Nearly 200 valuable documents on maritime sovereignty are on display.

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - Imperial documents and woodblock prints from the Nguyen Dynasty are on display in Ba Ria - Vung Tau , affirming Vietnam's sovereignty over the Truong Sa and Hoang Sa archipelagos.

On the morning of March 10th, in Ba Ria - Vung Tau, the State Archives and Records Department ( Ministry of Interior ) collaborated with the Command of Naval Region 2, the Vietnam Military History Museum, and the Naval Museum to open an exhibition themed "Hoang Sa, Truong Sa - Sacred Seas and Islands" and "The Heroic Vietnam People's Navy - 70 Years of Defending the Seas".

The event aims to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of Southern Vietnam and the reunification of the country, and the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam People's Navy (May 7, 1955 - May 7, 2025).

Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga, Deputy Director of the State Archives and Records Department, presented the Command of Naval Region 2 with a woodblock copy of the book "Kham Dinh Viet Su Thong Giam Cuong Muc" containing the edict of King Le Thanh Tong on maintaining the country's borders in the year Tan Mao (1471) (Photo: Organizing Committee).

The exhibition features nearly 200 documents, maps, and images reflecting the history of Vietnam's establishment of sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos, and the process of fighting to protect and maintain maritime sovereignty by the Vietnamese army and people.

One of the representative artifacts is the woodblock print of the book "Kham Dinh Dai Nam Hoi Dien Su Le," which records that King Minh Mang sent people to survey and map the islands of Hoang Sa in the year Binh Than (1836).

Besides the woodblocks are the imperial documents (administrative documents of the Nguyen dynasty) recognized by UNESCO as World Documentary Heritage, including the memorial dated June 21, 19th year of Minh Mang (1838) from the Ministry of Public Works reporting on the situation of surveying and mapping the islands belonging to the Hoang Sa region.

Woodblock print of the book "Kham Dinh Dai Nam Hoi Dien Su Le" (Photo: National Archives Center IV).

The event also displayed more than 200 photographs and 30 models and artifacts reflecting the construction and development process of the Vietnam People's Navy.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga, Deputy Director of the State Archives and Records Department, stated that the artifacts are historical evidence and legal basis that can be used in cases where it is necessary to provide them to international judicial bodies to prove Vietnam's undeniable sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos.

These documents also help the public access authentic and objective historical documents, strongly affirming Vietnam's sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos, and the glorious history of the navy in the cause of national liberation and the protection of maritime sovereignty.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/xa-hoi/trung-bay-gan-200-tu-lieu-quy-ve-chu-quyen-bien-dao-20250310162311302.htm