In late 938, the Southern Han fleet led by Liu Hongcao met Ngô Quyền's fleet on the gate of the Bạch Đằng River. The Southern Han fleet consisted fast warships carrying fifty men on each–twenty sailors, twenty five warriors, and two crossbowmen.^[118] Ngô Quyền and his force had set up massive stakes tipped with iron foiled points on the river bed.^[119] When the river tide rose, the sharpened stakes were covered by water. As the Southern Han sailed into the estuary, Viets in smaller crafts went down and harassed the Southern Han warships, luring them to follow upstream. When the tide fell, Ngô Quyền's force counterattacked and pushed the enemy fleet back to the sea. The Southern Han ships were immobilized by the stakes.^[118] Half of the Han army died, either killed or drowned, including Liu Hongcao.^[119] When the news of the defeat reached Liu Yan on the sea, he retreated back to Guangzhou.^[120] In spring 939, Ngô Quyền proclaimed himself king and chose the town of Co Loa as the capital.^[121] The Battle of Bạch Đằng River put an end to the Third Era of Northern Domination (Chinese ruled Vietnam).^[122] It was considered the turning point in Vietnamese history.^[118]