The display at the National Archives Centre 1 with visual technology will highlight the value of the documents from the Nguyễn Dynasty. — Photo courtesy of the centre

The royal documents with the Nguyễn Kings' red signatures will be shown at the National Archives Centre 1 in Hà Nội from today.

The documents of the Nguyễn Dynasty starting from the reign of King Gia Long (1802) until the end of the reign of King Bảo Đại (1945) are currently preserved at the centre.

The documents were officially recognised by UNESCO as one of the 78 world documentary heritages in 2017. They are administrative documents issued by the Nguyễn Dynasty, the last feudal system in Việt Nam and the region.

These are the only original documents with Nguyễn Kings’ red signatures in Việt Nam, and are among the world’s rare documents with emperors’ autographs.

The display, entitled Châu Bản Triều Nguyễn – Ký Ức Một Triều Đại (Nguyễn Dynasty's Documents – Memory of A Dynasty), will show hundreds of pages of documents and exhibits to the public.

"Nguyễn Dynasty documents are a cultural heritage with doubled value," said Professor Phan Huy Lê. "It is both intangible and tangible which is not rare, but unique in being preserved to this day."

Over hundreds of years, the documents have been somewhat damaged due to climate, wars, and poor storage conditions, but they have been kept until today and are particularly rare.

Previously, the documents were the original data sources used to compile the historical books and rule books of the Nguyễn Dynasty. Today, they are reliable historical sources to help researchers study and understand the history of the Nguyễn Dynasty in the fields of politics, economics, and diplomacy.

They reflect all social aspects under the reign of the Nguyễn Kings, including Việt Nam’s sovereignty over the seas and islands.

The remaining Nguyễn Dynasty documents today include more than 86,000 original documents of 11 dynasties with ten Kings' autographs.

“Using the documents to study Vietnamese history in the 19th and 20th centuries is undeniable," said history professor Nguyễn Thế Anh. "The documents help to clarify unclear points in historical research."

The display with art installation and visual technology aims to highlight and honour the value of the documents. It is co-held by the National Archives Centre 1 and Huế Monuments Preservation Centre, as part of the celebration of Việt Nam Heritage Day falling on November 23.

It will be held at No.5 Vũ Phạm Hàm Street, Hà Nội. — VNS