The place that preserves more than 30,000 "unique" Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks
Báo Dân trí•22/01/2025
(Dan Tri) - More than 30,000 precious Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks are being kept at the National Archives Center IV in Da Lat. All woodblocks were recognized by UNESCO as Vietnam's first World Documentary Heritage.
National Archives Center IV ( Ministry of Home Affairs ) located in Ward 5, Da Lat City, Lam Dong is preserving 33,971 Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks. The woodblocks stored here are a special heritage including many official documents and official histories of the dynasties from the Hung Kings to the Nguyen Dynasty. This is a huge number of official documents and official histories, considered "unique" in Vietnam. Woodblocks are stored and preserved in a space that ensures temperature and humidity.
Mr. Nguyen Xuan Hung, Director of the National Archives Center IV, said that Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks are wooden boards engraved with Chinese characters and Nom characters in reverse to print books. On the woodblocks, the characters are carved elaborately, meticulously, and sharply. In addition to Chinese and Nom characters, the woodblocks also have images of dragons, phoenixes, etc. to decorate the book covers. The woodblock of the Proclamation on the Transfer of the Capital used to print the book Dai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu is still intact, with clear letters, and is kept at the National Archives Center IV. According to the staff of the National Archives Center IV, the first woodblocks made by the Nguyen Dynasty were the Hoang Viet Luat Le set in 1811 under King Gia Long. The last set of woodblocks made by the Nguyen Dynasty was made during the reign of King Khai Dinh. In the photo, the red woodblocks belong to the list of printed royal decrees and edicts. Woodblocks are numbered for storage and reference purposes.
Ms. Lai Thi Ngoc, an officer of the Preservation Department, National Archives Center IV, said that there are about 3,000 woodblocks that are warped, termite-infested, and rotten. "Recently, the Center has taken measures to increase the hardness of the wood to preserve the woodblocks," Ms. Lai Thi Ngoc said. Staff of National Archives Center IV look up woodblocks.
According to Mr. Nguyen Xuan Hung, Director of National Archives Center IV, Vinh Nghiem Pagoda ( Bac Giang ) currently preserves more than 3,000 woodblocks, and the Institute of Han Nom Studies (Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences) preserves 10,000 plates. The content of these woodblocks is mainly poetry, Buddhist scriptures... "The woodblocks of official texts and official history with 33,971 plates stored at National Archives Center IV are the largest in Vietnam. In 2009, Nguyen Dynasty Woodblocks were recognized by UNESCO as Vietnam's first World Documentary Heritage," said Mr. Nguyen Xuan Hung.
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