Origins & Early Life

An Dương Vương (Vietnamese: [ʔaːn zɨəŋ vɨəŋ]), personal name Thục Phán, was the founding king and the only ruler of the kingdom of Âu Lạc, an ancient state centered in the Red River Delta. As the leader of the Âu Việt tribes, he defeated the last Hùng king of the state of Văn Lang and united its people – known as the Lạc Việt – with his people, the Âu Việt. An Dương Vương fled and committed suicide after the war with Nanyue forces in 179 BCE. According to traditional Vietnamese histories, An Dương Vương came from the Kingdom of Shu (in modern Sichuan), which was conquered by King Huiwen of Qin in 316 BCE.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Many chronicles including Records of the Outer Territories of the Jiao province, the Đại Việt sử lược, and Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư state that he was a Shu prince (ms. "蜀王子", literal meaning: "son of the Shu king") or the king of Shu. Some historians doubt the authenticity of this origin. The kingdom of Shu was conquered by the Qin in 316 BCE, making An Dương Vương's position as either king or prince of Shu chronologically tenuous. However the connection between Proto-Vietnam and a region to their northwest may...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

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