a bit of history, we go back to the time of Mongol Empire. I take the text from a blog
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The Mongols
In the thirteenth century, a devastating force swept through the continent of East Asia, leaving a path of destruction in their trail. Killing without mercy, fighting without end, and striking fear across the east, the world seemed to crumble at their feet. The ones responsible for these ruthless invasions came to be known as the Mongol warriors, led by the famous Genghis Khan. After uniting the rival tribes in Mongolia, Genghis Khan would embark on an ambitious mission to conquer all of Eurasia.
Many civilizations fell at the hands of Genghis and his Mongols, whose conquests paved the way for what came to be known as the Mongol Empire. This empire included many countries between Europe and Asia such as Poland, Afghanistan, Iraq, Germany, Ukraine, and even pieces from the Russian Empire. After Genghis’s death, his grandson Kublai was chosen as his successor. It was Kublai Khan who completed his grandfather’s mission, engulfing all of China and successfully incorporating it into the Mongol Empire.
Surrender or Fight?
When the Mongols completed their conquest of China in 1279, the Yuan Dynasty was established. The new rulers of the Chinese Empire then switched their sites to China’s southern neighbor, the young nation of Đại Việt, as their next target.
With news of the Mongols’ impending conquest, the emperor of Đại Việt was faced with a choice: surrender or fight. The odds were, as it often was, unfavourable for the small Vietnamese state. It was obvious that the Mongols had a much larger fighting force. Having just conquered the enormous country of China in its entirety, engaging the Mongols was almost suicide.
But the answer is clear. Surrender is not an option. the Đại Việt army under the command of Trần Hưng Đạo made ready to meet the enemy.
Trần Hưng Đạo and the army at the decisive battle of the Red River...
temple, dedicated to Vietnamese war-hero Tran Hung Dao.