Summary Report of the First National Historical Conference: Research on National Sovereignty and Territory in the Orientation of a Holistic and Comprehensive Approach to Vietnamese History

On January 15, 2014, the Central Party Secretariat issued a conclusion on the research and compilation of the History of Vietnam book series, "a national history book of official national character," as the basis for the Ministry of Science and Technology to develop a national-level social science project on the research and compilation of the History of Vietnam, using a holistic, comprehensive, objective, honest approach that respects historical truth as the guiding principle. On May 1, 2014, in Ho Chi Minh City, Professor Phan Huy Le (Chairman of the Vietnam Historical Science Association, Head of the National History Project) launched a nationwide campaign in the field of history to promote research and dissemination of information on Vietnam's national sovereignty over its territory and maritime areas. Research and dissemination of Vietnamese history in general, and Vietnamese national sovereignty over territory and maritime areas in particular, has been enthusiastically supported by the entire historical community. They have devoted their efforts to racing against time and the pandemic, and have now basically completed the 30-volume National History, which includes systematic and in-depth studies of the territories of all states, dynasties, and political institutions within Vietnam, as well as the process of integration into the territory of Dai Viet, Dai Nam, and modern Vietnam. In addition, hundreds of scientific projects at various levels, dozens of conferences, seminars, and specialized scientific discussions, dozens of books, and hundreds of scientific articles have been published in Vietnamese, English, and many other languages ​​both domestically and internationally. Over the past ten years, since Professor Phan Huy Le launched this initiative, Vietnamese historians have made significant and fundamental progress in identifying the true value of Vietnamese history, Vietnamese culture, and Vietnam's national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
2024 was a year marked by many significant historical events related to national sovereignty and territorial integrity, such as the 1480th anniversary of the Van Xuan state, the 1100th anniversary of the birth of Dinh Tien Hoang, the 1080th anniversary of the death of Ngo Quyen, the 1050th anniversary of the birth of Ly Thai To, the 220th anniversary of the official establishment of the Vietnamese national name, the 190th anniversary of the victory at Vam Nao - Co Hu, the 70th anniversary of the historic Dien Bien Phu victory, the Geneva Accords and the takeover of Hanoi... For each of these important historical events, the Vietnam Historical Science Association often collaborates with localities and specialized agencies to organize seminars, discussions, and academic activities. Today marks the 10th anniversary of Professor Phan Huy Le's launch of the movement, and also the 6th anniversary of his passing. The Vietnam Historical Science Association and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, in collaboration with the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, and the University of Education, Da Nang University, are organizing the first National Historical Conference to summarize 10 years of promoting research and dissemination of information on national sovereignty, territory, and maritime boundaries, following a holistic and comprehensive approach to Vietnamese history. The conference received 164 abstracts and compiled them into a 325-page summary proceedings for all participating delegates. At the same time, the Conference also received 149 full reports that were preliminarily edited and printed into 3 volumes with a total of 1455 A4 pages to serve the Organizing Committee, the Specialized Committees of the subcommittees, and as reference materials, research, and academic exchange documents when necessary during the conference. The Conference was organized into 4 sessions, including 2 plenary sessions in the form of a conference and 2 scientific workshop sessions of the 3 subcommittees, namely (1) Some general issues on territorial sovereignty and land borders, (2) East Sea - Living space of communities living on Vietnamese territory and (3) Vietnam's sovereignty over the Hoang Sa - Truong Sa archipelagos. In the Opening Session, we heard the introductory report by Associate Professor Tran Duc Cuong (Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Historical Sciences); the welcoming speech by the Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee, Ha Minh Hai; and three reports on general issues of national territory and borders; the position and significance of the national name of Vietnam in the country's historical process; and the holistic approach to Vietnamese history applied to the study of sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos.
The workshop, organized by three subcommittees, each divided into two sessions, focused on in-depth academic activities in specific fields related to national sovereignty, territory, and maritime boundaries. Within each subcommittee, the expert group and secretariat worked professionally and effectively. The conference heard presentations from professors representing the three subcommittees, totaling 28 full reports, followed by over 30 lively discussions and exchanges of ideas. We fully agree with and consider the subcommittee reports as a comprehensive scientific summary of the conference. For our part, we would like to summarize and elaborate on the following points:
1. Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, is considered one of the cradles of humankind. Recently, archaeology has discovered a system of early Paleolithic relics in An Khe, Gia Lai province, dating back 800,000 years, confirming that our country is one of the earliest inhabited nations. However, when speaking of the country's physical form as a nation-state, it only begins with the first period of nation-building, equivalent to the early Iron Age. Before that, it was the primitive or prehistoric period, that is, the period without a state, even a rudimentary one.
