Trần Khát Chân was born in Vĩnh Ninh District (Vĩnh Lộc), Thanh Đô Town (Thanh Hóa). According to the annals in the temple to Trần Khát Chân, he was born in Bính Tuất year, the year of the Dog (1366) under the reign of King Trần Dụ Tông, date Đại Trị. His mother is Nguyễn Thị Điềm whose homeland is in Đông Sơn District, Thanh Hóa.

Growing up in the trouble times of the country, Trần Khát Chân always assiduously practised martial arts and eagerly joined the army when he reached adulthood. In the army, he soon gained good reputation for his level of martial arts, which helped the Trần Dynasty to achieve many feats. On January 23 ^rd , 1390, the General Commander-in-chief Trần Khát Chân won a great victory over the Champa army in Hải Triều and killed the King Chế Bồng Nga (Che Bunga or Po Binasuor). After the victory of the Trần Dynasty’s army, the nation of Champa began to wane.

At the end of the 14 ^th century, the Trần Dynasty weakened. Hồ Quý Ly gradually seized the power of the government’s apparatus. The aristocrats and mandarins who were loyal to the Trần family feared that their interests and lives were about to be lost at the hands of Hồ Quý Ly. A plot to overthrow Hồ Quý Ly was done by some Trần’s nobles including Trần Khát Chân. However, the plot failed; Trần Khát Chân and some Trần’s nobles and mandarins were murdered.

The Senior Lieutenant-General Trần Khát Chân whose name and career associated with the victory over the invasion of Champa in 1390 left a deep impression in the hearts of the people.

Reference: Ban nghiên cứu và biên soạn lịch sử Thanh Hóa: Danh nhân Thanh Hóa (The Thanh Hóa History Compilation and Research Department: Well-known People in Thanh Hóa). Thanh Hóa Publishing House, Volume 1, 2005.