Displaying nearly 200 valuable documents on sea and island sovereignty

(Dan Tri) - Nguyen Dynasty's royal decrees and woodblocks are on display in Ba Ria - Vung Tau with content affirming Vietnam's sovereignty over the two archipelagos of Truong Sa and Hoang Sa.

On the morning of March 10, in Ba Ria - Vung Tau, the State Records and Archives Department ( Ministry of Home Affairs ) coordinated with the Naval Region 2 Command, the Vietnam Military History Museum and the Navy Museum to organize the opening of the Exhibition with the theme "Hoang Sa, Truong Sa - Sacred Sea and Islands" and "Heroic Vietnam People's Navy - 70 years of journey to protect the sea".

The event aims to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South, National Reunification 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 Department of State Records and Archives, presented the Navy Region 2 Command with a woodblock copy of the book "Kham Dinh Viet Su Thong Giam Cuong Muc" with a section containing King Le Thanh Tong's edict on maintaining the country's borders in the year Tan Mao (1471) (Photo: Organizing Committee).

The exhibition introduces nearly 200 documents, maps, images... reflecting the history of Vietnam's sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos and the struggle to protect and maintain the sovereignty of the sea and islands by the Vietnamese army and people.

One of the typical artifacts is the woodblock (wooden engraving) of the book "Royal Regulations of Dai Nam" which records that King Minh Mang sent people to measure and map the islands of Hoang Sa in the year Binh Than (1836).

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

Woodblock of the book Royal Code of Dai Nam (Photo: National Archives Center IV).

The event also displayed more than 200 photos 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 Records and Archives Department, said the artifacts are historical evidence and legal basis to be used in case of need to provide to international jurisdiction agencies 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 to strongly affirm Vietnam's sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos, and the glorious history of naval troops in the cause of national liberation and protection of sea and island sovereignty.

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