Lý Bí (503–548) was born in Thái Bình,(Sơn Tây).
In 543, he and his brother Lý Thiên Bảo revolted against the Chinese Liang dynasty to gain Vietnamese independence.
Many reasons are given for the motive of his revolt, among them the fact that he was a member of a wealthy family and, having failed an imperial examination, decided to revolt.

The sixth century was an important stage in the Vietnamese political evolution toward independence.
During this period, the Vietnamese aristocracy, while retaining Chinese political and cultural forms, grew increasingly independent of China.
At the same time, indigenous leaders arose who claimed power based on Vietnamese traditions of kingship.
A series of failed revolts in the late sixth and early seventh centuries fueled the Vietnamese national consciousness.
Lý Bí, the dynasty's founder, was himself descended from a Chinese family that had fled to the Red River Delta during a period of dynastic turbulence in the first century A.D. Lý Bí declared himself emperor of Nam Việt in the tradition of Triệu Đà and organized an imperial court at Long Biên.

In 544, Lý Bí defeated the Liang dynasty, proclaimed himself emperor and named the country Vạn Xuân.
At this time, he built the Trấn Quốc Pagoda in Hanoi.
Lý Bí (503–548) was born in Thái Bình,(Sơn Tây). In 543, he and his brother Lý Thiên Bảo revolted against the Chinese Liang dynasty to gain Vietnamese independence. Many reasons are given for the motive of his revolt, among them the fact that he was a member of a wealthy family and, having failed an imperial examination, decided to revolt. 
The sixth century was an important stage in the Vietnamese political evolution toward independence. During this period, the Vietnamese aristocracy, while retaining Chinese political and cultural forms, grew increasingly independent of China. At the same time, indigenous leaders arose who claimed power based on Vietnamese traditions of kingship. A series of failed revolts in the late sixth and early seventh centuries fueled the Vietnamese national consciousness. Lý Bí, the dynasty's founder, was himself descended from a Chinese family that had fled to the Red River Delta during a period of dynastic turbulence in the first century A.D. Lý Bí declared himself emperor of Nam Việt in the tradition of Triệu Đà and organized an imperial court at Long Biên. 
In 544, Lý Bí defeated the Liang dynasty, proclaimed himself emperor and named the country Vạn Xuân. At this time, he built the Trấn Quốc Pagoda in Hanoi.
Early Lý dynasty