To preserve the documentary heritage forever...

(Baothanhhoa.vn) - Thanh Hoa Provincial Library currently stores and preserves nearly 490 thousand books, newspapers, and documents, meeting the needs of studying and researching, improving readers' knowledge, and spreading cultural and historical values ​​to the community.

Royal decrees and Sino-Vietnamese documents are preserved and stored in specialized, temperature-controlled cabinets at the Thanh Hoa Provincial Library.

In particular, this treasure trove of knowledge contains more than 1,500 ancient texts, mainly books and documents in Han-Nom script (originals, translations, manuscripts, rubbings, etc.) with diverse and rich forms and fields such as: royal decrees, legends, divine edicts, rubbings of stele inscriptions, family genealogies, village regulations, books on culture and literature, Buddhist scriptures, medicine, etc. Among them, many Han-Nom books and documents are of great value in terms of their age, theory, and profound practical application, such as: "Kim Van Kieu Tan Truyen," printed in Nom script in 1896 during the reign of Emperor Thanh Thai; "Thanh Hoa Quan Phong" by Vuong Duy Trinh; the preface to "Doan Truong Tan Thanh"; "Chinh Phu Ngam Bi Luc," "Dai Nam Quoc Su Dien Ca"; the medical books of Hai Thuong Lan Ong (Hai Thuong Lan Ong Ngoai Cam Thong Tri, Hai Thuong Lan Ong Y Hai Dai Thanh - Tu Tuong Tap)...

These Sino-Vietnamese books and documents are a precious cultural heritage of our ancestors, providing vivid and convincing evidence of Thanh Hoa province's "charming" and "land of outstanding people," reflecting the movement and development of villages and communities with their cultural and social institutions, beliefs, kinship relationships, family traditions, and customs. According to Vu Thi Hoa, Deputy Head of the Local History Department (Thanh Hoa Provincial Library): "With such a rich and diverse collection of ancient texts, Thanh Hoa Provincial Library has attracted many readers, from students, university lecturers, postgraduate students, and researchers from both within and outside the country to study and learn." This not only affirms and enhances the prestige and quality of Thanh Hoa Provincial Library's activities within the national library system but also contributes to spreading and promoting the cultural essence of Thanh Hoa in general, and the value of its documentary heritage in particular.

Over the years, the Thanh Hoa Provincial Library has continuously strived and demonstrated a high sense of responsibility in implementing practical and effective activities to contribute to the preservation, conservation, and promotion of the value of ancient manuscripts. However, these activities remain fragmented, temporary solutions, and lack coordination. Due to the effects of time, inadequate conditions, and improper preservation procedures, many manuscripts are damaged or at risk of being lost.

In response to this situation, the People's Committee of Thanh Hoa province issued Plan No. 235/KH-UBND dated October 3, 2022, on the preservation and restoration of ancient and rare documents at the Thanh Hoa Provincial Library, for the period 2023-2025, with a total budget of over 7.5 billion VND from the cultural and information budget. The preservation, restoration, translation, and editing of 106 imperial decrees and over 1,000 Han Nom documents dating from the 17th to the 20th centuries, which are considered ancient, rare, and reflect the local identity, are being implemented. The aim is to extend the lifespan and long-term preservation of these documents, serving scientific research and understanding of the nation's cultural heritage; and to facilitate digitization and documentation to improve the efficiency of document management and exploitation. This allows readers to conduct research without having direct access to the original documents, reducing the risk of loss or damage; increasing the number of readers who have the opportunity to access the document's content, and meeting the needs of a wider range of readers.

The book "Kim Van Kieu Tan Truyen," printed in Nom script in 1896, during the reign of Emperor Thanh Thai.

Deeply aware of the significance of implementing this plan, the Thanh Hoa Provincial Library quickly coordinated with relevant agencies, specialized units, experts, and scientists to clean, disinfect, and restore hundreds of Han Nom documents and organize the translation of imperial decrees. Deputy Head of the Local History Department, Vu Thi Hoa, confided: “This work requires caution, meticulousness, and a high sense of responsibility. Because this is not simply a professional task, but also reflects our attitude towards the cultural heritage that our ancestors painstakingly cultivated and passed down, and is also a way for us to work together to preserve and unleash the ‘soft power’ of culture in today’s life.”

To improve efficiency and optimize the preservation and storage of rare documents according to the set plan objectives, Thanh Hoa Provincial Library has equipped itself with rare document preservation cabinets (for general preservation and therapeutic preservation), specialized cabinets for imperial decrees; a thermometer; and a dedicated 2TB hard drive for data storage...

Thanks to the province's attention and support, and the dedication and responsibility of specialized agencies, particularly the Thanh Hoa Provincial Library, hundreds of royal decrees and Han Nom documents have been restored, translated, edited, and stored and preserved in a suitable environment. This serves as a foundation for these documentary heritages to continue to develop their value, serving readers' research and exploration needs, and integrating into the flow of national culture.

Text and photos: Nguyen Linh

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/de-di-san-tu-lieu-con-mai-260755.htm