The vast archive of administrative documents of the Nguyen Dynasty, many of them bearing the seal and handwritings by the Nguyen kings, will be very useful for the conservation and restoration of World Heritage royal relics in the ancient imperial city of Hue, an expert told the Vietnam News Agency.
The collection of royal documents, recognised as documentary heritage of the Memory of the World Programme in Asia-Pacific by UNESCO in May this year, is an invaluable source for studying the history and culture of the feudal court's activities as well as Vietnam society in the 19th and 20th centuries, said Dr. Phan Thanh Hai, Director of the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre.
According to the scholar, in the documents, there must be details on royal rituals such as Nam Giao and Xa Tac, architecture and decorations in palaces as well as music and dances performed at the royal court. These records would help researchers and conservationists in restoring damaged architecture and reviving lost traditions and performances, he said.
Hai said it would be more meaningful and useful if the documents, which are being stored at National Archives Centre I in Hanoi, can be kept in Hue, the place where they were signed, so that they can be studied and put on display in their context. This would also help draw more visitors to the ancient capital.
He said the documents gave a comprehensive picture of the Vietnamese society under the Nguyen Dynasty which lasted 143 years from 1802 to 1945, from political, diplomatic and military affairs to socio-economic and cultural issues. A large part of the archive was damaged during wartime, he said, adding that the surviving documents are now preserved and classified using modern methods, better serving scientific research.
Besides the royal documents, UNESCO has also recognised three items of Vietnam as documentary heritage. They are the wooden printing blocks also dating from the Nguyen Dynasty, the Buddhism wooden printing blocks at Vinh Nghiem Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City and 82 steles honouring doctors at the Temple of Literature in Hanoi.-VNA
The collection of royal documents, recognised as documentary heritage of the Memory of the World Programme in Asia-Pacific by UNESCO in May this year, is an invaluable source for studying the history and culture of the feudal court's activities as well as Vietnam society in the 19th and 20th centuries, said Dr. Phan Thanh Hai, Director of the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre.
According to the scholar, in the documents, there must be details on royal rituals such as Nam Giao and Xa Tac, architecture and decorations in palaces as well as music and dances performed at the royal court. These records would help researchers and conservationists in restoring damaged architecture and reviving lost traditions and performances, he said.
Hai said it would be more meaningful and useful if the documents, which are being stored at National Archives Centre I in Hanoi, can be kept in Hue, the place where they were signed, so that they can be studied and put on display in their context. This would also help draw more visitors to the ancient capital.
He said the documents gave a comprehensive picture of the Vietnamese society under the Nguyen Dynasty which lasted 143 years from 1802 to 1945, from political, diplomatic and military affairs to socio-economic and cultural issues. A large part of the archive was damaged during wartime, he said, adding that the surviving documents are now preserved and classified using modern methods, better serving scientific research.
Besides the royal documents, UNESCO has also recognised three items of Vietnam as documentary heritage. They are the wooden printing blocks also dating from the Nguyen Dynasty, the Buddhism wooden printing blocks at Vinh Nghiem Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City and 82 steles honouring doctors at the Temple of Literature in Hanoi.-VNA
