Ancient Vietnamese History

A Vietnamese legend tells that the Vietnamese people of various tribes were born outside the womb following the marriage of Lac Long Quân (Dragon Chief) and Âu Co (the Fairy). However, most Vietnamese historians consider the Dong Son civilization that covered much of Southeast Asia to be the beginning of Vietnam's history. In 208 BCE a Qin Dynasty general named Triêu Đà established a state called Nam Viet which encompassed southern China and the Red River Delta. The historical significance of the original Nam Viêt remains controversial because some historians consider it a Chinese occupation while others believe it was an independent era. For most of the period from 111 BCE to the early 10th century CE, Vietnam was under the rule of successive Chinese dynasties. Sporadic independence movements were attempted, but were quickly suppressed by Chinese forces.