Phạm Ngũ Lão was a famous general during the Trần Dynasty in Vietnam, well-known for his victories throughout three king that he served and that he has never been defeated in any battle. But unlike most powerful people of his time, he didn’t come from a noble or rich family. He was born in a small village called Phù Ủng and grew up as a regular village boy. Even as a child, he was brave, honest, and had big dreams.
When a man in his village named Bùi Công Tiến passed the royal exams and became a scholar, the whole village celebrated. But Ngũ Lão didn’t go to the party. His mother asked why, and he answered, “A real man must achieve great things for his country. I haven’t done that yet. Celebrating someone else’s success would make me feel ashamed.” Even as a boy, he dreamed of doing something meaningful for his nation.
A Chance Meeting with a Great General
One day, the great commander Trần Quốc Tuấn (also known as Hưng Đạo Vương) was traveling through Phù Ủng with his soldiers. At that moment, Phạm Ngũ Lão was sitting by the road, weaving baskets and thinking deeply about war strategies from a military book. He was so focused that he didn’t even notice the soldiers marching by.
A soldier tried to move him out of the way, shouting loudly, but Ngũ Lão didn’t respond. Finally, the soldier poked a spear into Ngũ Lão’s leg—yet he still sat quietly, lost in thought. The general was surprised and asked about him. Ngũ Lão stood up respectfully and said:
> “My name is Phạm Ngũ Lão. I’m from Phù Ủng village. My family is poor, so I make baskets to support my elderly mother. I was thinking deeply about a book on warfare and didn’t realize your soldiers were passing by. Please forgive me.”
Hưng Đạo Vương was very impressed and started to have a conversation about the art of warfare with the young man. He saw that this young man was polite, strong-minded, and smart. After asking him more questions, he found that Ngũ Lão knew a lot about literature and military books. The general realized that this humble basket-weaver could become a great leader.
From Commoner to Commander
Hưng Đạo Vương healed Ngũ Lão’s wound and invited him to come to the royal capital. There, he recommended him to the court and he was given the important job of leading the Imperial Guards. At first, the other guards didn’t respect him because he was not from a noble family. They asked to test his strength via a match.
Ngũ Lão agreed, but asked to return home for three months. During that time, he trained every day. He practiced jumping up onto a high mound in the field. He kept jumping until the mound collapsed from his strength! When he came back to the capital, he moved like the wind, fought like a tiger, and easily defeated many guards at once. Everyone was amazed and began to respect him deeply.
From that time on, Phạm Ngũ Lão became one of the Trần Dynasty’s most trusted and skilled generals, even though he never passed the royal exams.
A Hero in Battle and Life
Under the guidance of Hưng Đạo Vương, Phạm Ngũ Lão became an expert in both literature and warfare. He helped fight off the Mongol invaders (the Nguyên-Mông armies) not once but twice! He was brave in every battle, and cared deeply for his soldiers like they were his own family. He trained his men strictly but fairly, and used smart tactics to win battles. During the Yuan invasion, he led a battle in the front to measure the strength of the enemy for later tactics calculation before withdrawing the army safely for later plans. Later, he led a military feet to deceive the enemy. He was also the one who led the army to after the run away armay of the Mongol invaders led by Thoát Hoan (Kublai Khan’s son).
Because of his talent and good heart, he was given many important jobs by the king, including defending the borders from enemies like the Ai Lao and Champa kingdoms. He was also the one who add details into the famous “binh thư yếu lược” (a book on the art of military warefare by Trần Quốc Tuấn, which is now wildly used in many military schools in the world)
A Rare Honor and Lasting Respect
Hưng Đạo Vương respected Ngũ Lão so much that he even allowed him to marry his daughter. However, this is not allowed in the royal family to marry outsider. To make it proper in the royal family, he demote his own daughter Anh Nguyên to adopted daughter so that he can her. This was a rare and great honor in the Trần royal family, showing how much he trusted and loved him.
This act also showed that the Trần Dynasty was very open-minded, choosing talented people from all walks of life—not just nobles—to help protect and build the country.
Phạm Ngũ Lão continued to serve the Trần court faithfully under three different kings. He always had an important role in major battles, earning many victories. His courage, honesty, and skills made him one of the greatest generals in Vietnam’s history.
Even after he passed away, people across the country remembered and honored him. In his hometown, the Phù Ủng Temple Festival is held every year to remember his great deeds. In many other temples, especially those honoring Hưng Đạo Vương, there are also statues of Phạm Ngũ Lão.
A famous historian named Phan Huy Chú once wrote about the 16 greatest generals in Vietnamese history, from the Lý Dynasty to the early Lê Dynasty. Only four generals from the Trần Dynasty were included: Trần Quốc Tuấn, Trần Nhật Duật, Trần Khánh Dư, and Phạm Ngũ Lão.
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