The oldest known woodblock print of the "Decree on Relocating the Capital" has been found.

According to information from the National Archives Center IV in Da Lat - Lam Dong, the center has recently discovered a woodblock print containing the original text of the "Decree on Relocating the Capital" from the book Dai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu (Chronicle of Ly Thai To - Volume 2 - page 2), which belongs to the collection of woodblock documents from the Nguyen Dynasty currently preserved at the center.

This is a reverse-cut woodblock print of Chinese characters, measuring 41x21.2cm, with a printing frame of 29.5x20cm. The "Decree on Relocating the Capital" consists of 214 characters, not including the annotations, and is tightly structured with concise and persuasive language. This is the first time Vietnam has discovered a woodblock print of the "Decree on Relocating the Capital"; until now, researchers have only accessed the content of the decree through a few historical sources.

According to Associate Professor Dr. Trinh Khac Manh, Director of the Institute of Han Nom Studies, the discovery of this valuable woodblock will facilitate research and study, thereby clarifying the purpose, meaning, and writing style of this ancient heroic text. Currently, staff at the National Archives Center IV are taking steps to accurately determine whether this woodblock dates from the Le Dynasty (1679) or the Nguyen Dynasty (approximately 1802 to 1807). However, regardless of whether it dates from the Le or Nguyen Dynasty, this is the oldest "Decree on Relocating the Capital" woodblock ever found. The discovery of this woodblock is also good news as the 1000th anniversary of Thang Long - Hanoi is fast approaching.

According to King Zhou