The Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945) delineated Vietnam’s territory spanning from the mainland to sea and islands, and continuously exercised the country’s maritime sovereignty.
Aware that the sea and islands were an important part of Vietnam, the dynasty issued and implemented a string of policies on military, national defence, foreign affairs and economy regarding sea and islands in an effort to protect and exploit this area, according to Dr. Phan Thanh Hai, Director of the Hue Relics Preservation Centre.
Such policies focused on coastal defence, naval force development, patrol activities, rescue operations and combat piracy.
A document relating to the Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago compiled 250 years ago was preserved in the communal house of My Loi village, Vinh My commune, Phu Loc district, in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue.
The document reveals that the Nguyen Dynasty sent forces to protect the archipelago hundreds of years ago. It was then handed over to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as evidence proving Vietnam’s sovereignty over the archipelago.
Foreign scholars recorded that in 1816, under the reign of King Gia Long (1802-1820), there were a total of 1,482 ships in the royal naval fleet, including 490 warships, 77 great warships and 66 European-style ships. King Gia Long’s warships carried up to 22 guns.
J. White, a US national who visited the shipyards of King Gia Long in Sai Gon Port many times, praised Vietnamese shipbuilding skills and described the materials and equipment aboard the warships.
Such shipyards, located in the northeastern part of Sai Gon (now Ho Chi Minh City), could compete with the best shipyards in Europe, he said.
Read the full story at VietnamNet