Valuable woodblocks used for rudimentary printing in the Nguyen dynasty(1802-1945) will be introduced to the public for the first time duringthe Da Lat Culture Tourism Week 2013 from December 27-31.
The woodblocks represent an important part of the country’s feudalhistory. Under the Nguyen dynasty, they were used to print literary andhistorical documents. These original records of the time becomepriceless to the nation.
The collection boasts many rarewoodblocks that record the history of the unification of great Vietnam,or Dai Nam Nhat Thong Chi, and the royal annals of great Vietnam, or DaiNam Thuc Luc.
Nguyen Xuan Hung, Vice Director of theNational Archive Centre No.4, said the valuable treasure also containscontents affirming Vietnam’s sacred sovereignty over Hoang Sa and TruongSa archipelagoes.
Apart from their historical value, thewoodblocks are important in terms of their art and skill as they markthe development of the woodblock carving and printing profession inVietnam.
Most of the wood blocks were made out of a plate ofeither thi tree wood which is yellow and soft, or nha dong tree, whichis smooth and of an ivory colour. These kinds of wood are especiallygood in preserving the shape of the carvings.
They carry Chinese or ancient Vietnamese letters carved in reverse so when printed, they will appear correctly.
In 1960, more than 50,000 of the Nguyen dynasty blocks had beenstored in the royal city of Hue before they were brought to the CentralHighlands city of Da Lat.
In 2009, UNESCO recognised the Nguyen dynasty’s wood blocks as a Memory of the World.-VNA
The woodblocks represent an important part of the country’s feudalhistory. Under the Nguyen dynasty, they were used to print literary andhistorical documents. These original records of the time becomepriceless to the nation.
The collection boasts many rarewoodblocks that record the history of the unification of great Vietnam,or Dai Nam Nhat Thong Chi, and the royal annals of great Vietnam, or DaiNam Thuc Luc.
Nguyen Xuan Hung, Vice Director of theNational Archive Centre No.4, said the valuable treasure also containscontents affirming Vietnam’s sacred sovereignty over Hoang Sa and TruongSa archipelagoes.
Apart from their historical value, thewoodblocks are important in terms of their art and skill as they markthe development of the woodblock carving and printing profession inVietnam.
Most of the wood blocks were made out of a plate ofeither thi tree wood which is yellow and soft, or nha dong tree, whichis smooth and of an ivory colour. These kinds of wood are especiallygood in preserving the shape of the carvings.
They carry Chinese or ancient Vietnamese letters carved in reverse so when printed, they will appear correctly.
In 1960, more than 50,000 of the Nguyen dynasty blocks had beenstored in the royal city of Hue before they were brought to the CentralHighlands city of Da Lat.
In 2009, UNESCO recognised the Nguyen dynasty’s wood blocks as a Memory of the World.-VNA
