From the nation's founder to a symbol of national unity.
In the age of digitalization and globalization, the story of "Descendants of the Dragon and the Immortal"—a sacred legend about the origins of the Vietnamese people—is facing unfriendly views... However, these legends, despite being cloaked in fantastical elements, are valuable cultural pieces, reflecting the thinking and characteristics of ancient civilizations.
Every year on the anniversary of Hung Kings' death, many uninformed individuals exploit the legendary nature of the event to attack and insult this important holiday. They seem unaware that countries within the East Asian cultural sphere, such as China, Korea, and Japan, all have their own mythological stories to explain the origins of their ancestors. These are not simply fantastical tales, but a widespread cultural phenomenon and a connecting thread of national spirit spanning thousands of years of history.
Myth of Origins: Cultural Similarities Among East Asian Peoples
In the flow of human civilization, every nation carries within it a yearning to rediscover its origins, and thus possesses its own legendary stories. Before science and writing shaped official historical records, people wove myths to explain their presence in this world. Particularly in East Asian countries, stories of national origins are deeply imbued with mythology – a noteworthy cultural similarity often overlooked in modern discussions. These myths, though cloaked in fantastical elements, are valuable cultural pieces, reflecting the thinking and characteristics of ancient civilizations.
In China, the story of the Three Sovereigns is not simply a myth about origin, but a comprehensive picture of the process of civilization's development. Fuxi and Nuwa – two deities with half-human, half-serpent forms – not only symbolize the interplay between nature and humanity, but also represent the ancient Chinese concept of yin and yang. Nuwa's creation of humans from clay reflects the close connection between humans and Mother Earth, while Fuxi, in his role as the creator of writing and the teacher of hunting, represents humanity's progress from primitive to civilized.
In particular, the image of Shen Nong, as described in historical records as a being with a "bull's head, sharp horns, a bronze forehead, an iron head, a scorpion's tail, and centipede legs," is not simply a bizarre depiction, but a subtle combination of symbols: the strength of oxen in farming, the durability of metal, and the diligence of insects. This is the embodiment of agriculture – the foundation of East Asian rice-based civilization.
In South Korea, the legend of Danjun carries a different message. The story of the son of the Heavenly Emperor marrying a bear that transformed into a human not only illustrates the connection between the divine and earthly worlds but also reflects the transition from a hunter-gatherer society (symbolized by the bear) to a civilized society. The 1,908-year-old age of Danjun, while inexplicable by modern logic, is how the ancients expressed the continuity and enduring nature of their national culture.
Therefore, in that context, the Vietnamese legend of the Dragon and the Immortal also carries a special meaning. The story of Lac Long Quan and Au Co with the hundred eggs is not only a story of origin, but also a symbol of the diversity and unity of the Vietnamese ethnic communities. The dragon – a symbol of water, and the immortal – a symbol of mountains, reflect the distinctive geographical and cultural characteristics of ancient Vietnam, where riverine civilization and mountain culture intersected.
The 145-year lifespan of the Hung Kings of Vietnam, as well as the 1,908 years of Dan Quan of Han, or the bizarre appearance of Shen Nong of China, should not be considered from a purely scientific perspective. Instead, they should be understood as cultural metaphors, ways in which our ancestors conveyed the spiritual and moral values of the nation. These unrealistic numbers should be understood as cultural symbols, containing messages about our origins, identity, and national pride.
It can be said that the fact that East Asian peoples possess mythical legends in their early history is not a sign of backwardness. On the contrary, it is proof of similarities in cultural thinking, a way in which ancient peoples explained their origins and transmitted their cultural and moral values through generations. The Han people claim to be descendants of the Three Sovereigns, the Koreans consider themselves descendants of Danjun, and the Vietnamese also proudly claim to be descendants of the Dragon and the Immortal – this is the same reason.
The Hung Kings Era - Official Recognition from History
Many argue that the Hung Dynasty was merely a fabrication of the Le Dynasty scholars/historians when compiling the "Dai Viet History Chronicle". However, when compared with historical sources, especially documents from the Tran Dynasty and earlier, this view reveals many unconvincing points.
The earliest and most reliable evidence of the existence of the Hung Kings era comes from the stele inscription "Ancient Tales of the Divine Temple" composed by the scholar Truong Han Sieu in 1312. This inscription directly mentions "the sixth Hung King" and the construction of the Kinh Thien platform, proving that from the beginning of the 14th century, the concept of the Hung Kings was recognized by the intellectual class of Confucian scholars in official documents.
