People living in Hanoi are being given a chance to see with their own eyes photos, documents and items which are evidence affirming Vietnam’s sovereignty and the fight to safeguard its sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos.

The exhibition, which kicked off on July 15, showcases a collection of administrative records under the Nguyen Dynasty in the 17 th and 18 th centuries, as well as archives and ancient maps published by Vietnam, China and Western countries.

Visitors to the event can see evidence confirming that Vietnam has established and exercised its sovereignty over the two archipelagos in a peaceful and continuous manner in line with international law. They include a certificate of birth, issued in 1940 by the French administrative agency in Hoang Sa to Mai Kim Quy, who was born in the archipelago, and a decree of the Governor-General of Indochina dividing the Hoang Sa administrative district into two districts belonging to Thua Thien province.

Also on the display are items on the Vietnam People’s Navy liberating and taking over islands of Truong Sa archipelago in 1975, and Vietnamese soldiers’ activities to safeguard the archipelago, including a liaison machine, a flag, binoculars and first-aid stretchers.

The exhibition displays photos featuring China’s violations of Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, and Chinese ships’ sinking of a Vietnamese fishing boat and ramming of Vietnamese coast guard vessels.

On the same day, photos and documents affirming Vietnam’s sovereignty over the two archipelagos are also put on show in central Thua Thien-Hue province and southern Dong Nai province.-VNA