In 39AD, one of the first uprisings against Chinese rule was begun by two daughters of a Vietnamese aristocrat. The aristocrats of the Au Lac kingdom realized they were losing power to the Chinese and that their land was, in effect, governed and controlled by outsiders. Corrupt Chinese prefects, excessive taxation, and ethnic discrimination provoked the Vietnamese throughout the Lac kingdom. Trung Trac and her sister Trung Nhi, two daughters of a local Vietnamese ruler, gathered forces, united the people, and launched a rebellion which the Chinese government. For three years, they ruled the kingdom. During this time, Trung Trac proclaimed herself queen, re-established the original tax system and took steps to alleviate the poverty of the peasants. In 42 AD the Chinese defeated the sisters and retook control of North Vietnam. According to Chinese history, the Trung sisters were killed by Chinese soldiers, but Vietnamese history contends that, rather than surrender, the women drowned themselves in a river. The Trung sisters are still venerated as Vietnamese national heroines and patriots and their statues can be found in many temples.