"A Brief History of Maritime Voyages" - a valuable document about Ly Son Island.

( Quang Ngai Newspaper) - "Hai Trinh Chi Luoc" (A Brief Account of the Sea Voyage) by Phan Huy Chu (1782 - 1840) is a valuable document about Vietnam's seas and islands during the Nguyen Dynasty. This is the earliest work recording the sea voyages of the Vietnamese people southward, and is an important document about the situation of Vietnam's seas and islands in the first half of the 19th century.

The work "Hai Trinh Chi Luoc" (A Brief Account of the Sea Journey), published in 1833, records the sea voyage of Phan Huy Chu and his delegation in the winter of 1832, heading south to Singapore and Batavia (an island in Indonesia) - places where Westerners were present - with the purpose of observing the customs of neighboring countries for the imperial court.

An Hai village communal house (Ly Son). PHOTO: VO MINH TUAN

"Hai Trinh Chi Luoc" (A Brief Account of Maritime Journeys) is written in Chinese characters in the style of a chronicle, consisting of two parts. The first part records the journey from the seas of Quang Nam to the Gulf of Thailand. The second part records observations and research conducted in neighboring countries. The return journey is not mentioned in the work. The first part of this work is particularly valuable because it records much important information about the situation of Vietnam's seas and islands during the reign of Minh Mang, including valuable documents about the seas and islands of Quang Ngai.

The work begins with a section on the sea area of Quang Nam, mainly focusing on Cu Lao Cham. This is followed by a section on the sea area of Quang Ngai, with a focus on Ly Son Island. In this section, the author provides information about Ly Son's location and geographical distance: “Beyond the Thai Can port of Quang Ngai lies an island, commonly known as Cu Lao Re, the provincial capital's offshore outpost”; “It takes more than two hours by boat to reach the shore.” The natural characteristics of Ly Son are described quite specifically: “The island is covered with lush trees, the sandy soil is flat and spacious.” The author also mentions the life and character of the people of Ly Son: “Living by the sea, customs are simple and ancient.”

In particular, in "Hai Trinh Chi Luoc" (A Brief History of Maritime Journeys), Phan Huy Chu mentions the payment of peanut oil tax by the residents of Ly Son: "The residents of An Vinh and An Hai hamlets pay peanut oil tax." According to Dr. Nguyen Dang Vu, former Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, before the 19th century, when onions and garlic were not yet grown, peanuts were a common crop among the people of Ly Son. A petition in May of the 6th year of Minh Menh (1825) from the officials and all the people of An Hai ward - Ly Son, belonging to the Imperial Court, clearly recorded the payment of peanut oil tax by the ward. This tax was paid in local products. Thus, before the 19th century, peanuts were a prominent product of Ly Son. This can be explained by the fact that peanuts are a crop suitable for the soil characteristics of Ly Son, an island formed from volcanic rock. Phan Huy Chú's writings are an important basis for reaffirming this point.

Through "Hai Trinh Chi Luoc" (A Brief Account of Maritime Journeys), it is evident that Ly Son left a deep impression on Phan Huy Chu as a beautiful cluster of islands. He asserted that Ly Son was the most beautiful island among those in the Quang Nam and Quang Ngai sea regions: "Compared to Dai Chiem (i.e., Cu Lao Cham), the scenery here is more beautiful. From here inwards to the four harbors of Sa Ky, Co Luy, My A, and Sa Huynh, there is no scenery like this."

Phan Huy Chú, also known as Lâm Khanh and Mai Phong, was from Hanoi . He served as an official under the Minh Mạng dynasty, and was an envoy to the Qing dynasty and worked in the South China Sea. He was a great scholar of Vietnam during the Nguyễn dynasty, the author of the 49-volume "Lịch triều hiến chương loại chí" (Historical Records of Dynastic Constitutions), considered the first encyclopedia of Vietnam. His "Hải trình chí lược" (Brief History of Maritime Journeys) is the earliest work recording the sea voyages of the Vietnamese south, and is an important document on the situation of Vietnam's seas and islands in the first half of the 19th century.

PHAM TUAN VU

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