A great period of southward expansion also…

A great period of southward expansion also begins under Le Thanh Tong.

The don dien system of land settlement, borrowed from the Chinese, is used extensively to occupy and develop territory wrested from Champa.

Under this system, military colonies are established in which soldiers and landless peasants clear a new area, begin rice production on the new land, establish a village, and serve as a militia to defend it.

After three years, the village is incorporated into the Vietnamese administrative system, a communal village meeting house (dinh) is built, and the workers are given an opportunity to share in the communal lands given by the state to each village.

The remainder of the land belongs to the state.

As each area is cleared and a village established, the soldiers of the don dien move on to clear more land.

This method contributes greatly to the success of Vietnam's southward expansion.