Next, three important works from the Tran Dynasty provided detailed information about this period. "Linh Nam Chich Quai," with its 22 stories, not only recorded the origins of the Hung Kings and the national name of Van Lang, but also contained many legends associated with specific Hung Kings. Among them, the story "The Hong Bang Dynasty" described in detail the origins of the nation and the formation of the Hung Dynasty: "Au Co took 50 sons from Phong Chau land, chose the eldest son, enthroned him as the ruler, called him Hung King, and named the country Van Lang."
The work "Viet Dien U Linh" by Ly Te Xuyen, published in 1329, also recorded the Hung Dynasty through the story of Tan Vien. This work mentions the diplomatic relations between Van Lang and Thuc through the story of Princess My Nuong, daughter of King Hung.
Of particular importance is the work "Viet Su Luoc" (Brief History of Vietnam), compiled around 1377, considered the oldest surviving chronological history. This work not only positions the Hung King period in relation to Chinese history (the time of King Zhuang of Zhou, 696-682 BC), but also specifically records the 18 Hung Kings, the location of the capital, and the organization of the Van Lang state.
The continuous appearance of these documents from the Tran dynasty shows that the story of Hung Vuong was not a "sudden creation" of the Le dynasty. In fact, there existed a continuous historical record from the Ly dynasty with Do Thien's "History," through the Tran dynasty with the three important works mentioned above, and was inherited and developed in the "Complete History of Dai Viet" during the Le dynasty.
Denying the existence of the Hung Kings era based on the argument of "creation during the Le Dynasty" is unfounded when considering the continuity in historical records from the Ly, Tran, and Le dynasties, the diversity of sources ranging from inscriptions and historical texts to legends, and especially the reliability of documents from the Tran dynasty. While further research is needed to clarify the details of this period, the historical significance of the Hung Kings era in the course of ancient Vietnamese history cannot be denied.
It can be said that the fact that historians during the Le Dynasty extended the nation's history by more than two thousand years compared to the historical records of the Tran Dynasty was not a fabrication, but rather the result of a process of inheriting and developing historical knowledge, based on pre-existing documents. This reflects the efforts of generations of historians in rediscovering the nation's origins, while affirming the authenticity of the Hung King era in Vietnamese history.
"National Ancestor Hung Vuong" - from the founder of the nation to the symbol of national unity.
In recent years, some have argued that venerating Hung Vuong as "National Ancestor" is inappropriate, claiming that Hung Vuong was only the ancestor of the Kinh (Vietnamese) people, not the ancestor of the 53 other ethnic minorities such as the Hmong, Thai, and Tay... However, this viewpoint reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of the concept of "National Ancestor" in Vietnamese culture and history.
It is important to understand that "National Ancestor" does not simply mean "ancestor of the entire nation" in the sense of bloodline. Rather, "National" refers to the country or nation, while "Ancestor" not only means ancestor but also signifies "founder" or "initiator." Historical records clearly acknowledge the role of the Hung Kings in "establishing the Van Lang Kingdom and setting up the capital in Phong Chau." This is the basis for honoring the Hung Kings as the National Ancestor – the founder of the first state in Vietnamese history.
To better understand this concept, we can compare it to some similar cases. Lac Long Quan, although the father of the first Hung King, is not called the National Ancestor because he was not the founder of the Van Lang state. Similarly, the Buddha is called the founder of Buddhism not because he is the blood ancestor of Buddhists, but because he founded Buddhism. Or, founding kings like Ly Thai To and Le Thai To both bear the temple title "Ancestor" because they founded their dynasties.
The clearest evidence is President Ho Chi Minh's visit to Hung Temple on September 18, 1954, where he clearly affirmed the role of the Hung Kings with his famous statement: "The Hung Kings had the merit of founding the nation; we, their descendants, must together preserve it." This statement emphasizes the role of the Hung Kings as the founders of the Vietnamese state, not merely as blood ancestors.
Honoring Hung Vuong as the founding father of the nation in the modern context carries significant meaning. Firstly, it affirms the continuity of Vietnam's history of nation-building and national defense. Secondly, it serves as a spiritual anchor and symbol of unity for the Vietnamese people. Finally, it is a fitting recognition of the contributions of the first person to lay the foundation for the Vietnamese state.
Therefore, calling Hung Vuong the National Ancestor is entirely consistent with both the original meaning of the word and its historical significance. This is not a matter of bloodline or ethnic origin, but rather an acknowledgment of the contributions of the founder of the first state in Vietnam, and a symbol of national unity in the modern era. A correct understanding of the concept of "National Ancestor" will help us appreciate the historical and cultural values of our nation more, and further strengthen the spirit of solidarity among the brotherly ethnic groups in the great Vietnamese family.
