Mạc rulers fled to Cao Bằng Province, with the direct support of the Chinese Ming and Qing dynasties until they were completedly defeated by Trịnh clan in 1677.

[2]: 84 After Thánh Tông's death in 1497, Đại Việt started to decline gradually and fell into social unrest due to corruption and peasant rebellions.

[2]: 85  In 1522, a military general named Mạc Đăng Dung during his struggle against the Trịnh and Nguyễn clans, had gained the regent of the government by installing Prince Xuan as the new Emperor.

In 1537, Lê Trang Tông sent delegations to Ming China, and sought Chinese military support and diplomatic recognition as legitimate government to reclaim the thrown of Đại Việt.

Jiajing Emperor of the Ming dynasty responded by sending 125,000 soldiers to the border, threatening the Mạc regime in Đông Kinh.

[2]: 123  At the final moment, Mạc Đăng Dung surrendered to the Ming dynasty at Nam Quan Pass in 1541, as he accepted his regime and monarch would be under Chinese protection and ceded half of Quảng Ninh province to China (now Fangcheng, Guangxi).

[3][4] While being under the political protection of Ming China, the Mạc dynasty rebuilt the agricultural economy, opened businesses and factories, and recovered an army of 120,000 soldiers.

The Mạc dynasty tolerated other religions and foreign trades, allowing Buddhism and Taoism to coexist, and Christians were free to spread and worship.

In 1554, Trịnh Kiểm, the military regent of Lê dynasty, dispatched 25,000 men to the south and easily regained two provinces Thuận Hóa and Quảng Nam from the Mạc.

By January 1560, the Lê-Trịnh army had occupied all cities and territories beyond south of the Red River, leaving Mạc capital Đông Kinh under siege.

Mạc emperor Quang Bảo evacuated his government to Quảng Ninh province, near China, while reinforcing 50,000 men to defend Hanoi and Hải Dương.

In August 1570, Mạc Kính Điển launched a large southward offensive, dispatched 100,000 men and 700 ships, and attacked the Southern court through Laos and sea.

Mạc Kính Điển and his general Lại Thế Mỹ led 40,000 men to attack the Southern court in Thanh Hóa, but were defeated by Lê-Trịnh forces in Khoái Lạc.

From August 1578 to November 1579, Northern Mạc forces made three more raids into Southern dynasty territories, but all were repelled with outgunned Lê-Trịnh matchlocks.

Military lord Trịnh Tùng commanded the Southern army, which launched five raids into Northern dynasty territories, causing severe damage to the economy and weakening the Mạc regime.

In 1597 Lê Thế Tông sent emissary Phùng Khắc Khoan to Beijing for renewing relations with China, who supports the Mạc dynasty.

The Trịnh military lords of the Lê Dynasty, which was centered in Đông Kinh (Tonkin or Hanoi), soon doubted the loyalty of the Nguyễn governor in central and southern Vietnam.