âu Cơ is often honored as the mother of Vietnamese civilization. In this artwork, Âu Cơ protects Vietnam’s lands from invaders.

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According to myths, he was the descendant of dragons that ruled the seas. This artwork shows Lạc Long Quân (as half man half dragon to symbolize his dragon lineage) protecting Vietnam’s seas from the invaders. Lạc Long Quân, who became king in 2839 BC, was the son and sole successor of Kinh Dương Vương (Lord Kinh Dương).

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The Trưng sisters or the “Two Ladies Trưng” (12 – AD 43) (Trưng Trắc and Trưng Nhị) were leaders who rebelled against the rule of the Chinese Han dynasty rule for three years. In battles, the two sisters led their troops on top of elephants. They are icons of national heroines of Vietnam.

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The short-lived Hồ dynasty (1400–1407) began when Hồ Quý Ly defeated the Later Trần dynasty and declared himself emperor. He changed the country’s name to Đại Cồ Việt (meaning Great Viet). Hồ Quý Ly adopted many major reforms. He and his son Hồ Nguyên Trừng were inventors. This artwork shows father and son designing double-deck warships and cannons.

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Hoang Dieu (1829 – 1882) was a general in the Nguyễn dynasty. This artwork illustrates his battle to defend Hanoi against the French forces to the end rather than surrender.

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Hoang Hoa Tham (1858 – 1913) was the leader of the Yen The uprising against the French. His bravery earned him the nickname “Hùm Thiêng Yên Thế” – meaning Yên Thế Sacred Panther.

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In 1284, facing the second Mongol invasion, king Trần Thánh Tông convened a conference asking the country’s elders to vote on the question of “to fight or surrender?” All immediately voted to fight until the last breath.

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This artwork, entitled “Continuation” illustrates a famous warrior-general (Sat That) from the Trần Dynasty (1225 to 1400 A.D.) passing on a famous sword engraved “Protect the Country, Eliminate Evil” to a youth in today’s times. This artwork is dedicated to those students who are voicing their opinions regarding the Spratly and Paracel Islands.

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Hung is a title used to refer to the Viet rulers of the ancient Hồng Bàng era. Hùng means “brave” and Vương means “king”. They were kings of Văn Lang of the Lạc Việt, known for bronze casting and water-rice cultivation. The flying objects in the painting are symbols on the Viet bronze drums.

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In 1306, Princess Huyen Tran was married to the Champa king as part of an exchange for the two provinces of Châu Ô and Châu Lý. This painting shows her sadness, nostalgia, and longing for her home and her country as she prepares for the wedding.

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Khúc Thừa Dụ launched a rebellion against the Chinese Tang dynasty in 905. In 906 an autonomous region in Vietnam was established under the Khúc family. This artwork illustrates Khúc Thừa Dụ and his son Khúc Hạo.

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Lac Long Quan and Au Co (the father and mother of the Viet people). One ruled the seas, and the other ruled the land.

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Le Chan was a beautiful and courageous general who fought with the Trưng Sisters in repeling the Chinese Han invaders from Vietnam in 43 A.D. She was talented in sea warfare as well as in literature and poetry.

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Lê Hoàn (the 10th century) proclaimed himself emperor Lê Đại Hành Hoàng Đế. He led his army to oppose the invasion of the Chinese Song dynasty. This artwork illustrates emperor Lê Đại Hành accompanied by a great blue/green dragon, representing Vietnam as the country was known at that time as Đại Cồ Việt (meaning Great Viet)

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Le Lai (?-1418) was another general of Lê Lợi. This artwork illustrates Lê Lai and his noble sacrifice. He tricked the Ming troops by dressing like Lê Lợi, distracted them, allowing his commander, Lê Lợi, to escape the siege by the Ming troops.

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Le Van Duyet (1764-1832) was a great general in the Nguyễn Dynasty. In this painting, he is shown overseeing the construction of the Vĩnh Tế canal.

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He slayed a water monster, ended a nine-tailed fox’s reign of terror, and his marriage to Âu Cơ began a lineage that still binds the people of the mountains to those who live by the sea. Here is the story of Lạc Long Quân, the legendary hero of Vietnam.

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The story of Lạc Long Quân coincides with the creation myth of Vietnam – the bond formed between the immortal mountain fairies and the sea dragons. As the story goes, Lạc Long Quân’s mother was the daughter of the Dragon Lord of the Sea – she herself a dragon as well – while his father was the ruler of Xích Quỷ, otherwise known as the Land of the Red Demons (the people who lived south of the Yangtze river).

