The founder of the Vietnamese nation, according to the earliest traditions, was Hung Vuong, the first ruler of the semilegendary Hung dynasty (2879-258 BCE, mythological dates) of the kingdom of Van Lang.

Hung Vuong, in Vietnamese mythology, was the oldest son of Lac Long Quan (Lac Dragon Lord), who came to the Red River Delta from his home in the sea, and Au Co, a Chinese immortal.

Lac Long Quan, a Vietnamese cultural hero, is credited with teaching the people how to cultivate rice.

The Hung dynasty, which according to tradition ruled Van Lang for eighteen generations, is associated by Vietnamese scholars with Dong Sonian culture.

An important aspect of this culture by the sixth century BCE is the tidal irrigation of rice fields through an elaborate system of canals and dikes.

The fields are called Lac fields, and Lac, mentioned in Chinese annals, is the earliest recorded name for the Vietnamese people.