Hồ Tôn Tinh (Chinese: 胡猻精, Husunxing) or Hồ Tôn (Chinese: 胡猻, Husun) was an ancient Champa kingdom that was mentioned in some Vietnamese textbooks.[1]
The first mention of Hồ Tôn Tinh was from the 14th-century semi-fictional work of Lĩnh Nam chích quái, with "The story of Dạ Xoa" (Vietnamese: Truyện Dạ Xoa):[2]
The 15th-century national chronicle of Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư (ĐVSKTT) and Trần Trọng Kim's 20th-century Việt Nam sử lược (VNSL) both mentioned Hồ Tôn Tinh as a southern neighboring country of the semi-mythical Hồng Bàng–ruled kingdom,[3] [4] with ĐVSKTT said that Hồ Tôn bodered Văn Lang (2524–258 BC) while VNSL believed it bordered Xích Quỷ (2879–2524 BC).
According to the 19th century veritable records of Đại Nam thực lục, volume 33 of Đại Nam chính biên liệt truyện sơ tập, Hồ Tôn was a Cham kingdom ruled by the Việt Thường (Chinese: 越裳, Yueshang).[5]
There was no mention of to why or how Hồ Tôn Tinh might have collapsed. But since the country was believed to be located somewhere in Quảng Nam, it is possible that Hồ Tôn Tinh fell because of an invasion from Nanyue.
According to Huber in La Légende du Ramayana en Annam, Etudes indochinoises, the story of Hồ Tôn Tinh was probably the ancient Champa's version of Ramayana. There, Dasanana was named Dạ Xoa, Rama was called Prince Vi Tư, and Sita was Princess Bạch Tịnh.