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An embryonic form of the classical Vietnamese theatre hát tuồng or hát bội (sometimes known in the south as hát bộ) was already in existence in 1285 when one Lư Nguyên Cát, a performer of the early Chinese opera genre zaju, was captured and brought to the Đại Việt court at Thăng Long (Hà Nội). Subsequently Cát is known to have introduced some of the techniques of zaju to performers at the Đại Việt court, thereby assisting in the further development of tuồng as a courtly entertainment. 'Southern songs' from the Hindu kingdom of Champa (subjugated by the Việts in the 14th century) were later introduced into the early tuồng repertoire.