economic power of the Hoa is far greater than that of their proportion would suggest relative to their small population in addition to the Chinese community being socioeconomically successful for hundreds of years than the indigenous host Kinh population. The Hoa wield tremendous economic clout over their Kinh majority counterparts and play a critical role in maintaining the country's economic vitality and prosperity prior to having their property confiscated by the Vietnamese Communists after 1975. Early history and French colonial rule (3rd century BC–1945 AD) Chinese economic dominance in Vietnam dates back to 208 B.C., when the renegade Qin Chinese military general Zhao Tuo defeated An Dương Vương, the king of Âu Lạc in North Vietnam, and conquered the Âu Lạc Kingdom, an ancient Vietnamese state situated in the northern mountains of modern Vietnam populated by the ancient Lạc Việt and Âu Việt. Zhao annexed Âu Lạc into the Qin Empire the following year and declared himself the emperor of Nam Viet. A century later, a militarily powerful Han dynasty annexed Nanyue into the Han Empire and was ruled as a province for the next several centuries. Sinification of Nanyue was brought about by a combination of Han imperial military supremacy, regular settlement and an influx of Han Chinese refugees, officers and garrisons, merchants, scholars, bureaucrats, fugitives, and prisoners of war. By the end of the 17th century, a distinct Chinese community, known as the Hoa, formed within Vietnamese society. Hoa enclaves and small Chinatowns took root in every major Vietnamese city and trading center. Large congregations of Han Chinese immigrants coupled with their economic power allowed the establishment of various institutions to regulate their commercial business activities in addition to looking out and protecting their economic interests. Modern Han Chinese settlement and immigration in Vietnam came about from conducive opportunities for trade and business as Han Chinese migrant businessmen began to visit Hội An from the 16th century onward and initially traded black incense, silk, alum, and traditional Chinese medicinal products with the Kinh populace. Dutch, Portuguese and French merchants who visited Hội An in the 17th century brought high-quality European-made brass utensils that attracted the attention of Chinese merchants. In turn, other Hoa manufactured goods such as porcelain, silver bars, and various metals were traded. Around this time, the Hoa began to establish their own trading and social associations, the latter of which is referred to as bang