History of Nations

Vietnam: Myth and History

2009-05-17T10:38:00.000-07:00

Vietnam is one of the well known countries in Southeast Asia. The country has a rich and colorful history of almost three thousand years. There are some evidences that there was an early established prehistoric society in the country. The society was established in the country somewhere in the iron age. Evidences of that culture is found in Northern Vietnam in Co Lao which is an ancient city near Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam.

There are several myths attached to the history of Vietnam. Some of these myths have a deep connection with the lives and practices of the people of Vietnam in ancient times. There is one very well know myth about the people of Vietnam. According to the myth the first Vietnamese people were the descendants of the Dragon Lord Lac Long Quan and the immortal fairy who was known as Au Co. she was also the princess of the mountains according to some. Lac Long Quan and Au Co had a hundred sons before they parted ways. 50 of the children went to the mountains with their mother while the rest joined their father to the sea. The eldest among the sons became the first in the line of early Vietnamese kings. The Vietnamese kings are collectively known as Hung Kings. These kings call their country Van lang. their country was located on the delta of the Red River. The people of Van Lang were known as Lac Viet according to the legend. According to the legent Van lang had a matriarchal society. Though it is a myth but the account of myth gives one an idea about the ancient lives in Vietnam.

Van Lang

2009-05-16T12:03:00.000-07:00

Most of the countries have their own myths about anient times. And if the country has a rich almost three thousand years old history then there are sure to be several myths spun around the hoistircal accounts of the land. Having a 2700 years old history, Vietnam too has a number of legends attached to the history of the country. You can find a wide array of myths and legends about ancient times in the country. These myths and legends offer you a glimpse of history as well as of the way of life of the people of Vietnam in the ancient times.

Accrording to one myth the first Vietnamese were born out of the union among Lac Long Quan, the lord of Dragons and Au Co the immortal fairy. The eldest of their son was the first in the line of kings whi used to be known as Hung Kings. The hung Kings used to rule over a land they called Van lang. this land is situated in the Red River Delta which is a part of Present day Vietnam.
Van lang is thought to have a matriarchal society. A number of metal objects and metal weapons have been found from the archaeological sites of Northern Vietnam. The most famous of the artifacts that are found in this way are large bronze drums that were probably made for ceremonial purposes. These drums have sophisticated engravings on the surface. The engravings depict scenes from day tpo day live of people of that time. there were pictures of warriors, boats, houses, birds and animals in concentric circles around a radiating sun at the center.

History of Industrialization in Vietnam

2009-05-16T10:12:00.000-07:00

Vietnam has almost 2700 years of history. However, the history of its industrial growth is very new. Since its known history the country has been under the rule of different countries. The country was under Chinese rule for almost thousand years. After that the country regained independence. The country remained independent until France colonized the country in the 19th century. Post World War II the country was partitioned into two by Geneva Accords. This decision gradually led to the infamous Vietnam War. Later the country experienced an economic growth from the middle of 1980s. From this period the history of industrialization in Vietnam also took its recent shape.

The economy of Vietnam has gone through a major change over the past 20 years and here has been a shift from the central planning based economy to a socialist mixed economy. This new economy is very market oriented. This period is known as Doi Moi in Vietnam the meaning of which in Vietnamese language is renovation. Due to this shift the economy of the country has experienced a rapid growth. The country is now integrating into the economy of the world. This change has made the economy a part of globalization.

Over the past 20 years Vietnam has also become an vital name among the chief agricultural exporter in Southeast Asia. It has also experienced a wonderful expansion in the tourism industry and has emerged as one of the leading tourist destinations in Southeast Asia. It has also become an lucrative foreign investment destination.

Legends in Vietnam History

2009-05-16T08:27:00.000-07:00

There are many legends relating to the history of Vietnam. Some of these myths and legends have a glimpse of history in them while some other offer you a piece of insight into the lives of the people of that time. If you read any of the myths and legends about the history of Vietnam then you are sure to find them interesting. Reading these legends and myth you can not only know about the history of the ancient time but also get an idea about the culture and age old practices of the people of Vietnam.

You can find a number of legends about the history of Vietnam that will give you a glimpse into the life of the people living in the country. For example, the legend of the rice cake is a story of a prince who won a culinary contest. He created rice cakes and for that reason he wins the throne. This story reflects that the prince had a thorough understanding of the vital economy of the land which is rice farming. There is also a legend of Giong in which a little boy went to war to save his country wearing iron armor, riding armored horse and carrying iron weapon. From this legend we can understand that the metal work of that time was sophisticated. Similarly the legend of crossbow in which there was a magic crossbow that can deliver thousands of arrows at a time gives you an idea of extensive use of archery in the war.

There are many such wonderful legends about Vietnam. These legends make the Vietnam history an interesting read.

History of Vietnam

2009-05-16T03:33:00.000-07:00

Vietnam is one of the most well known tourist destination in Southeast Asia. every year millions of tourists visit this amazing country. Most of these tourists visit this country for its historical importance. The country has a rich and varied history. The history of the country is almost three thousand years old. If you are interested in knowing about the history of a country that you want to visit then you are sure to have a jolly good time in Vietnam. Those who take interest in history of different nations find the history of Vietnam quite interesting.

Vietnam is an ancient country the history of which begins some 2700 years ago. The country was under Chinese rule for almost one thousand years. A number of successive dynasties ruled over Vietnam from 111 BC to the year 938. All of these dynasties were based in China. However, in the year 938 the people of Vietnam regained their independence for the Chinese rule. For a long period of its history Vietnam was a tributary state to China, its large and powerful neighbor. However, the country has always repelled the invasions by China. the country has also repelled three invasions by the Mongols that took place between the year 1255 and 1285. Later the emperor Tran Nhan Tong took a diplomatic decision to submit Vietnam to a tributary of the Yuan. This helped the country to avoid any further conflict.

The independent period of Vietnam came to an end again in the late 19th century. At that time the country was colonized by France. During the World War II Japan expelled the French people from the country and occupied Vietnam. However, during the occupation the French administrators were there.

Once the war was over France tried to reestablish its colony in the country but failed. After that the Geneva Accords partitioned the country into two. It had also been promised that there will be an election to unite the country. However, it lead to the famous Vietnam war that lead to huge losses of lives. Since 1980s the country began to experience economic growth as well as growth in every sphere.

History of Hanoi

2009-05-15T10:11:00.000-07:00

Hanoi is one of the largest city in Vietnam. It is also the capital of the country. Every year the city is frequented by thousands of national and international tourists. Apart from being the capital city of Vietnam the city also has a strong historical significance. If you are interested in the history of a country then delving deep into the history of Hanoi will give you a better understanding of the history as well as culture of Vietnam.
Hanoi is often considered as a sacred land of Vietnam. The city has a rich and elaborate history that dates back to 3rd century BC. At that time Co Loa which belonged to Dong Anh District was chosen as the capital of the Au Lac Nation. At a later point of time the city became the main center of the resistance movements against the Northern invasions.

Since its establishment the city of Hanoi has gained much importance due to its location. Being situated at the middle of the Red River Delta the city had a number of benefits. So most of the Vietnamese chose Hanoi as their home town. As a result the city expanded gradually as very soon became a highly populated area as well as a dense residential center.

During different periods of history in Vietnam the city has become the main city of Vietnam. For over thousand years the city of Hanoi was known as Thang Long. Then the city was baptized as Dong Do. finally in the year 1831 the city got its present name - Hanoi. The city has seen a number o very important event in the history of Vietnam and the capital of the country at present.