The Âu Việt were also referred to the Kingdom of East Ou (
東甌), descendants of the
Yue (state) moved to
Fujian after its fall, and the West Ou (
西甌;
Chinese: Xī Ōu;
Tây meaning "western"). The West Ou were considered to be one of the
Bǎiyuè tribes. They had short hair and
tattoos, and
blackened their teeth.
[1] They are considered to have been the ancestors of the upland
Tai-speaking
minority groups in Vietnam such as the
Nung and
Tay,
[2][3] as well as the closely related
Zhuang people of Guangxi.
The Âu Việt traded with the
Lạc Việt, the inhabitants of the state of
Văn Lang, which was located in the lowland plains to Âu Việt's south, in what is today the
Red River Delta of northern Vietnam, until
258 BC or
257 BC, when
Thục Phán, the leader of the alliance of Âu Việt tribes, invaded
Văn Lang and defeated the last
Hùng Vương. He named the new nation "
Âu Lạc," and proclaiming himself king
An Dương Vương.
[1]