Kinh Dương Vương facts for kids

Kinh Dương Vương (also known as "King of Kinh Dương") is a legendary figure from ancient Vietnamese stories. He is mentioned in an old book from the 15th century called Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư. This book says he brought many tribes together to form one state.

He is also believed to be the founder of the Hồng Bàng dynasty. Many people consider him the very first ruler of the Vietnamese people. He is a very important part of Vietnam's early history and myths.

Who Was Kinh Dương Vương?

According to the old book Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư, Kinh Dương Vương ruled a land called Xích Quỷ (which means "Red Demon Country"). He started his rule around 2879 BC. His father was a mythical figure named Đế Minh. Đế Minh was a descendant of Shennong, a legendary Chinese ruler.

Kinh Dương Vương married a woman named Thần Long. She was the daughter of Động Đình Quân, who was the Lord of Dongting Lake. Kinh Dương Vương and Thần Long had a son named Lạc Long Quân.

Today, Kinh Dương Vương is a well-known figure. His stories are taught in elementary schools alongside other famous legends. These include tales of Thánh Gióng, Âu Cơ, and Sơn Tinh and Thủy Tinh. There is also a special shrine and tomb for Kinh Dương Vương. It is located in An Lữ village, in Thuận Thành District, Bắc Ninh Province.

The Legend of Kinh Dương Vương

The book Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư tells us more about Kinh Dương Vương's origins. It says that Emperor Ming, a great-great-grandson of the mythical Chinese ruler Shennong, traveled south. He met and married a beautiful lady named Vụ Tiên Nữ. They had a very smart son named Lộc Tục.

Emperor Ming later gave his throne to his oldest son, Emperor Ly. Emperor Ly became the king of the North. Lộc Tục, his younger son, was made king of the South. He was given the title Kinh Dương Vương.

Kinh Dương Vương became king around 2879 BC. His country, Xích Quỷ, was said to be very large. It stretched from Dongting Lake in the north to the Hồ Tôn Tinh country (which is now Champa) in the south. To the east, it reached the South China Sea, and to the west, it went as far as Ba Shu (now in Sichuan, China).

Another old book, Lĩnh Nam chích quái, tells a story about Kinh Dương Vương. It says he bravely fought and drove away a dangerous god named Xương Cuồng. Kinh Dương Vương married Thần Long, the daughter of the King of Động Đình Lake. Their son was named Sùng Lãm. Sùng Lãm later became the next ruler, known as Lạc Long Quân.

Why People Worship Kinh Dương Vương

Worshiping Kinh Dương Vương is important in Vietnam. However, it is not as widespread as the worship of Shennong. Shennong is seen as an ancestor of the Hùng Vương kings. He is also highly respected in Vietnamese farming traditions. Old dynasties used to set up a special altar called Đàn Xã Tắc every year to worship him.

One of the oldest places where Kinh Dương Vương is worshipped is the Thượng Lãng communal house. This house is in Minh Hòa commune, Hưng Hà district, Thái Bình province. Legends say it has been there since the Đinh dynasty.

The Kinh Dương Vương Mausoleum and Temple in Bắc Ninh is also very important. Vietnamese rulers in the past considered it a sacred place to honor emperors. During national ceremonies, armies would come to worship there. In 2013, Bắc Ninh province announced a large plan to protect and improve this historical site. The project costs a lot of money and includes repairing the temple and tomb. It also involves building an ancestral monument and a cultural festival square. These efforts aim to attract visitors and promote spiritual tourism.

Legends and History

Some historians believe that the story of Kinh Dương Vương is a legend. They think it might be based on an old Chinese story called Story of Liu Yi. For example, historian Trần Trọng Dương pointed out similarities between the two tales.

Many Vietnamese historians have shared this view since the 18th century. Ngô Thì Sĩ, a historian, wrote about this in his book. He questioned why the story of Kinh Dương Vương seemed to copy parts of the Story of Liu Yi. He suggested that someone might have created the story to fill in gaps in the history of kings.

The historians of the Nguyễn dynasty also had doubts. In their official history book, they wrote that the stories of Kinh Dương Vương and Lạc Long Quân seemed made up. They felt these stories were not reliable. Because of these doubts, Emperor Tự Đức decided to remove Kinh Dương Vương and Lạc Long Quân from the official history books. This was because their stories did not fit with the Confucian ideals of the country at the time.