HUNG VUONG

Queen Au Co went westwards along with 50 children while King Lac Long Quan was bound down east with the other 50. His beloved son, Hung Lang, then became King of remaining in Phong Chau, Xich Quy’s capital, and reigning over the whole kingdom. Of these principalities, the most powerful and best organized was the Lac Viet, or Van Lang , the area of which included present-day North Viet Nam, and the northern part of Central Viet Nam. This Kingdom supposedly endured from 2879 B.C. until 258 B.C., and had 18 kings. King Hung Lang changed the Xich Quy national appellation into Van Lang (Country of the Lettered) and called his reign Hung Quoc Vuong. Succeeding Hung Quoc Vuong was Hung Hoa Vuong who was succeeded by his eldest son Hung Hy Vuong and the latter by Hung Huy. King Hung Huy Vuong had 22 sons and was once in a dilemma in his selection of the ablest heir. One day, he said to the princes: "Who among you could find me the best food ever known, good and meaningful enough to offer our forbears’ altar will get the throne." Lang Lieu, the King’s ninth son and also the most virtuous prince in a light sleep was instructed by an angel to use rice and make of it two kinds of cake called Banh Day (Round Rice cake) and Banh Chung (Square Rice cake). King Hung Huy Vuong was pleased with Lang Lieu's cake. Lang Lieu then won the race to the throne. Lang Lieu came into power under the royal appellation of Hung Chieu Vuong and was succeeded by Hung Vi Vuong, Hung Dinh Vuong, Hung Uy Vuong, Hung Trinh Vuong, Hung Vu Vuong, Hung Viet Vuong, Hung Anh Vuong, Hung Trieu Vuong, Hung Tao Vuong and Hung Nghi Vuong. The 18 Hung Vuong kings of the Hong Bang Dynasty reigned for some 2622 years - which would mean an average of 150 years each. So we must assume that there must have been many lesser kings whose names were forgotten long before the period of recorded history.