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Viet Nam Overview VIET NAM
The Country at a Glance LAND OF OPPORTUNITIES
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HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

It is believed that the first human civilization in Viet Nam appeared in the Red River Delta about
35,000 years ago. Legend has it that the Vietnamese are descendants of Lac Long Quan and
Au Co, also known as the “Dragon Lord of the Seas” and the “Fairy of the Mountains”. The
eldest son among their 100 children, Hung Vuong, set up the very first dynasty, called Van Lang,
which has been historically recognized as the first Vietnamese state. Viet Nam went through
several historical periods during its formation. Major dynasties include the Dinh and Le (First
Le), and the Ly, Tran, and Le (Second Le). The Nguyen (1802-1945) was the last feudal dynasty
as a protectorate of France since its colonization in 1858, with Bao Dai being the last emperor.

Following victory in the August Revolution in 1945, President Ho Chi Minh read the
Proclamation of Independence on September 2, 1945, giving birth to the Democratic Republic
of Viet Nam. The country then endured two lengthy wars for national liberation from foreign
occupation between 1946 and 1975, resulting in the famous victory at Dien Bien Phu in 1954,
which subsequently ended French colonialism in Indochina, and the Great Spring Offensive
in 1975, which reunified the country divided into two as part of the 1954 Geneva Accords.

During its first session on July 2, 1976, the first National Assembly of the reunified Viet Nam
approved a resolution officially changing the name of Democratic Republic of Viet Nam to the
Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, which remains the official name of the country today.

Thai Hoa Palace,
Hue Imperial Citadel, Hue.
| PHOTO: Nguyen Phong