The adopted son from Nghe An province comes from the land of the Rising Sun.

A special trade relationship

With its rich history, Nghe An has always held a strategically important position. From the 15th century to the early 19th century, whenNghe An townLocated at the foot of Lam Thanh mountain, next to the Lam River and right on the main highway at that time, it attracted many foreign merchant ships, including those from Japan. Both Vietnamese and Japanese historical sources record that from the beginning of the 17th century, Japanese merchant ships came to Phuc Le commune (Hung Nguyen district) to trade.

According to researcher Thai Huy Bich, Phuc Le was a commune in Hung Nguyen district, located at the foot of Lam Thanh mountain, which has now completely collapsed into the Lam River. Within Phuc Le commune, the Trieu Khau area contained Trang market, connected to the Nghe An provincial capital, thus having extensive trade connections. Opposite Phuc Le was the Phu Thach wharf area, located south of the Lam River, on the land of Vinh Dai village, now part of Quang Vinh commune (Duc Tho district, Ha Tinh province). The period when Trang and Phu Thach markets were most prosperous, becoming bustling port cities of Nghe An, was from 1593 to 1616. This area was bustling both on land and on the river. A folk song is still passed down here: "Trang market on the twenty-seventh day of the month / Those who go on foot can walk, those who go by boat can go." On maps of Vietnam at that time, the Japanese circled Hung Nguyen district in red. They sold us their most important goods, weapons and copper, and then bought agricultural and forestry products to take back to Japan...

In 2013, the Kyushu National Museum in Saifu City, Fukuoka Prefecture, discovered the oldest letter from the Kingdom of Annam to Japan. Written in 1591 during the reign of King Le The Tong, the letter aimed to establish diplomatic relations between the two countries. This was also the time when Japan began its "Shu-in-Shu" (Red Seal Ship) era (1592), when the Japanese government issued "Shu-in-Shu" – documents bearing a red seal – to thousands of merchant ships trading worldwide at the ports of Pho Hien (Hung Yen) and especially Phuc Le in Nghe An.

At that time, Lord Trịnh also instructed the governor of Nghệ An to thoroughly investigate which district and commune the Japanese merchant ships had docked in before arriving at Phục Lễ; to inquire about the identities of the captain and the merchants accompanying the ships; and to check the goods and items carried on board. If any discrepancies were found, they should be dealt with according to national law. This strict inspection of Japanese merchant ships can be understood as a precautionary measure by Lord Trịnh, because at this time, Japanese merchant ships were trading with both the Southern and Northern regions of Vietnam.

In the early 17th century, trade relations became increasingly close. A notable event occurred in June 1610, when a Japanese merchant ship arrived in Nghe An to trade in the Lam River area. After acquiring a large quantity of goods, the ship returned to Japan. However, while passing through the Chu Nhai estuary (Hoi Thong – Cua Hoi), strong waves and winds caused the ship to sink, resulting in the deaths of six people on board. Local authorities rescued 105 people, who were then cared for and provided with boats to return home.

By the mid-17th century, for about five years (from 1655 to 1660), due to the fierce Trinh-Nguyen war, the Lam River became the dividing line between Dang Trong and Dang Ngoai, with both banks becoming battlefields. Not to mention the gradual erosion of Phuc Le land into the river, which caused the Japanese to leave Hung Nguyen and move to Pho Hien (Hung Yen) for business and trade. The port towns of Phuc Le and Phu Thach also gradually faded into the past.

The adopted son is from Japan.

In Ha Tinh, we had the opportunity to view ancient letters from the Kingdom of Annam to Japan, which were donated to the Ha Tinh Museum in 2018 by the Japan Foundation. Of the five donated letters, most were written between 1591 during the reign of King Le The Tong and 1611 during the reign of King Le Kinh Tong.

In particular, the letter dated February 25, 1611, mentions the sinking of a Japanese merchant ship a year earlier: "...it is known that on a certain day in June of the previous year, the trade and exchange of currency with Annam was completed. Now, upon arriving at the Dan Nhai estuary at sea, it was suddenly struck by waves and scattered, leaving 105 local people adrift..."

According to Mr. Dau Khoa Toan, Director of the Ha Tinh Museum: At that time, those who sheltered the Japanese group included Van Ly Hau Tran Tinh, from Mat village, Nguyet Ao commune, La Son district, Nghe An province (now Mat Thiet village, Kim Song Truong commune, Can Loc district, Ha Tinh province), who was then serving as a high-ranking official in the government office located in Hoa Vien commune, Hung Nguyen district. When the Japanese merchant ship sank, Tran Tinh sheltered 29 people, bringing them to his home and providing them with food and lodging for a year before Lord Trinh Tung built them a ship to return to Japan. Because Tran Tinh had no children, he adopted a Japanese woman as his daughter and gave her the full name Tran Thi Duong Nuong.

Upon reaching marriageable age, Tran Thi Duong Nuong was married by Van Ly Hau Tran Tinh to Nguyen Nhu Thach (1579-1662), a high-ranking official of the Nguyen Huy family in Truong Luu village, La Son district (now also part of Kim Song Truong commune, Can Loc district, Ha Tinh province).

Visiting Truong Luu village, we were fortunate to meet Professor, Doctor of Science, Academician Nguyen Huy My, a 16th-generation descendant of the Nguyen Huy family in Truong Luu village. He provided more information about his adopted son from Japan. In the "Phuong Duong Nguyen family genealogy," there is a passage that reads: "The second wife, originally from Japan, was the adopted daughter of the Tran family, 'Tran Thi Duong Nuong,' commonly known as Mrs. Nhat. She was found by the Duke of Liem Quan, from Nguyet Ao commune, and adopted as his daughter, marrying her to Mr. Nhu Thach during his time at court to serve him. Now, the descendants of District Chief Nguyen Cong Chat continue the ancestral worship."

According to Professor Nguyen Huy My, the family genealogy does not mention whether the grandmother had any children with Mr. Nguyen Nhu Thach. After her death, she was buried at Mac Mountain, then later reinterred at Phuong Mountain, Truong Luu village...