(Source: VNA)

The Cultural Department of the United Buddhist Church of Vietnam, on August 28th, released a book “Dia du do khao” (All Chinese provincial geographical survey) which proves the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) Islands do not belong to China.

It is one of the nearly 2,000 Sino-Nom books that researcher Tran Dinh Son, Deputy Chief of the Cultural Department, officially inherited from his late great-great-father, Tran Dinh Ba (1867-1933).

The original book was made and published in the years of King Guang Xu during China’s Qing Dynasty. When in charge of the Ministry of Justice under King Khai Dinh’s Dynasty (1916-1925), Tran Dinh Ba transcribed this book into another form and stored it at his home in Hue city of Thua Thien-Hue Province. The book was passed to the fourth generation after Tran Dinh Ba - Tran Dinh Son, who has lived in Ho Chi Minh city since 1968.

The 65-page book has 20 sections and 20 enclosed maps, including maps of Guangdong and Vietnam. With clear detail, the map points to Hainan Island (under Guangdong at this time) as the last border area of China.

At his presentation, Tran Dinh Son also showed two photos from Hainan Island which depict words carved on two large stones “Thien nhai hai giac” (The ends of the earth) and “Hai thoat thien khong” (Boundless seas and sky).

After Dr. Mai Ngoc Hong presented the map “Hoang trieu truc tinh dia du toan do” (“Atlas of all Chinese provinces”), officially published by China’s Qing Dynasty in the year of the Dragon of 1904 in July, the “Dia du do khao” book once again affirms that the southernmost point of China is Hainan Island and does not include the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa Islands.

Source: NLD

Translated by Van Hieu