One Thousand Years

During the Vietnam War, the country was divided at the 17th parallel. About 140 kilometres north of this dividing line is a mountain pass called the Ngang Pass. The land south of this pass—making up about 60 per cent of present-day Vietnam—was occupied for centuries by the kingdoms of Linyi, Funan, and Zhenla. Most people have either not heard of these kingdoms or hold only a vague idea about them, this book is about these kingdoms.

North of the Ngang Pass, Giao Châu was ruled by northern dynasties for nearly a thousand years from the 2nd century BCE to the 10th century CE, barring a few intervals of independence. This volume details how the people of Giao Châu emerged from this long period of domination to become an independent nation, and explores why they resisted becoming part of dynastic China. As Volume 2 of the book series, A Traveller’s Story of Vietnam’s Past, it picks up where Volume 1, The Bronze Drums and The Earrings, ends.

Featuring 73 figures and illustrations, the book recounts the stories of iconic Vietnamese heroes like the Trưng sisters, Lady Triệu, the Black Emperor, and Ngô Quyền. It explores the introduction of Buddhism to Vietnam, the history of Shi Xie’s clan, and the tales of Linyi’s kings. It details how the formidable Fan Wen and his successors successfully prevented the northern dynasties from advancing past the Ngang Pass, and charts Fan Shiman’s expansion of Funan territory from southern Vietnam all the way to the Malay Peninsula. The little-known Nanzhao–An Nam War is also explored in depth. The pivotal Battle of the Bạch Đằng River in 938, when Vietnam finally secured its independence, is recounted. Much like Volume 1, the text guides readers through many physical locations tied to these historical events, including briefly the sacred sanctuary of Mỹ Sơn and its donation by King Bhavavarman.