Visitors to Vietnam will notice that, invariably, the major streets of every city and town bear the same two dozen or so names. These are names of Vietnam's greatest national heroes who, over the last 2000 years, have led the country in its repeated expulsion of foreign invaders and whose exploits have inspired subsequent generations of patriots.

Evidence of the earliest established society other than the Đong Sơn culture in Northern Vietnam was found in Co Loa, the ancient city situated near present-day Ha Noi. According to Vietnamese myths the first Vietnamese peoples descended from the Dragon Lord Lạc Long Quân and the Immortal Fairy Au Cơ. Lac Long Quan and Au Cơ had 100 sons before they decided to part ways. 50 of the children went with their mother to the mountains, and the other 50 went with their father to the sea.

In 111 BC, Chinese troops invaded Nanyue and established new territories, dividing Vietnam into Giao Chi (Chinese: pinyin: Jiaozhi, now the Red river delta); Cuu Chan from modern-day Thanh Hoa to Ha Tinh; and Nhat Nam, from modern-day Quang Binh to Hue. While the Chinese were governors and top officials, the original Vietnamese nobles (Lac Hau, Lac Tuong) still managed some highlands.

Early in the 10th century, as China became politically fragmented, successive lords from the Khuc family, followed by Dương Đình Nghe, ruled Giao Chau autonomously under the Tang title of Tiet Do Su (Virtuous Lord), but stopping short of proclaiming themselves kings.

Southeast Asia circa 1010 AD, Dai Viet lands in blue.When the king Le Long Đinh died in 1009 AD, a Palace Guard Commander named Ly Cong Uan was nominated by the court to take over the throne, and founded the Lý dynasty. This event is regarded as the beginning of a golden era in Vietnamese history, with great following dynasties. The way Ly Cong Uan ascended to the throne was rather uncommon in Vietnamese history.

The Le dynasty was overthrown by its general named Mạc Đăng Dung in 1527. He killed the Le emperor and proclaimed himself emperor, starting the Mac Dynasty. After defeating many revolutions for two years, Mac Đang Dung adopted the Tran Dynasty's practice and ceded the throne to his son, Mạc Đăng Doanh, and became Thai Thuong Hoang.

Flag of Colonial AnnamThe West's involvement in Vietnam dates back to 166 BC with the arrival of merchants from the Roman Empire, 1292 with the visit of Marco Polo, and the early 1500s with the arrival of Portuguese and other European traders and missionaries. Alexandre de Rhodes, a French Jesuit priest, improved on earlier work by Portuguese missionaries and developed the Vietnamese romanized alphabet Quốc Ngữ in Dictionarium Annamiticum Lusitanam et Latinum in 1651.