The Hồng Bàng Dynasty, also known as the Lạc Dynasty, is the first dynasty that supposedly ruled in Vietnam (then known as Văn Lang) for over 2000 years, until the third century BC. Its founder is said to have been Hùng Vương. There are many legends surrounding it, but little verifiable historical information is known about this dynasty.

How Vietnam was created

Vietnam, a nation located along the eastern coast of mainland Southeast Asia, has had a long and turbulent history. 5000 years ago, northern Vietnam was a place with mountains, forests, and rivers. Most ancient peoples lived around the Hồng River and the Mã River.

The first dynasty of Vietnam

According to the Đại Việt Sử Ký Toàn Thư, after more than 1000 years after the ancient people (or we can call the time after the Stone Age "BC"), the inhabitant populations grew and spread to every part of Vietnam. Near the Hồng River, Cả River and Mã rivers, 15 Vietnamese tribes were living. The 15 Vietnamese tribes were the strongest tribes at this time. The tribes compass were spread from Hồng River to the foot of the Ba Mountain to the foot of the Tam Bao Mountain. In the tribes there was the talented leader, he put together all the other tribes and became a great leader of the 15 tribes. He declared himself "king", creating the first Viet dynasty known as Hồng Bàng. That leader is Hùng Vương, a Vietnamese cultural hero who is credited with teaching the people how to cultivate rice. Hùng Vương is the first king in Vietnam in the years about 3000 BC and the founding father of the country. King Hùng has named his Kingdom "Văn Lang" (that means Vietnam in the present), and set up the capital at Phong Châu (Việt Trì, Vĩnh Phú) on the cross-point of three rivers where the Red River Delta begins from the foot of mountains.

His sons followed the Hùng Dynasty. The throne was given from father to son, generation to generations. The Hùng Dynasty had stopped after 18 lines of descent on the advent of the military leader An Dương Vương's conquest of Văn Lang. In total, the Hồng Bàng Dynasty was ruled by 18 successive lines of descent (although only names of the first king of each line were recovered). Many great wars were fought in the beginning of the second dynasty.

The Hùng Vương era was thriving along with the water-rice civilization in the Red River Delta, at the mid-Bronze Age.

Organization

The first Hùng Vương established the first state of Viet nation from 15 tribes of Lạc Việt in responding the needs of co-operation in constructing hydraulic systems, and in struggle against the enemies. This is a very primitive form of a State with the King Hùng on top, under him is a Court consisted of assistants - the Lạc Hầu. The country composes of 15 Bộ (region), each ruled by a Lạc Tướng, usually Lạc Tướng was a member of King Hùng's family. Bộ comprised the agricultural hamlets and villages based on a matriarchal clan relationship and headed by Bộ Chínhs (usually an wise old man).

The east border of the country was to the sea (Tonkin Gulf now), the west to Ba Thục (Sichuan), the north to Dongting Lake, and the south to Hu Tun Kingdom (Champa).

Economy

The economy was based mainly on water-rice cultivation, and in addition were handicrafts, hunting and gathering, husbandry and fishing. Especially, the skill of bronze casting was at high level. The famous relics are Đông Sơn Bronze Drums on which depicted house models, clothing, custom, habits, and cultural activities of Hùng era. The Hùng kings ruled Văn Lang in feudal fashion with the aid of the Lạc lords, who controlled the communal settlements around each irrigated area, organized construction and maintenance of the dikes, and regulated the supply of water. Besides cultivating rice, the people of Văn Lang grew other grains and beans and raised stock, mainly buffaloes, chickens, and pigs. Potterymaking and bamboo-working were highly developed crafts, as were basketry, leather-working, and the weaving of hemp, jute, and silk. Both transport and communication were provided by dugout canoes, which plied the network of rivers and canals.

Đông Sơn culture

By about 2000 B.C., the development of wet-rice cultivation and bronze casting in the Mã River and Hồng River plains led to the development of the Đông Sơn culture, notable for its elaborate bronze drums. The bronze weapons, tools, and drums of Đông Sơnian sites show a Southeast Asian influence that indicates an indigenous origin for the bronze-casting technology. Many small, ancient copper mine sites have been found in northern Vietnam. Some of the similarities between the Đông Sơnian sites and other Southeast Asian sites include the presence of boat-shaped coffins and burial jars, stilt dwellings, and evidence of the customs of betel-nut-chewing and teeth-blackening.

Final moments

The last Hùng king was overthrown in the third century B.C. by Thục Phán (An Dương Vương), the ruler of the Au Viet. An Dương Vương defeated the Văn Lang(Lac Viet) and united the Lac Viet and Au Viet to form Âu Lạc, building his capital and citadel at Cổ Loa, thirty-five kilometers north of present-day Hà Nội.

Kings of the Hồng Bàng Dynasty

There were 18 consecutive Hùng reigns handed down from generation to generation, 18 titles of the first king of which are known: