Bui Thi Xuan

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Bùi Thị Xuân (Han tu: 裴氏春, ? - 1802) was a Vietnamese general during the Tay Son Rebellion.

She was born in Bình Khê District (now Tây Sơn District), Bình Định Province. She learned martial arts as a child, and was reputedly a strong woman. Legend has it that she once rescued Trần Quang Diệu, who later became her husband, from a tiger. She and Trần Quang Diệu joined the Tay Son Rebellion early, and won many battles. She helped the Tay Son army train elephants, who participated in many battles. She became known as one of the five principal women in the Tay Son Dynasty.

When Phu Xuan (Huế) fell to Nguyen Anh, she followed king Canh Thinh to Nghe An, commanded 5000 troops and fought the Nguyen forces in Trấn Ninh (Quang Binh Province). In the second month of 1802, the Nguyen forces became victorious. She joined her husband in Nghe An and they were captured together by the Nguyen forces. Both of them were executed; her husband was either beheaded or skinned, while she was crushed to death by an elephant.

Today, she is celebrated as a Vietnamese hero. Many major cities have schools and streets named after her.