UNESCO presented the UNESCO Memory of the World certificate on January 3 to Vietnam’s Nguyen Dynasty wood blocks.

The wood blocks, submitted for recognition last January 2009, are part of a collection of nearly 35,000 dating from 1697 to 1945 used to print literary and historical works. If the entire collection were printed, they would make 152 books, according to the document submitted to UNESCO. The collection is now being preserved in the State Records and Archives Department at National Archives Centre 4.

Apart from their documentary historical value, the wood blocks also are important in terms of their art and skill, marking the development of the wood block carving and printing profession in Vietnam.

The blocks are made up of a plate of wood with letters carved in classical Chinese as well as the old Vietnamese script called chu Nom. The letters are carved in reverse so that when the image is printed, it will be legible.

Under the Nguyen dynasty, the block were made to print information publicising social standards, articles on the lives and careers of the aristocracy and also historical events. These are the original records of the time and it is for this reason that they are considered so valuable.

The collection boasts many valuable and rare wood blocks, including Dai Nam Nhat Thong Chi (History of the Unification of Great Viet Nam) and Dai Nam Thuc Luc (Royal Annals of Great Viet Nam).

Most of the wood blocks are made of thi tree wood, which is yellow and soft, and the nha dong tree, which is smooth and has an ivory colour. These kinds of wood are especially good for preserving the shape of the carvings.

UNESCO launched the Memory of the World Programme in 1994 to guard against collective amnesia and to call upon the preservation of valuable archive holdings and library collections all over the world ensuring their wider dissemination.

PV