The earliest traces of human activity in Vietnam date back to a paleolithic culture that emerged around half a million years ago. These early hunter-gatherers gradually began to develop basic agricultural practices. However, a transformative shift occurred approximately 4,000 years ago when communities in the Red River Delta initiated the cultivation of irrigated rice. The collaborative efforts needed to construct and maintain dykes and canals spurred the formation of a stable, organized society—recognized as the first Vietnamese state. This early kingdom, known as Van Lang, is thought to have appeared around 2000 BCE and was governed by the legendary Hung kings from their capital near what is now Viet Tri, northwest of Hanoi.

By the first millennium BCE, archeological findings reveal that the Lac Viet people had advanced into a sophisticated Bronze Age culture, whose influence likely extended as far as Indonesia. One of their most remarkable achievements, the iconic bronze drums, was uncovered in the 1920s near Dong Son. These drums are celebrated as the earliest solid evidence of an autonomous Vietnamese culture and are considered a symbol of the nation’s ancient heritage.