Viet Nam's feudal dynasties had exercised their sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagoes - Part 2

1. Part 1
2. As sovereigns of the country, successive feudal dynasties in Viet Nam had for many times conducted survey on the terrains and resources of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagoes over centuries. The results of these surveys have been recorded in Vietnamese geography and historical books since the 17th century

Toan Tap Thien Nam Tu Chi Lo Do Thu of the 17th century reads: "During the last month of every winter, the Nguyen rulers send 18 boats there to collect goods, mainly jewelries, money, guns, and ammunition."

Dai Nam Thuc Luc Tien Bien (Truthful Accounts about Dai Nam Former Dynasties), the historical document collection about the Nguyen lords completed by the National History Institute in 1844, reads: "Offshore of An Vinh commune, Binh Son district, Quang Ngai prefecture, are more than 130 sandbanks whose watches to a few days to travel. They span an area of thousands of li, and are thus called "Van Ly Hoang Sa". There are freshwater wells on the sandbanks, and sea products of the area include sea cucumber, sea turtles, volutes, and so on and so forth."

"Not long after the founding of the dynasty, Hoang Sa Flotilla was established with 70 sailors selected form An Vinh commune. In the third month of every year, they sail for about three days to the islands. They collect goods there and return in the eighth month. There is also another flotilla named Bac Hai, whose sailors are chosen from Tu Chinh village in Binh Thuan or Canh Duong commune, ordered to sail to Bac Hai and Con Lon areas to collect goods. This flotilla is under the command of Hoang Sa Flotilla."

Dai Nam Thuc Luc Chinh Bien (Truthful Accounts about Dai Nam Present Dynasties), the historical document collection about the Nguyen emperors was completed in 1848. It records the events of Emperor Gia Long's possession of Hoang Sa archipelago in 1816, and the temple construction, stele erection, measurement and mapping of the islands following Emperor Minh Mang's order.

Volume 52 of Dai Nam Thuc Luc Chinh Bien reads: "In the Binh Ty year, the 15th year of the Gia Long Era (1816)... His Majesty the Emperor commanded the naval forces and Hoang Sa Flotilla to sail to Hoang Sa archipelago for sea route survey."

Volume 104 reads: "In the eighth month, during the autumn, of the Quy Ty year, the 14th year of the Minh Mang Era (1833)... His Majesty the Emperor told the Ministry of Public Works that: In the territorial waters of the province of Quang Ngai, there is Hoang Sa range. The water and the sky in that range cannot be distinguished from afar. Trading boats have recently become victim of its shoal. We shall prepare sampans, waiting until next year to go to the area for constructing temple, erecting stele, and planting many trees. Those trees will grow luxuriant in the future, thus serving as recognition remarks for people to avoid getting stranded in shoal. That shall benefit everyone forever."

Volume 154 reads: "In the sixth month, during the summer, of the At Mui year, the 16th year of the Minh Mang Era (1835)... a temple was built on Hoang Sa island, under the administration of Quang Ngai, has a white sand island covered by luxuriant plants with a well in the middle. In the southwest of the island is an ancient temple in which there is a stele engraved with four characters "Van Ly Ba Binh". Bach Sa island has a circumference of 1.070 truong; previous referred to as Phat Tu Son, the island is surrounded by a gently-sloping atoll in the east, west, and south. In the north is an atoll named Ban Than Thach, emerging over the water level with a circumference of 340 truong, an elevation of 1,3 truong, as high as the sand island. Last year, His Majesty the Emperor had already considered ordering the construction of a temple and a stele on it, but the plan could not be executed due to harsh weather conditions. The construction had to be postponed until this year when the naval captain Pham Van Nguyen and his soldiers, the capital's patrol commander, and labourers from the provinces of Quang Ngai and Binh Dinh came and carried building materials with them to build the new stele and a screen were erected on the left hand side and in the ten days and returned to mainland."

