Who were Hung Kings?

As Vietnamese, we always show deep gratitude towards our origins and ancestors. Annually, the death anniversary of Hung Kings is celebrated on the 10th of March (lunar month) 
Hung Kings were the ones who laid the foundation for the land of Vietnam in the ancient eras. The folklores date back to the year 2879 BC when there were 18 Hung Kings who ruled Văn Lang ( Vietnam is the old days) from generation to generation. They are said to have established the very first foundation of civilization for the country. 
Hùng Vương is a combination of two Sino-Vietnamese words. "Hùng" means "brave" and "Vương" means "King". 
We believe that learning about Vietnamese origin will contribute something interesting in your process of learning Vietnamese. We hope the story somehow helps decode Vietnamese people's personality, Vietnamese history and culture.