Nguyen Dynasty Woodblocks – Special Documents
Recently, at the Vietnam National Archives Center IV (Da Lat City, Lam Dong Province), a ceremony was held to announce the completion of the project "Urgent conservation of Nguyen Dynasty Woodblocks - World Documentary Heritage". Nguyen Dynasty Woodblocks are a valuable heritage with value in many aspects such as history, geography, politics - society, military, law, education, modern culture, recording economic and cultural trade between Vietnam and other countries in the world.
Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tung and Mr. Marc E. Knapper, US Ambassador to Vietnam, announced the completion of the project "Urgent Conservation of Nguyen Dynasty Woodblocks - World Documentary Heritage". Photo: Van Long.
Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tung - Director of the Department of State Records and Archives, Ministry of Home Affairs said that the Nguyen Dynasty Woodblock Preservation Project funded by the US Ambassador's Cultural Preservation Fund in 2020 was successfully implemented with the participation of many experts and highly skilled and experienced archivists.
The project to preserve Nguyen Dynasty Woodblocks was successfully implemented with the participation of many highly skilled and experienced experts and archivists. Photo: Van Long.
"With a total amount of more than 2 billion VND donated by the US Ambassador's Cultural Preservation Fund in 2020, the greatest success of the project is not only the preservation and restoration of 500 degraded Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks, but the project implementation process has also contributed to raising awareness of heritage management officers and local people in heritage preservation, helping to train woodblock preservation skills for officers in charge of preserving Nguyen Dynasty Woodblocks at National Archives Center IV", said Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tung.
Currently, the National Archives Center IV is preserving and storing 34,555 Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks engraved with Chinese characters. Photo: Van Long.
Up to now, the National Archives Center IV is storing 34,555 Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks engraved with Chinese characters. However, over a long period of time, combined with the influence of natural conditions, 500 woodblocks have been moldy and termite-eaten. Therefore, in recent years, the Vietnamese Government has implemented a number of activities to protect these woodblock documents such as renovating warehouses and removing impurities and mold on the wood surface.
In addition to its historical value, the woodblocks also have artistic value, demonstrating the development of woodblock printing in human civilization and culture. Therefore, the Nguyen Dynasty Woodblocks were classified by UNESCO as a World Documentary Heritage on July 31, 2009. This is the first World Documentary Heritage of Vietnam.
Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks for historical research
As mentioned, the Nguyen Dynasty Woodblocks are special documents because they were written in Han Nom characters, engraved in reverse on wood, printed on paper, and bound into books. This is a popular type of document from the feudal period of Vietnam that is still preserved today.
Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks are special documents in many aspects, especially of great historical value to Vietnam. Photo: Van Long.
Speaking to Dan Viet reporter, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tung said: "Over the past years, Vietnam has invested in building a repository to protect and handle woodblocks in poor physical condition with the aim of preserving the long-term documentary heritage that has been classified by UNESCO as a world documentary heritage, including the most important woodblocks and historical books of the country.
With huge investment from the State, the National Archives Center IV has all the conditions to preserve the woodblocks for a long time. In particular, with the Government's strong digital transformation orientation, the State Records and Archives Department has submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs a number of projects to digitize 3D blocks of woodblock documents to put on the internet. Through that, not only Vietnamese people but also international friends can know, especially exploit original information, original historical documents from woodblocks".
Currently, the National Archives Center IV in Lam Dong province has enough conditions to preserve and store Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks. Photo: Van Long.
Speaking about the Nguyen Dynasty Woodblocks, Mr. Marc E. Knapper - US Ambassador to Vietnam said: "The US Diplomatic Mission is honored to join hands with the State Records and Archives Department in preserving this precious treasure through the US Ambassador's Cultural Preservation Fund program.
Since its inception in 2001, the U.S. Mission to Vietnam has funded 16 projects, totaling more than $1.2 million, to help preserve Vietnam's unique and diverse cultural heritage. We have also nominated a project for this year, which we hope will contribute to increasing the number of projects funded in Vietnam."
Currently, 500 degraded Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks have been preserved and restored. Photo: Van Long.
Mr. Marc E. Knapper also said that Nguyen Dynasty Woodblocks are a special type of document in terms of form, content and production method. Recognized by UNESCO as a world documentary heritage, the woodblocks are a valuable and reliable source of documents for studying and researching Vietnamese history. He also sent his compliments to everyone who participated in the project to preserve Vietnam's woodblocks.
Source: https://danviet.vn/moc-ban-trieu-nguyen-di-san-tu-lieu-the-gioi-dau-tien-cua-viet-nam-dang-bao-ton-o-lam-dong-20230620154849121-d1101337.html
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