2. Entering the Iron Age, three major cultural centers formed across present-day Vietnam, leading to the emergence of the first three states: the Van Lang - Au Lac state in the North; the ancient Sa Huynh - Lam Ap - Hoan Vuong - Champa states in the Central region; and the Funan state in the South. The Van Lang - Au Lac states emerged much earlier than Champa and Funan, but only about 2700 years ago, not 4000 years as traditionally believed. Although separated by several centuries, all three types of states are collectively classified as part of Vietnam's first nation-building period. The emergence of the first states was based on two fundamental resources: the land and the ocean. The maritime element encompassed all three kingdoms, and this influence intensified further south. The Sa Huynh cultural remains on the coastal islands, extending to the Spratly Islands, and the Pre-Sa Huynh cultural relics at Cua Can, Phu Quoc, and Ben Ngu, Tho Chau, are prime examples. Thus, even before the existence of states, the primitive tribes in the central coastal region controlled the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa islands in the South China Sea, as well as the entire southwestern sea and islands. The livelihoods of the inhabitants of the Van Lang - Au Lac, Sa Huynh - Champa, and Funan kingdoms shaped the nation's form, which generations have preserved and maintained to this day.
3. During its formation and transformation, a general developmental trend gradually emerged, a dominant current in the country's history being the converging and spreading role of the Dong Son, Van Lang - Au Lac centers in the North. The territory of Au Lac before falling under Northern domination can be imagined as encompassing the entire Northern and North Central regions up to the northernmost point of Quang Binh province, but the influence of Dong Son culture extended to the entire territory of the Champa and Funan kingdoms. Recent studies also clearly distinguish between the Funan kingdom, formed on the original land of the Oc Eo culture, equivalent to the present-day Southern region, and the vast Funan empire, encompassing many kingdoms and belonging to a later historical period.
4. In the early 10th century, the Khuc and then the Duong families gained autonomy, laying the foundation for Ngo Quyen to establish a kingdom in early 939, declare himself king, and set his capital in Co Loa, strongly affirming the continuity of the national lineage from the time of the Hung Kings and An Duong King. The territory of Dai Viet during the Dinh and Early Le dynasties was generally similar to that of the Ngo dynasty. (It should be clarified that the official name of our country from the Dinh dynasty onwards was "Dai Viet"; while the names "Dai Co Viet," "Cu Viet," "Nam Quoc," or "Viet Quoc" were still used in folklore, they were not the official national name).
5. In 1009, the Ly Dynasty was established. In 1010, Ly Thai To established Thang Long as the capital, affirming it as the eternal capital in the center of the country, ushering in the Thang Long Culture period, the Dai Viet civilization, and the glorious and radiant development of the nation. The Ly Dynasty was the first monarchical dynasty of Vietnam to formulate a maritime strategy, and Dai Viet under the Ly Dynasty was one of the earliest nations in the world to have a maritime strategy. In 1069, Ly Thanh Tong for the first time expanded the territory of Dai Viet beyond the Ngang Pass, encompassing the entire province of Quang Binh and the two districts of Vinh Linh and Gio Linh in present-day Quang Tri.
6. The Tran Dynasty, with its heroic spirit of Dong A, three times decisively defeated the Mongol Empire, and its glorious achievements in both civil and military affairs, expanded the territory of Dai Viet to present-day Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, and the northern part of Quang Nam province. By the beginning of the 15th century, the territory of the Dai Ngu nation under the Ho Dynasty was defined as extending to the Chiem Dong and Co Luy regions, equivalent to the area of ​​Da Nang city, Quang Nam province, and Quang Ngai province.
7. In 1471, Le Thanh Tong expanded the territory of Dai Viet to the Cu Mong Pass in the south of Binh Dinh province and extended its influence to the northernmost point of Phan Rang, dividing it into two countries: Hoa Anh (coastal areas of Phu Yen and Khanh Hoa) and Nam Ban (Central Highlands and Gia Lai). Following the long-standing tradition of Champa, they may have also reached out to occupy the Golden Sandbanks in the middle of the East Sea (i.e., the Paracel Islands). The Mac Dynasty in the 16th century affirmed a similar maritime strategy to that of today.
8. The Nguyen Lords of the 17th and 18th centuries completed the expansion and territorial definition of the Vietnamese nation, shaping the country into what it is today. Lord Nguyen Phuc Nguyen (1563-1635) is considered the Lord of the greatest territorial expansions in the nation's history. He not only initially established sovereignty over the Southern region but also established the Hoang Sa fleet to manage and exploit the East Sea, officially establishing Vietnam's sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos. Here, the nation's southward expansion was primarily via sea routes, sometimes directly conquering the open sea and using the islands as a springboard to advance further inland.
9. Lord Nguyen Phuc Chu, in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, established the Gia Dinh prefecture, the Tran Bien garrison, and the Tran districts, affirming a complete and tightly-knit administrative system down to the grassroots level in Southern Vietnam. He also simultaneously expanded the territory to include Ha Tien and Ca Mau Cape, and established the Bac Hai fleet, responsible for exploiting and managing islands and archipelagos in the South China Sea and Southwest Vietnam.
