What type of ship was involved in the most glorious naval battles in history?

Throughout its thousands of years of nation-building and defense, Vietnam has had many glorious naval battles. Subsequent generations are always eager to know how their ancestors used warships to defeat the mighty armies of invaders.

The book "Divine Dragon Striking the Water - History of Vietnamese Warships" - Photo: Kim Dong Publishing House

That information is partially addressed in the new book , "The Divine Dragon Striking the Water - The History of Vietnamese Warships ," by authors Dong Nguyen and Kaoviets Ngujens. The book promises to satisfy the needs of those fascinated by Vietnamese naval battles.

Naval battles to defend the homeland

Vietnam has a long coastline stretching from North to South. Therefore, throughout the history of nation-building and defense, especially during the period of invasion from the North, maintaining security along the coastal areas has always been a critical issue.

The book allows readers to look back at the glorious naval battles in Vietnamese history. These include the resounding victory on the water in 938 by Ngo Quyen against the Southern Han army at the Bach Dang River.

This refers to the victory of General Hung Dao against the Yuan army in 1287 and 1288, against the enemy's formidable fleet of 500 warships.

These also included the 30-year-long battles at sea and on rivers between the Tay Son and Nguyen dynasties.

The Nguyễn dynasty's tactic of using elephants to ram and overturn boats on the river is depicted in this book.

Our country is small and weak compared to foreign nations, but our spirit is always resilient and courageous. In times of difficulty, the Vietnamese people always find ways to turn the situation around.

Therefore, how to build a naval force and construct ships to counter high-quality invading fleets has always been a question that intrigues many people.

Understanding this helps us appreciate the stature of great generals; they must have been resourceful and intelligent to "find their wits in difficult situations," knowing how to turn the tide and surprise and terrify the enemy.

The anecdote about Master Nguyen Minh Khong using magic to make warships fly back to the capital, as told in Linh Nam Chich Quai, is re-illustrated in this book.

Recreating the majestic appearance of the warship.

The Dragon Strikes the Water - A History of Vietnamese Warships focuses on recreating the majestic appearance of Vietnamese warships through different periods and revealing the advanced features in the ship designs of our ancestors.

This book introduces the development, structure, manufacturing techniques, and naval warfare tactics of various types of warships throughout the nation's history.

It has 5 chapters, with contents such as: An overview of the history of Vietnamese warships through the periods of the Early Le, Ly, Tran-Ho, Later Le, Tay Son and Nguyen dynasties;

Technical aspects of Vietnamese warships such as hull shape, frame structure, hydrodynamic components, etc.

Naval tactics and tools; Typical types of warships in our country such as the Mong Dong, Chu Kieu, Lau Thuyen, Ngu Bac…

In compiling this book, the author researched and referenced sources from ancient documents such as the Le Dynasty's Code of Conduct, the Imperial Decree on the Great Nam Dynasty's Code of Conduct, and the Diagram of the Silver Boat's Name … In addition, there are also sources from foreign authors writing about Vietnamese boats.

The book takes an interdisciplinary approach, encompassing history, technology, culture, and military affairs , hoping to make it engaging for readers and avoid a dry, technical feel.

The book "The Divine Dragon Striking the Water" features numerous illustrations, ranging from detailed to panoramic views, drawn by Kaovjets Ngujens. In addition, it includes photographs of Dong Nguyen's boat models at the Vietnam Historical Museum, and other valuable related documentary images.

Dong Nguyen specializes in researching the history of customs, costumes, and weapons. He is a co-founder of several groups and websites dedicated to the study of ancient history and culture, such as Dai Viet Co Phong, Vietnam Centre, and Vuong Su Kien Due…

Kaovjets Ngujens is a Latvian artist of Vietnamese descent who specializes in illustrating historical events across different periods. He is the author and principal illustrator of numerous historical books and documentaries.

The two authors previously collaborated on the book project "Magical Crafts - Some Techniques and Technologies on the S-shaped strip of land before the 20th century" .

LINH DOAN

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/loai-thuyen-nao-tao-nen-nhung-tran-thuy-chien-oai-hung-trong-lich-su-20251029113239416.htm