chiefdom · Mainland Southeast Asia

Van Lang

700 BCE – 258 BCE (approx.) · capital Phong Chau

The semi-legendary Bronze Age realm of the Hung kings in the Red River delta, honoured in Vietnam as the first Vietnamese state.

Origins

Vietnamese tradition, first written down in medieval works such as the Linh Nam chich quai and the Dai Viet su ky toan thu, traces Van Lang to the Hong Bang dynasty founded in 2879 BCE. Historians link it instead to the Dong Son culture of the Red River and Ma River valleys, which flourished from about the 7th century BCE, with its centre at Phong Chau.

Rule and society

The Hung kings are said to have ruled through lords called Lac hau and Lac tuong over fifteen territories, a picture that suggests a chiefdom or loose confederation rather than a bureaucratic state. Its people grew wet rice and cast the famous Dong Son bronze drums, decorated with boats, birds and warriors, which spread across much of Southeast Asia.

Decline and legacy

According to tradition, the last Hung king was overthrown in 258 BCE by Thuc Phan, who united Van Lang with the Au Viet to form Au Lac. The Hung kings are still venerated at the temple on Nghia Linh mountain in Phu Tho, and their death anniversary is a national holiday in Vietnam.

Few sources survive for this state; details are uncertain.

Lineage

Van LangAu Lac 257 BCE – 179 BCE

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Van Lang. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/van-lang
MLA
“Van Lang.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/van-lang. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Van Lang.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/van-lang.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Van Lang’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/van-lang (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