Period of Chinese Domination (111 BCE - 938 CE) [ Continuing ]

In 111 BCE, Han Chinese troops invaded Nam Việt and annexed its territory into the Han empire. The part that is now northern Vietnam was named Giao Chỉ(Chinese: Jiaozhi) commandary. While Han Chinese held top administrative posts, the local Việt lords were still able to retain power over their land and people.

In 40 CE, rebelling against harsh rule by Han Governor Tô Định(Chinese: Su Ding:蘇定), two noble Việt women, the Trưng Sisters, led a successful uprising, captured 65 towns, and declared themselves Trưng Queens(Trưng Nữ Vương). In 42 CE, Emperor Guangwu of Han sent his famed general Mã Viện(Chinese: Ma Yuan) to crush the revolt. After a torturous campaign, Ma Yuan defeated the Trưng Queens, who died in battle. To this day, the Trưng Sisters are revered in Vietnam as the national symbol of Vietnamese woman. Learning a lesson from the Trưng Revolt, the Han and other successive Chinese dynasties took measures to eliminate the power of the Viet feudal lords. The Việt elites would be coerced to assimilate into Chinese culture and politics. However, in 225 CE, another lady, Triệu Thị Trinh, popularly known as Lady Triệu, led another uprising that lasted until 248 CE when she was defeated.

Much of northern Vietnam, from the Red River delta down to the region of modern Thanh Hóa province, was organized into the Chinese prefecture/commandery of Giao Chỉ(Chinese: Jiaozhi), and later also called Annam, then Giao Châu, until early 10th century CE. Giao Chỉ (with its capital settled around in modern Bắc Ninh province) became a flourishing trading outpost receiving goods from the southern seas. "History of Later Han" (Hậu Hán Thư, Hou Hanshu) recorded that in 166 CE the first envoy from the Roman Empire to China arrived by this route, and merchants were soon to follow. The 3rd century "Tales of Wei" (Ngụy Lục, Weilue) mentioned a "water route" (that is, the Red River) from Jiaozhi into what is now southern Yunnan. From there, goods were taken overland to the rest of China via the regions of modern Kunming and Chengdu.

At the same time, in present-day central Vietnam emerged a number of Cham nations, first Lin-Yi, then later a more powerful and highly civilized Champa. Present-day southern Vietnam belonged to the empire of Funan, whose archaeological artifacts included Roman coins.

In the period between the beginning of the Chinese Age of Fragmentation to the end of Tang Dynasty, several revolts against Chinese rule took place in the Red River delta, such as those of Lý Bôn, his lieutenant Triệu Quang Phục, Mai Thúc Loan, Phùng Hưng. All of them ultimately failed, yet most notable were Lý Bôn and Triệu Quang Phục, whose Anterior Lý Dynasty ruled for almost half a century(544 CE to 602 CE) before their kingdom Vạn Xuân being reconquered by the Chinese Sui Dynasty.