embroidery of the Trung sisters and their elephants

These elephant-riding warrior sisters freed ancient Vietnam from Chinese rule

From atop their war elephants, the Trung sisters ousted China's Han overlords in A.D. 40. They have since become heroic icons to Vietnamese people all over the world.

For nearly 2,000 years, the Trung sisters and their elephants have been popular subjects in Vietnamese art, like this 1999 embroidery from Tam Coc, Vietnam.
HALIA TRAN-ADAMS
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