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Because Lạc Long Quân’s father was a mountain god and his mother was a sea dragon, he is considered by many to be the first truly Vietnamese ruler. He was a Hùng King, the title given to rulers during the Hồng Bàng dynasty (2879–258 BC). When Lạc Long Quân began his rule, there was unrest between the people in the northern mountains and those in the southern lowlands. He sought to remedy this divide by traveling throughout his land. The stories of his successes have become those of myth – the quintessential Vietnamese story of the mountains meeting the sea.

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Taking after his mother, Lạc Long Quân had magical powers and the body of a dragon. His name actually translates to “Dragon Lord of Lac.” By using his powers and his intelligence, Lạc Long Quân was able to defeat three of the most horrible monsters of his age.

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The first was Ngư Tinh – a huge fish monster that killed and terrorized sailors. It had a body like a centipede and a tail that rose above the waves like a sail. After hearing stories from widows and fishermen along the coast, Lạc Long Quân vowed to kill the monster. With the help of the gods, Lạc Long Quân built a large ship, as well as a person made of iron – a decoy with razor sharp edges. With the iron red hot, Lạc Long Quân set out to trick the monster, using the voices of fishermen to lure the creature. It worked, but even after Ngư Tinh ate the searing iron, the beast still fought. To finish it off, Lạc Long Quân jumped into the water and battled the monster. People on the shore watched as a terrible storm raged around their battle. In the end, Lạc Long Quân cut Ngư Tinh into three pieces. The head became the top of a mountain, the skinned tail became the beach around Bạch Long Vĩ island, and the body drifted off to a faraway land.

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The second monster, Hồ Tinh, lived under a mountain just west of Hanoi. For over a thousand years, this nine-tailed fox had lured people – especially young women – back to its cave, where it tortured and ate them. It could take on many forms, often playing tricks on people to make them hate and suspect each other. Upon hearing this tale, and of the misery this beast had brought to the lives of his people, Lạc Long Quân took action. When he found Hồ Tinh, he trapped it with spells, forcing it to take its form as the giant fox. Sensing defeat, Hồ Tinh tried to flee but Lạc Long Quân chased, eventually killing him after a battle that took three whole days. As the legend goes, after Lạc Long Quân released the people from Hồ Tinh’s cave, he flooded the area. Those waters became what is now called West Lake in Hanoi.

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Lạc Long Quân found his final test in Phong Châu – present-day Việt Trì, northwest of Hanoi. There, Lạc Long Quân heard of an evil genie that had consumed an ancient tree. This evil spirit played wicked games, taking many different forms to surprise and torture people. It took Lạc Long Quân a long time to find the spirit, but when he did, the battle raged for a hundred days. When he was unable to defeat the spirit, Lạc Long Quân used gongs and loud instruments to scare it away. Joyous, the people built a palace for Lạc Long Quân, but he went back to live with his mother at her underwater home instead, telling the people he would return if and when they needed him.

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After Lạc Long Quân left, forces from the northern mountains invaded. Their chieftain fell in love with the beauty of the lowlands and decided to build a fortress to take it over. The locals resented this new ruler, so they called upon Lạc Long Quân to return and help them. Hearing their call, Lạc Long Quân came back as a handsome man and met the chieftain’s daughter, Âu Cơ – a fairy princess. She fell in love with Lạc Long Quân and left with him to live in his mountaintop palace that the locals had built. The chieftain tried to fight for his daughter’s return, but Lạc Long Quân used magic to defend his new wife. Finally, the defeated chieftain retreated back to the north.

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According to legend, when a fairy and a dragon mate, the mother, rather than giving birth to children, actually lays a sac with a hundred eggs – which is how Âu Cơ gave birth to a hundred sons. These children grew abnormally fast and all reached adulthood in a short time.

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Once their children were all men, Lạc Long Quân told Âu Cơ that they couldn’t live together anymore. He told her their habits and customs were too different – that fire and water couldn’t mix – so she should return to the mountains with 50 of their sons. The other half would go with him to his underwater palace. They would live separately, only meeting if the other side needed help for any reason. She would watch over the mountains, while he would rule over the lowlands. It’s believed that these 100 sons are the ancestors of all Vietnamese people.

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Today, there are many tributes to both Lạc Long Quân and Âu Cơ throughout Vietnam. Most cities and towns have streets named after the couple. In Ho Chi Minh City, there is actually an intersection where the two lovers still meet. In Phú Thọ province in northern Vietnam, there’s the Hùng temple, where people celebrate the lineage of the Hùng kings – all descendants of Lạc Long Quân and Âu Cơ. And in the third lunar month, Vietnamese people celebrate the Hùng Kings Festival. Lạc Long Quân is one of Vietnam’s greatest heroes – the person to unite the immortal mountain fairies and the sea dragons. He still makes Vietnamese people proud, even after all these years.