Vietnam has a rich heritage, recording thousands of years of history behind her. Spanning from the early civilisations of Oc Eo, Sa Huynh and Cham in the South & Central, and Dong Son in the North, the country has rivalled through countless wars against major powers to become what it is today.   

Until 1945, the country was ruled by emperors and their corresponding dynasties.  The Ly dynasty (1009 - 1225), with Ly Thai To as its first emperor, earmarked a new era in Vietnamese history in the 11^th century.  According to legend, Emperor Ly Thai To was taking a leisurely boat trip along Red River when suddenly, he saw a picture of a dragon in the clouds.  He regarded this as a favourable sign from the gods as a dragon represents prosperity and good fortune.  He then decided to transfer the capital from Hoa Lu in Ninh Binh to Hanoi.  During the reign of Ly dynasty, many notable buildings, including the famous Temple of Literature (1^st university of Vietnam) and the royal citadel (Hoang Thanh Thang Long) were constructed in Hanoi making it one of the more prominent capitals in the region.  In recent years, archaeological exploits have uncovered precious historical relics belonging to the royal citadel.           

Of the many dynasties that ruled over Vietnam, the most powerful and significant would be the reign of Nguyen dynasty (1802 - 1945) during which an extensive trading network with neighbouring countries was established.  The Nguyen dynasty made Hue its capital where the remains of the impressive royal courts and citadel can still be found.    

Vietnam never really enjoyed peaceful moments as her history is be-riddled with wars, the most recent being French war (1858 - 1954) and American war (1964 - 1975). The French war culminated in intense fightings that took place at Dien Bien Phu where the decisive Vietnamese victory gave rise to independence in the north.  Although it may seem that Vietnam has been accustomed to wars, the sufferings and the bloodshed in American war was unparalleled.  The Americans carpet-bombed the land, and used the toxic chemical Agent Orange to defoliate the forests.  To survive this atrocity, the Vietnamese dug an innovative network of underground tunnels, such as Vinh Moc and Cu Chi tunnels, and carried out their daily living underneath the ground.  Today, the actual underground tunnels dug during the wartime can still be found in Vinh Moc, some 80 km north of Hue in central Vietnam.  On 30 Apr 1975, Vietnam celebrated the much desired unification of the entire country.