10. The unified and territorially intact state of Vietnam, as it is today, has been absolutely affirmed since the establishment of the Nguyen Dynasty. In the year of Giap Ty (1804), Emperor Gia Long named the country Vietnam, continuing the name that had existed for centuries (but not officially), and opening a new phase of development for the Vietnamese nation. In the year of Mau Tuat (1838), Emperor Minh Menh decided to change the name of the country to Dai Nam to match the greatly expanded territory to both the West and the East. At this time, the land border of the Dai Nam empire bordered Siam (Thailand). Minh Menh also brought Vietnam's sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa islands to its highest point during the monarchical era. Unfortunately, after Minh Mệnh's death, Thiệu Trị and Tự Đức, due to various difficulties, did not regularly send people to the Hoàng Sa and Trường Sa islands. However, fundamentally, the sovereignty of the Đại Nam nation over Hoàng Sa and Trường Sa was maintained. No Nguyễn dynasty king ever declared the relinquishment of sovereignty over Hoàng Sa and Trường Sa.
11. After the year of Giap Than (1884), our country's sovereignty fell into the hands of the French colonialists. At the beginning of the 20th century, the issue of sovereignty disputes in the Paracel Islands emerged. Initially, the French showed indifference, but later decided to side with Vietnam, asserting sovereignty in the Paracel Islands based on the long-standing sovereignty of the Annam Kingdom and declaring sovereignty over the Spratly Islands through actual occupation. By the end of the 1940s, the French had handed over sovereignty in both the Paracel and Spratly Islands to Vietnam according to the law of succession under international law. The situation on the northern and southwestern borders was also resolved relatively reasonably and satisfactorily.
12. The Vietnamese nation, and later the Republic of Vietnam, inherited sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly Islands and made many efforts to defend the genuine and long-standing sovereignty established by its ancestors. However, the Republic of Vietnam cannot escape responsibility for losing the Paracel Islands and part of the Spratly Islands. In 1975, the Republic of Vietnam disintegrated, and the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, as the sole legitimate representative of Vietnam, took over the Spratly Islands in accordance with international law. Since 1975, the country has been unified, but the situation on the northern and southwestern borders, and the sovereignty disputes over the Paracel and Spratly Islands, remains extremely complex. Many experts have conducted in-depth research and contributed to the Party and State's decisions to fully preserve Vietnam's national sovereignty, territory, and maritime boundaries under these new historical conditions.
Throughout the preparation for this conference, we have consistently received guidance and encouragement from the Central Propaganda Department, specialized agencies of the Party and State, and the city of Hanoi. We have also benefited from the effective support of universities and research institutes, especially the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi; and the enthusiastic contributions of experts from across the country, particularly from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hue, Da Nang, Dong Thap, and Son La. We would like to express our sincere and profound gratitude to Mr. Le Thanh Long and Mrs. Huynh Thi Thuong, who have voluntarily stood by us, silently accompanying us from our research and survey trips to the most remote islands in the southernmost part of the country, to the Tien and Hau rivers, to the seminars and workshops in various localities, and up to this very moment, at our conference today. Without such selfless and heartfelt help, how could we have overcome the difficulties and dangers that constantly surrounded us from all sides?
Our conference and workshop, up to this point, can be considered a success far exceeding initial expectations. Despite our best efforts, we could not synthesize all the scientific ideas contained in nearly 2,500 pages of manuscripts, along with almost 30 rich and creative presentations and dozens of passionate expert opinions. We truly believe that the best summaries are those of each individual scientist and delegate participating in the conference and workshop. Following today's conference and workshop, the authors will continue to research, supplement, revise, and refine the full reports so that we can compile and publish the official proceedings with high professional quality. Only then can we say that the First National Conference on History has been a complete success.
When developing the proposal for the Conference, we suggested naming it the "First National Historical Conference," implying that a "Second National Historical Conference" would be held within the next few years. In today's workshop, all subcommittees expressed their desire to continue in-depth research on Vietnam's national sovereignty, territory, and maritime boundaries. This could also be a very necessary direction. Some experts also suggested that the theme for the Second National Historical Conference should be the history of nation-building alongside national defense, or the relationship between nation-building and national defense in the course of Vietnamese history. We hope to receive many contributions to find not only a new theme but also a new direction for the development of national historiography.
The press reported on the event:
People's Television:First National Conference on History
National Assembly Television: First National Conference on History
People's Representatives Newspaper: Researching national and territorial sovereignty from a comprehensive historical perspective of Vietnam.
Nhan Dan Newspaper:Research and propose solutions to protect national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Vietnam National University, Hanoi: Research on national and territorial sovereignty from a holistic and comprehensive approach to Vietnamese history.
Foreign Affairs Portal: National and territorial sovereignty based on a holistic and comprehensive approach to Vietnamese history.
People's Army Newspaper:First National Historical Conference on National Territorial Sovereignty
VOV2: From a historical approach to the study of national and territorial sovereignty.
Journal of Science and Technology:Research on national and territorial sovereignty from a holistic and comprehensive approach to Vietnamese history.
Saigon Liberation Newspaper:National sovereignty and territory - sacred values.
Vietnam Business Magazine: National Historical Conference: A Comprehensive Approach to the History of National Sovereignty
Women's Magazine: National Historical Conference: A Comprehensive Approach to the History of National Sovereignty