Van Lang

Van Lang was a state in Vietnam (Southeast Asia) that lasted from c. 700 to 258 BCE, about 442 years. Its people spoke Austroasiatic languages (Khmer, Mon, Vietnamese, Munda).

The kingdom of the Hung kings in the Red River delta, dated by Vietnamese tradition to 2879 BCE but known only from much later chronicles. Historians link it to the Dong Son culture.

See Van Lang on the interactive timeline

Facts

Dates: c. 700 to 258 BCE
Duration: 442 years
Type: State
Region: Vietnam, Southeast Asia
Language family: Austroasiatic

Became

Au Lac 257 to 179 BCE

Events in Southeast Asia during its time

500 BCE Dong Son bronze drums

Elsewhere in the world at the same time

Carthage c. 814 to 146 BCE, North and West Africa
Roman Republic 509 to 27 BCE, Europe
Greek city-states c. 800 to 338 BCE, Europe
Neo-Assyrian Empire 911 to 609 BCE, Middle East
Ptolemaic Kingdom 305 to 30 BCE, North and West Africa
Achaemenid Empire 550 to 330 BCE, Middle East
Athens 508 to 322 BCE, Europe
Maurya Empire 322 to 185 BCE, South Asia
Empire of Alexander the Great 334 to 312 BCE, Middle East
Empire of Alexander the Great 336 to 323 BCE, Europe

Questions

When did Van Lang exist?

c. 700 to 258 BCE, about 442 years. These dates are approximate, because the evidence for its beginning or end is uncertain.

Where was Van Lang?

Vietnam, in Southeast Asia.

What language did Van Lang speak?

Austroasiatic. This family includes Khmer, Mon, Vietnamese, Munda.

What came after Van Lang?

Au Lac.