Han Nom inscriptions of Non Nuoc mountain - Potential of documentary heritage

VHO - On the afternoon of June 4, in Ninh Binh City, the International Scientific Conference "Han Nom Inscriptions of Non Nuoc Mountain - Potential of Documentary Heritage" took place. The conference was jointly organized by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Ninh Binh, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vietnam National University, Hanoi), and the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences.

The special value of the Non Nuoc Mountain Inscription

Non Nuoc Mountain (Duc Thuy Son, Son Thuy, Ho Thanh Mountain) is located at the confluence of Van River and Day River, now in Hoa Lu City, Ninh Binh Province. Non Nuoc Mountain currently preserves 37 Han-Nom steles out of a total of 43 remaining steles, recording the poetic works of many famous authors from the Tran to Nguyen dynasties.

Among them, the royal poems and literature of the emperors Tran Minh Tong, Le Thanh Tong, Le Hien Tong, Le Tuong Duc, and Le Hien Tong are a special collection.

The workshop was jointly organized by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Ninh Binh, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vietnam National University, Hanoi ), and the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences.

Rarely is there a famous mountain or relic that has a collection of royal poems and literature that is still preserved like at Duc Thuy mountain.

The royal poems and writings of the emperors on the Non Nuoc mountain steles date from the Tran dynasty through the early Le dynasty to the Later Le dynasty. With diverse content, from recording history to expressing emotions before the beauty of nature, praising the charming scenery of Duc Thuy mountain, the merit of going to the temple...

Speaking at the opening of the workshop, Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Ninh Binh, said that the system of ma nhai inscriptions on the cliffs of Non Nuoc mountain (Hoa Lu city, Ninh Binh province) has particularly important value.

Non Nuoc Mountain Relic is not only famous for its historical, cultural and landscape values ​​that have been ranked by the Prime Minister as a special national historical and scenic relic, but is also a treasure trove of unique documentary heritage.

The Han Nom inscription system on the cliffs here carries many meanings in terms of history, culture, religion, beliefs and literature - art, not only reflecting the presence and development of Han Nom literature in the ancient capital but also vivid evidence for the process of cultural exchange, for the ideology and beliefs of Vietnamese feudal dynasties over many centuries.

Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong, Director of Ninh Binh Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism delivered the opening speech at the Workshop.

Of the 43 remaining Ma Nhai steles on the mountain, there are 37 Han Nom inscriptions, dating from the Tran Dynasty to the early 20th century, including 9 from the Tran Dynasty, 3 from the Early Le Dynasty in the 15th century, 1 from the Mac Dynasty in the 16th century, 4 from the Later Le Dynasty in the 17th-18th centuries, and the rest from the Nguyen Dynasty.

This is a rich and valuable treasure trove of historical and literary documents, important and authentic historical documents, recording historical events and historical figures associated with Non Nuoc mountain and Ninh Binh land, the whole country and the region; unique engravings of poems and royal prose of kings, poems of poets, along with unique calligraphy and script (Nom script, taboo characters).

Some of the most valuable literary works include: the stele "Duc Thuy Son Linh Te Thap Ky" composed by Truong Han Sieu and engraved on the side of Duc Thuy mountain in the year Quy Mui, the 3rd year of Thieu Phong reign (1343) under the reign of King Tran Du Tong. This is one of the stele with special value in the stele system in Vietnam; the stele "Thanh chi" of the retired Emperor Tran Minh Tong engraved in the year Ky Suu, the Thieu Phong reign (1349); the stele written by Ngo Thi Si and Ngo Thi Nham, this is one of the stele rarely seen in Vietnam...

Mr. Nguyen Tuan Cuong, Director of the Institute of Han Nom Studies (Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences) delivered a keynote speech at the Conference.

However, the Han Nom inscription system in Non Nuoc has not been studied systematically and synchronously.

Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong hopes that the Conference will be a serious academic forum, a place to meet, share information, academics and international experiences in identifying and clarifying the historical, cultural, artistic and linguistic values ​​of Han Nom inscriptions on Non Nuoc mountain.

At the same time, discuss the possibility of establishing a documentary heritage record for this system of inscriptions; propose solutions to preserve and promote values ​​associated with sustainable development and heritage education; recommend specific directions to protect and promote the special value of the Han Nom inscription heritage of Non Nuoc mountain in the current context.

Conference Scene

  Elevating heritage

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the workshop, Mr. Nguyen Tuan Cuong, Director of the Institute of Han Nom Studies (Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences) said that the workshop gathered a large number of scientists, leading domestic experts and prestigious international scholars from Taiwan, France and Japan.

This diversity is not only reflected in the geographical scope but also in the multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary nature of the approaches. The reports at the Conference covered many fields: from studies of textual studies, history, comparative literature, to in-depth analysis of the value of documentary heritage according to international criteria; from studies on the history of formation, artistic characteristics, and ideological content of the inscriptions, to urgent issues on the status of conservation, challenges from climate change, environmental pollution, and advanced technological and management solutions.

Han Nom inscription on Non Nuoc mountain

The presentations also shared valuable experiences from the research, preservation and promotion of similar heritages in Vietnam and around the world, such as Ma Nhai Ngu Hanh Son (Da Nang), Thieu Lam Pagoda stele (China), or other UNESCO-recognized documentary heritages. These comparative perspectives are particularly useful in locating the value and determining a suitable roadmap for raising the international status of the Non Nuoc epigraphic heritage.

The profound academic exchanges, new discoveries and enthusiastic proposals presented at the Workshop will not only enrich our understanding of the Han Nom inscription heritage of Non Nuoc Mountain, but also provide solid scientific arguments for building a nomination dossier for UNESCO to recognize this as a Documentary Heritage of Humanity.

Dr. Vu Thi Minh Huong, Vice President of the Memory of the World Committee for the Asia-Pacific region, shared that comparison is needed to see the value of heritage.

Sharing experiences to successfully build nomination dossiers for UNESCO's Memory of the World Program, according to Ms. Linh Anh Moreau, Secretary General of the Memory of the World Committee for the Asia-Pacific Region, it is necessary to apply good practices, especially in the fields of identification, determining importance and comparison.

Effective identification of authenticity involves a thorough process when proposing documentary heritage that has the potential to be of global, regional and/or community value. This requires extensive and diverse research into the historical record, cultural context and unique characteristics of the nominated object or collection.

Establishing significance requires an evidence-based interpretation of why the property is important at the global, regional/national level, while considering the property's authenticity, integrity, rarity, and historical and cultural implications.

Ms. Linh Anh Moreau, Secretary General of the Memory of the World Committee for the Asia-Pacific region, spoke at the Workshop.

Finally, the nomination must demonstrate the uniqueness of the proposed heritage by comparing it with similar objects or collections, highlighting its distinctive contributions and why it is truly outstanding/exceptionally outstanding at a world or regional scale.

“Adhering to these practices can help ensure that nominations are well-founded, convincing and meet the criteria for inclusion in the Memory of the World Registers,” said Linh Anh Moreau.

Speaking at the workshop, Dr. Vu Thi Minh Huong, Vice President of the Memory of the World Committee for the Asia-Pacific region, emphasized the important role of researching, comparing and proving the uniqueness of the Han Nom stele inscriptions of Non Nuoc mountain, compared with other stele inscriptions in Vietnam.

According to Dr. Vu Thi Minh Huong, the unique and special values ​​of the Han Nom inscriptions of Non Nuoc mountain meet UNESCO's criteria when building a dossier to nominate as documentary heritage.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/van-khac-han-nom-nui-non-nuoc-tiem-nang-di-san-tu-lieu-140239.html