During the Dong Son period, the first state of Vietnam was established. At that time, the Hung Kings ruled the Van Lang Nation. Nowadays, Hung King Temple (in Phu Tho Province) is one of the destinations which attract not only Vietnamese but foreigners who are interested in history of Vietnam. It is built in order to worship the Hung Kings and to show respects to those who had established and protected the country. On 10^th March every year, Vietnamese people are eager to take part in Hung King Temple festival – one of the national festivals of Vietnam. It is also an interesting destination where foreign travelers can search for useful information and interesting stories of the origin of Vietnam.

Later, in third century B.C, An Duong Vuong founded the Au Lac Nations. If the Van Lang period is reflected by Hung King Temple, then the Au Lac is matched with the citadel of Co Loa (Dong Anh – Hanoi). The remains of Co Loa Citadel can still be seen today. You can easily get to this historical site by taking the bus No 46 from My Dinh bus-station in Hanoi, which will directly transfer you to Co Loa.

After that, Vietnam country had undergone the period Champa Nation and more than 1,000 years of Chinese domination. The insurrection of Ngo Quyen (938 B.C) against Nam Han in the Bach Dang River finally succeeded in ending this period. The independence of the country was achieved. Nowadays, foreign tourists can visit Bach Dang River to recall the proud history of Vietnam.

Vietnam history was turned into a new page at the beginning of the 10^th century when the Ngo, Dinh and Pre-Le dynasties strove to consolidate, maintain and protect a unified and independent nation. Afterwards, there was the emergence of Ly and Tran Dynasties, Ho Dynasty, Le Dynasty, Tay Son Dynasty and Nguyen Dynasty – of which during the Ly – Tran Dynasties, Vietnam became a powerful nation. There are two temples which are not too far from Hanoi, the Bac Ninh’s worships Ly Dynasty’s Kings and Nam Dinh’s worships Tran Dynasty’s Kings and Tran Hung Dao. Currently, these are well-known tourist attractions not only for Vietnamese people but also for foreign tourists.

The King of Dinh Dynasty Dinh Bo Linh chose Hoa Lu (Ninh Binh) as the capital of Vietnam at that time. However, in 1010, King Ly Cong Uan moved the capital to Thang Long (the name of Hanoi at that period). In 2010, Vietnam will celebrate the 1,000 year Thang Long – Hanoi Festival. You are highly recommended to participate in this Festival since many meaningful cultural activities will take place there. It will be your unforgettable moments during your stay time in Vietnam.

One of the significant achievements in Ly – Tran Dynasties is the establishment of Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam (The Temple of Literature) – the first university of Vietnam. It was set up to worship Confucius and honor the eager-learning spirit of Vietnamese people. Then Confucianism examinations were held regularly during the Tran Dynasty. When traveling to Hanoi, you should take time to visit this site because most foreigner visitors consider it a “can-not-be-ignored” site.

In 1802, the Nguyen Dynasty had set up the capital in Hue. Today, the Ancient Imperial of Hue has been recognized as one of the World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. Annually, Hue attracts a large number of tourists all over the world.

The long-standing history of Vietnam is most clearly reflected through continuous struggles against the two most powerful nations at that time: the French Colonist and American Empire. The War had caused severe damage to Vietnam. Currently, many American and French veterans want to return to the former battle field in DMZ region and visit museums where the remains of the War are displayed.

Presently, Vietnamese people are enjoying a peaceful period without war and struggles. Over the past years, the country has been admitting millions of foreign tourists who travel to Vietnam to seek for relaxation, adventure as well as historical values.