BRIEF HISTORY OF VIETNAM Viet Nam is located in a region
considered a cradle of mankind, one of the earliest agricultural
centers practicing wet rice farming, where the stone and
metallurgical revolutions took place. On the basis of socio-
economic development in the Dong Son Era and given the struggle
against natural disasters and foreign invasion, the Van Lang
State, the first State in Viet Nam was established in the 7th
century B.C. With their hard work and creativeness, the Van Lang
(and then Au Lac) inhabitants created a civilization that
influenced the entire Southeast Asian region. Together with the
formation of the first State in Viet Nam’s history was the
evolution of a diverse economy and an advanced civilization
known as the Red River Civilization (or Dong Son Civilization),
symbolized by Dong Son bronze drum, a heritage reflecting the
quintessence of the lifestyle, traditions and culture of the
ancient Vietnamese people. In the cause of national building,
the Vietnamese people had to cope with vari