A major stone citadel was constructed at Tây Đô (in today’s Thanh Hóa Province), reflecting a shift toward more centralized rule late in the Trần period. It later served as the capital during the Hồ dynasty and became a strategic target in the coming wars.
After taking power, the new court renamed the kingdom from Đại Việt to Đại Ngu and promoted reforms intended to strengthen royal authority. These changes did not remove doubts about legitimacy and fed opposition among Trần loyalists.
Hồ Quý Ly removed the last Trần emperor and established the Hồ dynasty. This break in succession weakened political unity and helped create the conditions for foreign intervention and internal resistance.
Hồ Quý Ly stepped aside formally and his son Hồ Hán Thương became emperor, while Quý Ly retained major influence as retired emperor. The transition did not resolve the dynasty’s legitimacy problem as external pressure from Ming China increased.
The Ming Yongle Emperor appointed senior commanders and prepared a large-scale campaign against Đại Ngu. The effort was framed as intervention in Vietnam’s succession struggle but quickly became a conquest campaign.
Ming forces entered from Guangxi and Yunnan, beginning the main invasion phase. With superior resources and organization, the Ming quickly overran key defenses and advanced on the main cities.
Trần loyalists organized a rival leadership known as the Later Trần dynasty to oppose Ming control. Although they gained support in some areas, Ming campaigns steadily reduced their resources and military capacity.
By January 1407, Ming forces took both major capitals—Đông Đô (around modern Hanoi) and Tây Đô—shattering the Hồ dynasty’s ability to coordinate defense. The Hồ court retreated south but could not recover momentum.
Hồ Quý Ly and Hồ Hán Thương were captured in June 1407, ending the Hồ dynasty as an independent ruling house. Soon after, the Ming formally incorporated the territory as Jiaozhi Province, initiating a period remembered in Vietnam as the Fourth Northern Domination.
By 1413–1414, the Later Trần movement collapsed under sustained Ming pressure. Its last emperor, Trần Quý Khoáng (Trùng Quang), was captured in 1414, eliminating the most prominent early organized resistance to Ming rule.
Lê Lợi raised forces in the Lam Sơn area (Thanh Hóa), starting a long rebellion against Ming administration. The uprising used a mix of local recruitment, alliances, and guerrilla-style operations to survive early defeats and gradually expand.
In November 1426, Lam Sơn forces defeated a major Ming army near today’s Hanoi. The victory shifted the war from a regional revolt to a campaign capable of threatening the Ming center at Đông Quan (Hanoi).
A Ming relief force led by Liu Sheng attempted to break the pressure on Đông Quan but was intercepted at Chi Lăng Pass. The defeat weakened Ming bargaining power and helped isolate their garrisons in northern Vietnam.
Ming commander Vương Thông agreed to negotiations with the Lam Sơn leadership and took an oath near Đông Quan. The agreement set terms for withdrawal and prisoner exchanges, marking the practical end of Ming occupation even before all troops had departed.
After the oath, Ming forces started leaving their positions and returning north, ending about two decades of direct Ming administration. The withdrawal cleared the way for a new Vietnamese royal government to claim legitimacy and rebuild institutions.
Lê Lợi took the throne in 1428, restoring the state name Đại Việt and founding the Later Lê dynasty. This created a new post-occupation political order, closing the Hồ–Ming conflict cycle and shaping Vietnamese governance for the next century.
Hồ dynasty and Ming invasion/occupation (1400–1427)