Ancient Vietnam: Temples, Myths and Lost Kingdoms

Tens of thousands of years ago, before Vietnam bore its name, the region's limestone caves and dense forests echoed with the footsteps of a resilient people—later known as the Hoabinhian culture. Named after the province of Hoa Binh, where their archaeological remains were first uncovered in the 1920s, these people represent one of Southeast Asia's most significant and longest-lasting prehistoric traditions. Lasting from approximately 18,000 BCE to 4,000 BCE, the Hoabinhian culture spanned the Upper Palaeolithic through the Mesolithic and even into the Neolithic in some areas.