Sinification of Vietnam

1
Sinification of Vietnam
2
Vietnamese Identity

• Distinct group of people
• Shared common heritage
• Desire to remain politically independent

3
Chinese Advantages

• Initial contact with Qin
• Development of lively trade
• Chinese silk
• Vietnamese ivory, pearls, tortoise shell,
  peacock feathers and exotic woods

4
Vietnamese Culture Differs from Chinese

• Vietnamese
• Long skirts for women
• Cockfights
• Chewed betel nut
• Blackened teeth
• Buddhism
• Nuclear family
• Distinctive art and poetry

• Chinese
• Black pants
• Never adopted cockfights for entertainment
• Disgusted by betel nut
• Repulsed by blackened teeth
• Extended family

5
Betel Nut and Blackened Teeth
6
Cockfighting
7
Chinese Conquest

• Han rulers
• At first happy with Viet ruler as vassal
• Accepted tribute
• 111BCE wanted total control
• Viet elite
• Cooperated with China
• Worked into bureaucracy
• Chinese schools and Confucianism

8
Resistance Movements

• Aristocracy
• Chinese disdain for local customs
• Considered backward
• Peasants
• Little interest in Chinese culture
• Trung sisters
• Led peasant revolt against Chinese in 39 CE
• Reaction to patriarchal society

9
Vietnamese Independence

• Strong sense of identity
• Fragile bonds to China
• Geographic barriers
• Few Chinese residents in region
• 907 Fall of Tang offered opportunity/chaos
• 939 won independence

10
Ancient Vietnam