Early History Civilization in Vietnam for roughly 5,000 years Basic political order about 300 BC created by movement out of China into area near Hanoi. In 207 BC, this area came under the control of southern Chinese state located near Guangzhou. Between 111 BC and 43 AD, China proper extended its rule into Vietnam. Most important event was failed revolt of the Trung sisters (See Trung Sisters web site) Most important accomplishment of Vietnamese was an elaborate dike system to control the Red River

Chinese Era 111 BC - 939 AD

Chinese bring important technology, including water buffalo, plow, pig rearing, market gardening, printing, minting of coins, silkworm breeding, porcelain manufacture, and international trade to Vietnam

Large scale movement of scholars and officials to Vietnam brings much Chinese learning and culture: Chinese classics, Confucian ethics, ideographs, mandarin style of rule, civil service exams

Vietnamese elite absorb Chinese culture; peasants retain Vietnamese culture

Nationalist antagonism to Chinese rule was often violent:

Chinese mandarins displace Vietnamese elites
Large demands for tribute
Chinese monopoly on salt and iron
Forced Chinese culture on Vietnamese

Trung sisters revolt in 43AD: many pagodas are later built to honor the Trung sisters (Hai Ba in Hanoi) streets in Hanoi (Hai Ba Trung) and Hai Ba Trung day

Trung revolt results in savage Chinese repression and forced assimilation

Many uprisings and revolts during the next nine centuries of Chinese rule

The end of the Tang Dynasty in China in 906 opens the door to Vietnamese independence
The southern Han Dynasty attempts to retain control over Vietnam (Nam Viet)
Victory by Ngo Quyen using the river spikes over invading Chinese ends Chinese rule 939 (See Web site)