Saving the Han-Nom heritage through 'digitization'

(Baonghean) - As a borderland of the country, throughout history, from generation to generation, Nghe An has always had heroes, outstanding figures, and cultural icons; they have left behind a treasure trove of unique cultural heritage, including many Han-Nom documents.

Many valuable documents were damaged.

According to Mr. Phan Van Hung, Deputy Director of the Nghe An General Museum, the Han-Nom heritage in Nghe An is very rich and diverse in both form and content, including: imperial decrees, official documents, certificates, orders, genealogies, land registers, rare and valuable medical books, congratulatory letters, petitions, funeral orations, official records, woodblocks, couplets, etc.

Among these documents, the most noteworthy are the royal decrees of the feudal dynasties currently preserved at several historical and cultural sites in the province, such as: Phan Van family church (Bac Thanh, Yen Thanh), Linh Kiem temple (Thuan Son, Do Luong), Dinh family church (Hung Trung, Hung Nguyen), Thai Bao Nguyen Ke Sai temple, Nguyen Xi temple, along with Nguyen Dinh family churches (Nghi Hop, Nghi Loc), Qua Son temple (Boi Son, Do Luong), Dang family church (Lam Son, Do Luong)...

Ancient Sino-Vietnamese documents are digitized using scanners.

The Sino-Vietnamese documents scattered throughout temples, ancestral halls, village communal houses, and communities are considered an extremely important and valuable source of historical information, containing immense historical and humanistic values, contributing to the evidence of the long history of formation and development of the homeland.

However, the Han-Nom heritage in the province is currently facing many challenges in its preservation and promotion. A large portion of this heritage is expressed on organic materials such as dó paper, wood, fabric, silk, and leaves, and has existed for hundreds of years. As a result, many documents are now decaying, and their content is being lost.

Sino-Vietnamese documents held by the people are preserved primarily through traditional methods, often by rolling them up and storing them in the attic or in boxes, taking them out to air them out once or twice a year. This causes serious damage to rare and valuable documents, making restoration impossible. Some Sino-Vietnamese documents that remain relatively intact are also deteriorating due to unscientific preservation practices.

Furthermore, the number of people in the province who can read ancient Sino-Vietnamese documents is limited, resulting in many Sino-Vietnamese resources not being effectively utilized. Those who do know, can read, and translate Sino-Vietnamese documents lack specialized knowledge, leading to inaccurate interpretations and misunderstandings of the value of these resources.

Tens of thousands of pages of Sino-Vietnamese texts have been digitized.

To contribute to the preservation of Han-Nom heritage in the province, since 2015, the Management Board of Historical Sites and Scenic Spots of Nghe An Province has collaborated with the Ho Chi Minh City General Science Library to implement a program to digitize Han-Nom documents in six districts: Nam Dan, Thanh Chuong, Yen Thanh, Do Luong, Quynh Luu, and Nghi Loc. Digitizing these ancient historical documents provides a foundation for scientists to further understand and research the ancient Han-Nom texts preserved through the feudal dynasties in Nghe An province.

Holding the family's imperial decree box in his hands, Mr. Thai Huu Thuyen, representing the Thai Huu clan council, enthusiastically stated: "Through the announcement from the local authorities, I learned that a working group was researching, translating, and digitizing Han-Nom documents. Therefore, representing the clan, I brought the imperial decree for the officials in the group to help translate. I hope that the valuable teachings contained in the decree will be passed on to future generations."

Digital processing at historical sites

It is known that the digitization of Sino-Vietnamese documents requires meticulous attention to detail. After assessing the current condition of the documents, experts clean and flatten them, arrange them in the correct order, and then use specialized scanners or high-quality digital cameras to digitize the documents page by page. Graphic software is then used to process the captured images.

The next step involves translating summaries of each document, then processing and categorizing them into management files using specialized software; these are then organized and stored as collections for each owning entity, such as temples, pagodas, or churches. After processing and categorizing, the digitized documents are processed, and the summaries are printed onto CDs.

Ms. Tran Thi My Hanh, Head of the Provincial Relics and Scenic Spots Management Board, said: “It can be said that the effectiveness of the ‘digitization’ program of Han-Nom documents is very great and has received widespread support from the people. During the digitization process, we encountered many advantages; however, due to insufficient understanding of the significance of digitizing Han-Nom documents, many individuals who are preserving royal decrees, medical books, etc., of their families are afraid of losing copyright and therefore do not allow digitization staff to access, copy, and translate their documents.”

Furthermore, some families have moved their heritage to distant locations, making the digitization process challenging. In the future, the Provincial Library will propose to the province to expand and implement the program of digitizing Han-Nom documents to the remaining districts, as preserving and promoting the value of the Han-Nom cultural heritage left by our ancestors is a matter of urgent importance.

At the same time, we also hope that all levels and sectors will pay more attention and participate more actively in the propaganda work so that the management teams of historical sites and scenic spots, clans, and individuals and organizations will participate more fully, contributing to the preservation and safekeeping of the ancient Han-Nom documents of our province.”

Pham Thinh