Around that time, Vietnam was practically divided into two administrations, the Trinh clan administration called "Tonkin" in the north and the Nguyễn clan administration called "Cochinchine" in the south, under a nominal emperor of the Lê dynasty.
このころ現実のヴェトナムは黎朝の名目的皇帝のもとに北に「トンキン」と呼ばれた鄭氏政権、南に「コーチシナ」と呼ばれた阮氏政権が実質的に支配を二分している状況にあった。