The
Lạc Việt or
Lạc (
Hán tự:
雒越/
駱越/
貉越; Pinyin: Luòyuè) were an ancient people of what is today the lowland plains of northern Vietnam, particularly the marshy, agriculturally rich area of the
Red River Delta. They are particularly associated with the
Bronze Age Dong Son culture of mainland
Southeast Asia.
The Lạc Việt are believed to have founded a state called
Văn Lang in 3079 BC. The people of Văn Lang traded with the upland-based
Âu Việt people, who lived in the mountainous regions of what are today northernmost Vietnam, western
Guangdong, and southern
Guangxi,
China to their north, until
258 BC or
257 BC, when
Thục Phán, the leader of the alliance of
Âu Việt tribes, invaded Văn Lang and defeated the last
Hùng Vương. He united the two kingdoms, naming the new nation
Âu Lạc, and proclaiming himself king
An Dương Vương.
See also
