Preliminary Research of State Libraries under Vietnamese Feudal Dynasties

Abstract

Historical bibliographies record the development of a nation. These source materials, together with the archaeological and ethnological data, are of extreme importance. Accordingly, the Sino-Nom bibliographies complied by the Vietnamese are an important part of the Vietnamese civilization. Under the feudal dynasties, a certain number of libraries have been established to preserve these invaluable heritages, althought most of these offices merely functioned as stores where books and wood blocks were kepts.

Because of historical vicissitudes, not to mention the unpleasant tropical climate which often destroyed such vulnerable objects, there remain a small number of archival offices as well as written documents. Based on the available information, this paper aims to highlight the major features of the archives and preservation offices under the feudal dynasties of Ly, Tran, Le, Tay Son, Nguyen (from 11th to mid-20th centuries).