VietNamNet Bridge – The Vo Van family in the island district of Ly Son, Quang Ngai province, preserves ancient documents which prove that their ancestors were members of the Hoang Sa Flotilla in 1786, 30 years earlier than previously-discovered documents.
Dr. Nguyen Dang Vu, director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Ngai province, discovered these valuable documents while implementing a project to restore tombs of Hoang Sa Flotilla’s soldiers.

The documents have been preserved by the Vo Van, one of the 13 original families on Ly Son Island, since the late 18th century.

Dr. Vu researched Han script documents of this family and concluded that this family made great contributions to the establishment of the Hoang Sa Flotilla.

So far, the documents preserved by this family were the oldest evidences for the existence of the Hoang Sa Flotilla. According to the documents, the Hoang Sa Flotilla was set up in 1786 by the Tay Son dynasty to patrol and seek marine produces from the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly). Previously, historians believed that the Hoang Sa Flotilla was set up in 1815.

Many members of the Vo Van family were soldiers in the Hoang Sa Flotilla.

The newly-discovered documents are important evidences for Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa.

TA