When the Ming Dynasty invaded Vietnam, they brought the world's most advanced gunpowder weaponry.
In 1406, the Ming dynasty launched a massive invasion of Đại Ngu, modern-day northern Vietnam. Driven by a desire to restore a deposed royal line and expand imperial control, the Ming deployed cutting-edge firearms, including thunderclap bombs and continuous-bullet cannons, to systematically dismantle the kingdom and its defenses.
The conflict began after Lê Quý Ly, a radical reformer who changed his surname to Hồ, usurped the Trần dynasty throne in 1400. Following a failed coup by a Trần pretender, the Ming government intervened under the Yongle Emperor. By 1406, tensions boiled over when Hồ’s forces ambushed a Ming convoy, prompting the Emperor to dispatch a massive expeditionary force of over 200,000 troops commanded by Zhang Fu and Mu Sheng.
The war was a showcase of late-medieval military technology. The Ming army arrived with thousands of handguns, grenades, and specialized cannons. They faced a sophisticated defense at the Đa Bang fortress, where the Vietnamese had deployed bamboo-stick moats and their own indigenous firearms. Despite the strength of the fortress, the Ming utilized scaling ladders and gunpowder signal lights to breach the walls in January 1407, effectively shattering the Red River Delta’s defensive line.
Following the collapse of the Hồ dynasty, the Ming annexed the region as the province of Jiaozhi. The occupation was characterized by a systematic attempt to erase Vietnamese identity: archives were destroyed, traditional customs like teeth lacquering were banned, and the population was forced to adopt Ming dress and hairstyles. Thousands of artisans were deported to China, including the architect who would later design Beijing’s Imperial Palace. While the occupation lasted only two decades, the brutal campaign and subsequent cultural suppression left a lasting mark on the historical relationship between China and Vietnam.
Source: Ming conquest of Đại Ngu