Volume 165 reads: "On the first of the first month, during the spring, in the Binh Than year, the 17th year of the Minh Mang Era (1836)... the Ministry of Public Works submitted a petition to His Majesty the Emperor, saying that: In the frontier of our country's territorial waters, Hoang Sa is a critical and hardly-accessible area. We have had the map of the area made; however, due to its wide and long topography, the map only covers part of it, and this coverage is not sufficiently detailed. We shall deploy people to the area for detailed sea route survey. From now on, in the last ten days of the first month of every year, we shall implore Your Majesty's permission to select naval soldiers and the capital's patrolmen to form a unit on a vessel. This unit shall travel to Quang Ngai within the first ten days of the second month, requesting the provinces of Quang Ngai and Binh Dinh to employ four civilian boats to travel together to Hoang Sa. For every island, cay, or sandbank that they encounter, they shall measure its length, width, elevation, area, circumference, and the surrounding water's depth; they shall record the presence of submerged cays and banks, and the topography. Maps shall be drawn from these measurements and records. Also, they shall record the departure date, departure seaports, directions, and estimated distance estimated on the traveling routes. These people shall also look for the shore to determine the provinces, their directions and distances to the surveyed position. One and all must recorded clearly and presented once they return."

"His Majesty the Emperor approved the petition, ordered the naval detachment commander Pham Huu Nhat to command a battleship and bring ten wooden steles to be used as markers in the area. Each wooden stele is five mater long, five decimeter wide, one meter thick, and is engraved with characters meaning: The 17th year of the Minh Mang Era, the Binh Than year, Detachment Commander Pham Huu Nhat of the Navy, complying with the order to go to Hoang Sa for management and survey purposes, arrived here and therefore placed this sign."

Dai Nam Thuc Luc Chinh Bien also recorded that, in 1847, the Ministry of Public Works submitted a petition to Emperor Thieu Tri, saying: "Hoang Sa is within the territory of our country. It is a regular practice that we deploy boats to the area for sea route surveys every year. However, due to the busy work schedule of this year, we implore Your Majesty's permission to postpone the survey trip until next year". Emperor Thieu Tri wrote "dinh" (suspended) in the petition to approve it.

The 1882 Dai Nam Nhat Thong Chi reads: "Hoang Sa island lies in the east of Re island, under Binh Son district. From Sa Ky Seaport, it can take three or fours days to sail to the island under favorable wind. There are more than 130 small islands, separated by waters which can take a few watches or a few days to travel across. Within the island is the golden sandbank spanning tens of thousands of li and thus called Van Ly Truong Sa. There are freshwater wells, and numerous birds gather on the bank. Sea products there include sea cucumbers, sea turtles, and volutes. Goods from ships wrecked by storms drift onto the bank."

Other book completed under the Nguyen Dynasty, such as the 1821 Lich Trieu Hien Chuong Loai Chi (Classified Rules of Dynasties), the 1883 Hoang Viet Du Dia Chi (Geography of the Viet Empire), the 1876 Viet Su Thong Giam Cuong Muc Khao Luoc (Outline of the Viet History Chronicles) all have similar description for Hoang Sa archipelago.

As a result of the aforementioned richness of sea products and goods from wrecked ships in Hoang Sa and Truong Sa exploited sovereignty over the archipelagoes. Many ancient history and geography books of Viet Nam provide evidence of the organization and operation of Hoang Sa flotillas, which performed these exploitation duties.

Succeeding the Nguyen lords in governing the country, the Tay Son Dynasty always paid fair attention to maintaining and deploying Hoang Sa flotillas although it had to continuously deal with the invasion of the China's Qing Dynasty and Siam. Under the Tay Son Dynasty, the Imperial Court continued organizing various forms of exploitation of Hoang Sa archipelago with the awareness that it was exercising the sovereignty over the archipelago.

From the foundation of the Nguyen Dynasty in 1802, until the 1884 Treaty of Hue with France, the Nguyen emperors had made every effort to consolidate Viet Nam's sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagoes.

Hoang Sa Flotilla, later reinforced by Bac Hai Flotilla, was maintained and continuously active under the Nguyen lords (1558-1783) to the Tay Son Dynasty (1786-1802) and the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945).

In conclusion, ancient history and geography books of Viet Nam as well as evidences found in documents written by several Western navigators and clergymen, all point to the fact that successive dynasties in Viet Nam have been the sovereigns of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagoes for centuries. The Vietnamese states-founded Hoang Sa flotillas' regular presence from five to six month annually to perform certain duties in these archipelagoes is itself incisive evidence, demonstrating the exercise of Vietnamese sovereignty. The acquisition and exploitation by Viet Nam of these archipelagoes were never opposed by any other countries, further proving that Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagoes have long been parts of Viet Nam's territory.