Vietnamese History books have many references to the Paracel (Hoang Sa) Islands. Following are some quotations taken from Vietnamese historical volumes, detailing the knowledge about the archipelagoes along with the activities of exploiting and establishing sovereignty over the islands:

MISCELLANIES ON THE GOVERNMENT OF THE MARCHES by Lê Quý Đôn, Vol.2:

"Beyond the high seas belonging to the An Vĩnh commune, sub-prefecture of Bình Sơn, prefecture of Quảng Nghĩa, there is a big island called Island of Ré the width of which can reach over 30 dặm... Off the Island of Re is the great Hoang Sa which formerly yielded plenty of sea products for sale in different markets. That's why the State organized a Company called Hoang Sa to harvest sea products. It takes three days and nights to reach the great Hoang Sa, which is also close to the Northern country". 

T'RUE WRITINGS ON THE ĐẠI NAM (Part reserved for the previous dynasties, Vol 10): 

"Beyond the coast of the commune of An Vĩnh, sub-prefecture of Bình Sơn. province of Quảng Nghĩa. there are more than 130 sand heights separated from one another by one day or a few canh by junk. They spread out no one knows how many dặm and are commonly called "the Yellow Sand of Ten Thousand dặm". They contain wells for drinking water; as resources, there are sea cucumbers, tortoise -shells, flower snails, sea tortoises..." 

TRUE WRITINGS ON THE ĐẠI NAM (Principal part, Second reign, Vol.104): 

"In the 8th month, in the autumn of the year Quý Tỵ, the 14th year of the reign of Minh Mạng (1833). The King said to the Ministry of Public Works: the Hoàng Sa in the waters of Quảng Nghĩa, in the distance, one sees a confusion of sky and sea, both of the same colour; this fact does not permit the evaluation of the depth of the sea. Recently, merchant ships have often wrecked there. We have to prepare junks to be sent there next year with men to build a temple, to erect a stele and to plant trees. In the future, the trees will grow and their greenery will allow people to recognize more easily the islands and the shoals and to avoid wrecks. It is a useful work for many years". 

TRUE WRITINGS ON THE ĐẠI NAM (Principal part, Second reign, Vol. 154): 

"In the 6th month, in the summer of the year Ất Mùi, the 16th year of the reign of Minh Mang(1835). ...Last year, the King had the intention to build a temple and to erect a stele at this place (on the Hoàng Sa), but the work was prevented by a tempest. The cai đội of the navy Phạm Văn Nguyên is now ordered to send his men, and the commander of the garrison is ordered to dispatch workers from the provinces of Quảng Nghĩa and Bình Định for the transport of necessary materials for the construction of a temple (at 7 trượng from the old temple). On the left of the temple, a stone stele will be erected and a windshield built in front of it. The work would be completed in 10 days and the men will return". 

TRUE WRITINGS ON THE ĐẠI NAM, (Principal part, Second reig, Vol. 165):  

"The Hoàng Sa Islands in our maritime territory are of great strategic importance..." 

TRUE WRITINGS ON THE ĐẠI NAM, (Principal part, Vol. 165): 

"Royal instructions for topographical measurements: As soon as the junks arrive at an island or a shoal (any one), measure from this point the length, the width, the height, the perimeter of that island or shoal, the depth of the surrounding waters: determine the submerged shoals and reefs if any; indicate whether the approach is dangerous or normal; examine the terrain carefully; make measurements and draw sketches. Moreover; count the number of days and indicate the port of departure; mark the itinerary and the direction that have been followed to arrive at a given point, the length of that route should be estimated in dặm; situate this point in relation to the coast, specifying the facing province and the district as well as the province and the district on the slant, the approximative distance from the coast (in dặm). All this is to be mentioned and reported on return".

 MISCELLANIES ON THE GOVERNMENT OF THE MARCHES by Lê Quý Đôn. Vol. 2: 

"The Hoàng Sa shoals are situated near Lianzhou, island of Hainan. Fishermen of our country sometimes meet fishing junks of Northerners at sea. At sea, men of the two countries ask one another about their activities. I myself have seen a note of the Chief Mandarin of the Wonchang district belonging to Qiongzhou, addressed to Thuận Hoá, in which it is said: "In the 18th year of the reign of Qianlong, ten soldiers of the commune of An Vĩnh, Company of Cát Liêm, district of Chương Nghĩa of Annam, one day of the 7th month, arrived in Wanlizhangsha for fishing and gathering goods. Eight of them landed, leaving the two remaining to guard the junk. The mooring rope was broken by wind, the junk was pushed by waves to the port of Quang Lan where the local authorities were able to verify the facts and sent these men back to their native country. Seigneur Nguyễn Phúc Chu (rather, Nguyễn Phúc Khoát because the copier mistakenly wrote Nguyễn Phúc Chu. the latter had died by then) ordered the cai bạ of Thuận Hoá, Thúc Lương Hầu, to make a note of response".

