Ngưu Hống

Early period

Tai peoples have settled in the northwestern parts of what now is Vietnam since the early first millennium CE or, at the latest, the 5th to 8th century. They mainly settled along the Black River (Sông Đà). One Black Tai chiefdom—located at the place today known as Điện Biên Phủ—was named Muang Thaeng, just like the legendary kingdom of Khun Borom, protagonist of a Tai creation myth and believed to be the progenitor of the Lao, Thai, Shan and other Tai peoples, who later spread to the territories of modern Laos, Thailand, Burma, northeast India and the south of China's Yunnan province.

In early eleventh century, Lạng Chượng, leader of the Black Tai, led his people from Mường Lò, westward toward Mường Chiềng An (Mường La District), Mường Thanh (Điện Biên Phủ), and set up a new kingdom. The chronicle Đại Việt sử lược called this polity Ngưu Hống (cobra). In 1067 they sent a tribute gift to Dai Viet court of king Ly Thanh Tong (r. 1054–1072): gold, silver, aromatic woods, rhinoceros horns and elephant tusks. A Chinese source in 12th century identified this chiefdom as Heishou Guo (Black River Kingdom), and its location was between Dali and Dai Viet kingdoms. During late 13th/early 14th century, Lò Lẹt, the Black Thai ruler, went conflict with Dai Viet ruler Trần Minh Tông on the Black River (Xoong nạp tát tè).