Collected Illustrations of the Three Realms, Volume 32

Jiaozhi Kōchi Historical name for northern Vietnam, also known as Annam, is inhabited by a people said to be the descendants of the mountain-dwelling wild dogs. Their nature is cunning and crafty. They cut their hair and go barefoot; they have sunken eyes and protruding mouths, appearing extremely unsightly, with a physical form resembling macaques. People often refer to them as "Barbarian Ghosts." Those among them whose appearance resembles the Chinese are descendants of the soldiers led by the Han Dynasty general Ma Yuan Ma Yuan (14 BCE – 49 CE) was a famous general who led campaigns into the south to suppress rebellions.

Regarding the customs of the land, fathers and sons do not live together or share the same hearth. In matters of marriage, they do not utilize matchmakers; instead, men and women couple together of their own accord. They use the betel nut betel nut; the seed of the areca palm, used historically in Southeast Asia as a social lubricant and a formal token of betrothal as a pledge of commitment before returning to their homes. If a wife has an affair with another man, she divorces her husband and tells him to marry someone else.

The country was once a subordinate commandery of Champa original: "Zhancheng," an ancient kingdom in what is now central and southern Vietnam. The people served the Kingdom of Champa and paid annual taxes and rents to it. The men hold thievery in high regard, while the women are said to be prone to licentiousness.

Since the time of the Han Dynasty, China seized this territory and governed it as commanderies and counties, establishing an Inspector for the Jiao Province original: "Jiaozhou". During the Later Han period, they rebelled again, and Ma Yuan was sent to pacify them. By the end of the Five Dynasties period 907–960 CE, a period of political upheaval in China, the Military Governor Wu Changwen original: "Wu Changwen," known in Vietnamese as Ngô Xương Văn, who ruled the region in the mid-10th century began to illegitimately claim the title of King. Since that time, the rulers have all called themselves kings, though through the successive eras, the throne has been frequently seized through usurpation by different families.