Ngo Quyen

Born A.D. 898, in Dong Lam, northern Vietnam; died 945. A Vietnamese feudal lord, the founder of the Ngo dynasty (939–965) and its first ruler (939–945).

In 939, Ngo Quyen headed the popular uprising that concluded half a century of continuous struggle against Chinese rule. He defeated the troops of the Chinese Southern Han dynasty and drove them out of Vietnam. He transferred the capital of the Vietnamese state to the ancient city of Co Loa. Under Ngo Quyen, Buddhism spread among the feudal elite and rapidly displaced Confucianism.