Ming Army Withdrawal from Annam

Timeline

1. 1426–1427Lien Giang (Chi Lenh) · Bac Giang ProvinceLe Loi led the Lam Son rebel army out of the mountainous region into the offensive, repeatedly defeating Ming garrison commanders Ma Ying, Liu Sheng, and others at Lien Giang, Thanh Hoa, and elsewhere between 1426 and 1427. The Ming court ordered Wang Tong to serve as commander-in-chief and come to their aid; the rebels used tactics of luring the enemy deep, cutting off supplies, and encircling and annihilating, inflicting a devastating defeat on the Ming main force at the Battle of Chi Lenh (Lien Giang), forcing Wang Tong to retreat and hold defensive positions such as Thang Long (Hanoi).
2. 1427Thang Long (Hanoi) · HanoiWang Tong was besieged in Thang Long, with provisions exhausted and no reinforcements; he then negotiated peace with Le Loi: the Ming army handed over cities and equipment, released prisoners, and withdrew northward in batches, while the Le side promised to send Ming envoys off with proper honors and resume tribute. The Ming army returned via land routes through Guangxi, the Jiaozhi Provincial Administration Commission was abolished, and the Ming dynasty's direct military occupation of Annam thus came to an end.
3. 1428Dong Kinh (Thang Long) · VietnamAfter the Ming army withdrew, Le Loi proclaimed himself emperor in 1428, taking the state name Dai Viet, known in history as the Later Le dynasty. During the Xuande era, although the Ming still regarded Annam as a vassal state, it no longer stationed a governor-general or large garrison there, maintaining the tributary order through tribute and investiture. The Lam Son victory became a symbolic milestone of Vietnamese national independence and resistance to foreign rule.