Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks brought to Hoang Sa and Truong Sa exhibition for the first time

Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks are evidence affirming Vietnam's sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos, recognized by UNESCO as a World Documentary Heritage.

Artifacts in the exhibition. Photo: Quoc Dung

The exhibition of maps and documents "Hoang Sa, Truong Sa of Vietnam - Historical and legal evidence" took place in Da Lat city (Lam Dong) from September 9 to 13. The organizers said that this is the first time that Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks - related to Vietnam's sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa - have been put on exhibition and introduced to the public.

According to Dr. Doan Cong Huynh, Director of the Information Department - Ministry of Information and Communications, the National Archives Center 4 in Da Lat is storing 34,619 Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks. Of which, there are 17 panels with 19 engraved sides related to the sovereignty of the two archipelagos of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa, which are currently disputed by China. This is a valuable document in many aspects, truly reflecting the political, economic, cultural and social life of Vietnam through historical periods and has been recognized by UNESCO as a World Documentary Heritage.

Many scientific and military researchers in Da Lat came to the exhibition, enthusiastically explaining to young people about the documents on display related to the sovereignty of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa. Photo: Quoc Dung

Associate Professor - People's Teacher Nguyen Quang Ngoc (Head of the historical documents appraisal board on Hoang Sa and Truong Sa) commented that Lam Dong is a special locality compared to other provinces and cities in the country. There is no national border, no sea but there are over 40 ethnic groups. In addition, Da Lat is also a major tourist center with millions of tourists each year, so this exhibition has a thorough investment, enriching the source of documents by adding many artifacts, maps, ancient books, and records...

According to Vnexpress