The woodblocks represent an important part of the country’s feudal history. Under the Nguyen Dynasty, the objects were used to print literary and historical documents. These original records of the time have since become priceless to the nation.
The collection boasts many rare woodblocks used to print classics such as Dai Nam Nhat Thong Chi (History of the Unification of Greater Vietnam) and Dai Nam Thuc Luc (Royal Annals of Greater Vietnam).
Nguyen Xuan Hung, vice director of the National Archive Centre No.4, said the valuable treasure also contains content affirming Vietnam’s inalienable sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos.
Apart from their historical value, the woodblocks are important in terms of the artfulness and skill used to make them, as they mark the development of the woodblock carving and printing profession in Vietnam.
Most of the woodblocks were made from a plate of thi tree wood, which is yellow and soft, or nha dong tree, which is smooth and of an ivory colour. These kinds of wood are especially good for preserving the shape of the carvings.
They carry Chinese or ancient Vietnamese letters carved in reverse, which appear in the correct orientation when printed.
By 1960, more than 50,000 of the Nguyen Dynasty blocks had been stored in the royal city of Hue, before they were brought to the Central Highlands city of Da Lat.
In 2009, UNESCO recognised the Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks as a Memory of the World.
