2 publications in Hue Bookcase have just been released

Up to now, Hue Bookcase has introduced 12 publications to readers, contributing to a systematic introduction to the land, people, culture and history of Hue.

Monument system statistics project

Holding the role of the capital of Dang Trong, then the capital of the two dynasties Tay Son and Nguyen, this has created a rich heritage system, widely distributed for Hue with many different types.

Today, Hue is the only ancient capital in Vietnam that still preserves the overall architecture of the citadel, palaces, mausoleums, temples, palaces, garden houses... along with a treasure trove of especially rare documents and antiques, truly reflecting the appearance of an ancient capital. Hue is also home to a system of memorial sites of President Ho Chi Minh along with extremely valuable historical relics and 8 world heritages recognized by UNESCO.

By early 2025, the city had 3 special national relic complexes (systems), 89 national relics and 106 city-level relics; 278 works and locations included in the approved and announced inventory of relics. This system of relics and scenic spots has been assigned specific management by authorities at all levels to enhance the responsibility and role of agencies, units and communities in preserving and promoting values.

From that meaning, the Hue Bookcase project compiled and published the book "Hue - Monuments and scenic spots" to introduce to readers an overview of the ranked monuments and scenic spots. Including, monuments associated with the life and career of President Ho Chi Minh in Hue; monuments associated with the Tay Son dynasty; monuments associated with the Nguyen dynasty; monuments associated with the period of revolutionary struggle and national liberation; architectural and artistic monuments; archaeological monuments...

The book is the result of research, collection, use and synthesis from sources of documents and images of the Hue Monuments Conservation Center, Ho Chi Minh Museum of Hue City, Hue City Museum of History and some articles of researchers.

Book of research on village conventions in Hue

Meanwhile, the book "Village Rules in Hue City" is considered a continuation of previous works revolving around the preservation of Han Nom documentary heritage in Hue.

This heritage is an important message in written language to connect the past with the present, an important document that helps today's and future generations have the opportunity to learn more about the historical and cultural roots of the nation. However, through many changes of the times and harsh weather, the Han Nom heritage in Hue, especially the paper sources, has been and is being seriously lost, damaged. Therefore, promoting the conservation and effective promotion of these precious heritage values ​​is extremely necessary.

Introducing publications in Hue bookshelf

Over the past 10 years, Hue City Library has coordinated with many units to implement a plan to collect, digitize, preserve, restore and promote the value of Han Nom documents in the area and has conducted field surveys and digitized more than 420,000 pages of Han Nom documents. Among them are royal decrees, royal decrees, royal edicts, certificates, genealogies, documents - petitions, land registers, village conventions, worshiping documents... From exploiting the results of the work of collecting and digitizing this Han Nom heritage, many research, compilation and translation works have been born. These include "Bibliography of the Nguyen Dynasty's Royal Decrees in Thua Thien Hue" (2018), "Royal decrees, royal decrees, royal edicts of the Nguyen Dynasty in Thua Thien Hue Province" (2020), "Certificates of Nguyen Dynasty officials in Thua Thien Hue Province" (2021), "Book of Han Nom Documents - Petitions of villages in Thua Thien Hue Province" (2022).

These books have been highly appreciated by scientists and readers in terms of academics as well as content quality. Following this success, the Hue Bookcase project has devoted a lot of effort and enthusiasm to organizing the compilation and translation of the 5th publication with the title "Village Covenants in Hue City".

The book introduces 67 typical and valuable village conventions for reference and research on villages. The structure of the book is arranged in two main parts: images, translations and lookup tables.

The main content of the book can be summarized as follows: regulations on the responsibility of the people towards the government and the village; regulations on land use, agricultural promotion, production development, especially agricultural production development; regulations on maintaining order and security in the village; motivating and encouraging children in the village to actively strive to study to pass the exam and become mandarins; regulations on the responsibility of the people in protecting public property, especially traditional cultural heritages; regulations on the implementation and preservation of good customs, traditions and practices such as rituals of mandarins, marriages, funerals, sacrifices, and relationships with relatives in the family, clan, and the village community.

Mr. Phan Thanh Hai, Director of the Department of Culture and Sports, said that the content of the book “Village Covenants in Hue City” will become an essential and useful reference source to inherit and promote the quintessential cultural values ​​of the ancient village covenants. From there, it will create a solid foundation for building cultural villages in the trend of integration and development, contributing to building Hue City on the foundation of preserving and promoting the values ​​of the ancient capital’s heritage and Hue’s cultural identity.

The book “Village Rules in Hue City” in particular, the set of 5 books on Han Nom documents of villages in Hue City that have been published in general and the publications that will be compiled and published in the future will create a set of “Hue Han Nom Cultural Library” that will provide original sources to help readers expand and deepen their understanding of traditional cultural, economic and social history.