“Lord Nguyen and the legends of opening up the South”

In the journey of the Vietnamese people to expand their territory to the South, the names of the Nguyen Lords were always associated with strategic decisions, demonstrating their foresight and cleverness in establishing diplomatic relations with the Cambodian court.

The book "Lord Nguyen and the anecdotes of the opening of the Southern land" by teacher and historian Nguyen Huu Hieu, published by the National Political Publishing House Truth in June 2025, is a work that contributes to vividly recreating a historical period through a unique storytelling lens.

The work not only records important milestones in the expansion of the Southern territory under the Nguyen Lords, but also reconstructs historical anecdotes based on sources with high information content, such as official histories, original documents, documents recorded by foreigners...

The book "Lord Nguyen and the anecdotes of opening up the South".

The special thing is that each anecdote is told briefly and concisely with the author's concise comments and assessments at the end of the story, as a suggestion for readers to find historical and humanistic values through each anecdote associated with the official history of the nation.

From the story of Nguyen Hoang asking to guard Thuan Hoa land, opening the Southern expansion, the author cleverly linked a prophecy into the contemporary political and cultural context: "The Lord heard that Nguyen Binh Khiem (from Trung Am village, Hai Duong region, passed the imperial examination under the Mac dynasty, became a Thai Bao and retired) was good at numerology, so he secretly sent someone to ask. Binh Khiem looked at the rockery in front of the yard and loudly chanted: "Hoanh Son nhat dai, van dai dung than" (meaning: A range of Ngang mountains, can shelter for all generations). The messenger brought that sentence back and told it. The Lord understood the meaning" - excerpt from page 19. The short sentence but shaped the strategy of expanding the territory to the South that lasted for two centuries and was also the root for the first step to form the Southern land today.

One of the typical examples recreated in the work is the marriage between Princess Ngoc Van and King Chey Chettha II of Cambodia, an event that was both political and a flexible diplomatic move. Thanks to this marriage, along with the support of Lord Sai Nguyen Phuc Nguyen, the Dang Trong court established a tax collection base in Prey Nokor, thereby laying the foundation for the formation of Saigon - Gia Dinh later.

“To ensure the rights and business of the Vietnamese people in Cambodia, Lord Sai sent a delegation to Oudong (Long Uc) to request the establishment of a tax collection base in Prey Nokor. After King Chey Chettha II agreed, the Thuan Hoa court encouraged people to migrate here and sent an army to Prey Nokor to help the Cambodia people maintain security and order” - excerpt from page 32.

It is noteworthy that in this process, the role of women was not overshadowed. The character of Princess Ngoc Van - a woman "both beautiful in appearance and beautiful in character" - emerged as a bridge connecting the culture and politics between the two countries.

Not only was she the queen of Cambodia, she was also the one who encouraged Vietnamese people to live, trade, open factories, helped the king of Cambodia govern the country and asked for help from the Nguyen Dynasty when the country was invaded. Folklore also says that she was the one who contributed to laying the foundation for the land that Westerners later called Cochinchine (Southern Vietnam).

The book also spends a lot of time talking about characters like Nguyen Huu Canh - the person who established Dai Viet's sovereignty over the Saigon - Gia Dinh area at the end of the 17th century, or Mac Cuu - the person who offered Ha Tien land to Lord Nguyen. These characters are all told in a very simple and familiar way, as a way to keep history in the reader's mind longer and deeper.

Not only is it a story about the royal court, the work also mentions the cultural, social and religious life of the new land: from customs, dress, contact with Buddhism to the relationship between the Vietnamese and the indigenous peoples and the Chinese community, the Minh Huong people, and Western merchants. Thanks to that, readers can see the diversity, complexity and rich identity of the South right from its beginning.

“Lord Nguyen and the Anecdotes of the Southern Land Opening” is not intended to replace official history books, but is a necessary supplement, helping history no longer be distant but become a part of spiritual life, a storytelling heritage, spreading throughout the community.

According to TUE LAM (People)

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/-chua-nguyen-va-cac-giai-thoai-mo-dat-phuong-nam-lich-su-gan-gui-tu-nhung-cau-chuyen-dan-gian-a423381.html