Vietnam Renamed Dai Viet Under Ly Thanh Tong

1054

The young emperor Ly Thanh Tong ascended the throne and promptly renamed his kingdom from Dai Co Viet to Dai Viet - 'Great Viet' - a declaration of ambition compressed into two syllables. The new name signaled a state that saw itself as a civilization, not merely a successor polity. Under Ly Thanh Tong, Vietnam would build its Temple of Literature, codify Confucian learning, and push its borders southward into Champa territory.