How Vietnam Was Created | First Dynasty | Timeline | Later Story | French took Control

Meaning of word "Vietnam" | How to Read and Write | Bibliography

---

Welcome to Vietnamese History Page

---

How Vietnam Was Created   [Top of Page]

Vietnam, a nation located along the eastern coast of mainland Southeast Asia, has had a great and turbulent history. 4000 years ago, North Vietnam was a place with mountains, forests, and rivers where other natural things grew. In that natural environment, ancient Vietnamese inhabitant were living, from North Vietnam to South Vietnam and at other places in Vietnam, too. Most ancient people were living around the Hong River and the Ma River.

Vietnam First Dynasty  [Top of Page]

(The old time story)

     The Vietnamese history has had a story about Au Co - Lac Long Quan. Au Co gave birth to one hundred sons. 50 sons followed the mother to the top of the mountains to live, whereas the other 50 followed the father to a place near the coast to live. Another meaning for this story is to show how Vietnam became one strong nation at this time. The story also tells how Au Co - Lac Long Quan had decided to leave one of their sons in the village to control the hometown. Their hometown is Van Lang. The boy's name is Hung Vuong.

(Back to the real story)

     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 Hong River, Ca River and Ma River 15 Vietnamese tribes were living. The 15 Vietnamese tribes were the strongest tribes at this time. The tribes compass were spread from Hong 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 called himself "king", that leader is Hung Vuong. Hung Vuong is the first king in Vietnam in the years about 3000BC. King Hung has named his Kingdom "Van Lang," (that means Vietnam in the present), King Hung set up the capital at Bach Hac (Viet Tri, Vinh Phu).

     His sons followed the Hung Dynasty. The throne was given from father to son, generation to generations. The Hung Dynasty has stopped after 16 dynasties. A lot of great wars happened in the beginning of second dynasty: Hai Ba Trung's revolution, Trung Vuong cleaned out the Han invaders, Ly Bi's revolution in Van Xuan, Ngo Quyen won the war in Bach Dang in the year 938..... Look at the time line to get more information.

Vietnam TimeLine

[Top of Page]

 

The Later Story  [Top of Page]

      After the year 257BC, in the beginning of the new dynasty the first Vietnamese war was against the Chinese. The leaders of this war were the Trung sisters. The Trung sisters won the war in the year A.D.40. That was the first Vietnamese war. The second war was also against the Chinese. The third one was against the Champ, followed with the other wars: during the period of the Twelve Warlords, the Mongols war, the Vietnamese defended their country from the invaders from the others countries. By the year 1847, a French vessel bombarded Da Nang. In the year 1858, the French seized Da Nang. About one year after the French captured Da Nang, they also captured Saigon, which was on September 1859. More than two years later, the French controlled most of the part in the South of Vietnam. The French defeated the Vietnamese army and gained control of Gia Dinh and surrounding provinces on June 5^th, 1862.

 

After the French took control over South Vietnam   [Top of Page]

      After the French took control of Vietnam, it became a whole new country and also with a new culture and lifestyle. At this time, French forced the people to pay taxes when they buy salt, opium, alcohol, and land was collected, and to participate in a system of forced labor known as cover. At this time, the French opened a school to teach people how to read and write in French language. Many French companies were opened in South Vietnam. By the year 1945, the French surrendered because of the communist Viet Minh came to the south. After the French left, a new war started: the war between the communist north and with Vietnamese south. This war happened after the last dynasty Bao Dai. Bao Dai was the last emperor. Following the Bao Dai Dynasty, there was the president Ngo Dinh Diem. Ngo Dinh Diem was the first president, and followed him was Phan Khat Suu, until Duong Van Minh became the fifth president. He was president for three days only, from April 28^th 1975 - April 30^th 1975. On April 30^th 1975, in the war between the communist and south Vietnam our side had lost against the communist, and from that day until now our country has been conquered by the Vietnamese communist.

 

Meaning of the Word "Vietnam"

      In the old times, there were Vietnamese people (called "Viet") who tried to come to the south (called "Nam") of our country. They went there to live, and called this country Vietnam.

 

Where do we learn to read and write?

      We learn how to write the alphabet from Mr. Alexander de Rhodes. He gave our country the Latin alphabet. Mr. Alexander was Latin. When he came to Vietnam he saw that the Vietnamese writing looks weird, it looks just like Chinese characters. So he wanted to make the Vietnamese writing more easily and better. He decided to change the way of writing to Latin writing and the Latin spelling. We still use the Latin words in the present, too.

 

[Top of Page]