 MISCELLANIES ON THE GOVERNMENT OF THE MARCHES by Lê Quý Đôn. Vol. 2: 

"I myself (i.e. Lê Quý Đôn) have examined the registers of the cai đội Thuyên Đức Hầu and found the following: The year Nhâm Ngọ (1702) the Company found 30 bullions of silver. The year Giáp Thân (1704), 5100 cân of tin. The year Ất Dậu1705), 126 bullions of silver. From the year Kỷ Sửu (1709) to the year Qứy Tỵ (1713), for a period of five years, the Company gathered several cân of tortoise-shells and holothurians. Sometimes, it only found some tin ingots, some ceramic bowls and two bronze guns".

 GEOGRAPHY OF UNIFIED ĐẠI NAM, Vol. 6, on the province of Quảng Nghĩa: 

"To the east spreads the sand shoal of Hoàng Sa uniting with the blue sea to form a rampart on it. To the west innumerable rocky walls solidly protect us from the mountain tribes. To the south, in the proximity of the province of Bình Định, the flank of Bến Đá constitutes a transverse fortification. In the north, bordering the province of Quảng Nam, are sandstone passes serving as limits. ...To the east of the island of Ré, district of Bình Sơn, are the Hoàng Sa which, from the coast of Sa Kỳ and in favourable wind, can be reached in 3-4 days and nights. The archipelago comprises over 130 heights separated from one another by one day or some canh of navigation. In the middle of the archipelago, is the shoal Hoang Sa (Yellow Sand) which spreads on one doesn't know how many dặm, commonly called Vạn Lý Trường Sa (Shoal of ten Thousand dặm). Drinking water, innumerable sea birds, holothurians, snails, and goods left by wrecked ships are found there".

 SELECTION OF SETTLEMENTS OF MATTERS BY THE SUCCESSIVE DYNASTIES, by Phan Huy Chú, Vol.5 : 

"Here (i.e.prefecture of Tư Nghĩa) the potential is great: there is plenty of rice, gold, silver, precious stones, timber, aloes wood, and benjoine, all of excellent quality; elephants and domestic horses are also numerous. Moreover, there are islands and islets on which precious stones and strange things are found. In this land (commune of An Vĩnh, district of Bình Dương, later called Bình Sơn) on the high seas, there are over 130 elevated islands and islets separated from one other by one day or some canh of navigation. To go by the high seas, it takes three days and three nights to reach Hoàng Sa". 

REPORT OF THE MINISTRY OF PUBLIC WORKS TO KING THIỆU TRỊ IN 1847 WHICH READS IN PART: 

"The Hoàng Sa belongs to the maritime territory of our country. It is customary that each year we send soldiers and junks to reconnoitre the maritime route. This year, considering the heavy programme of work, it is respectfully requested that H.M. allows the postponement of the work to next year". The King gave a note in his own hand: "Decided". 

ADMINISTRATIVE REPERTORY OF ĐẠI NAM ESTABLISHED BY IMPERIAL ORDER, Vol. 207: 

"The 16th year of the reign of Minh Mạng (1835), it is respectfully requested to the King to allow the construction of an one-compartment temple on Hoàng Sa (according to regulations on stone houses), in the south-west of the Bạch Sa dune, with a large stone stele (1 thước 5 tấc high, 1 thước 2 tấc wide) on the left. In front of it, stones will be placed to make a windshield, and on the right and the left, trees of different species will be planted".  

Comments

Add New RSS

Write comment
Name:
Email:	do not notifynotify
Website:
Title:
UBBCode:	-color-aquablackbluefuchsiagraygreenlimemaroonnavyolivepurpleredsilvertealwhiteyellow -size-tinysmallmediumlargehuge
	Please input the anti-spam code that you can read in the image.

Powered by !JoomlaComment 3.23

3.23 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."