Reflections of the author of History of Vietnam through the Official Chinese Dynastic

History and culture researcher Cao Tu Thanh participated in a dialogue about his book in Hanoi on March 9th. The book was first published in 2020, and reprinted earlier this year. He reads and selects, compares Vietnam-related documents in dozens of Chinese historical texts to translate them into Vietnamese.

The translator notes that Chinese historical records about Vietnam contain many inaccuracies. He gives an example from the Thanh Văn hiến thông khảo, where the Phu Xuan citadel of the Nguyen dynasty kings is described as 'located in the South of the Phu Luong River (i.e., Red River)'. This error has not been corrected for many years.

The Chinese-character documents also focus solely on Northern Vietnam, specifically on Tonkin during the Le Dynasty and Trinh Lords. Regarding Đàng trong, especially the Ha Tien region, it is seldom mentioned, and when it is, there are often many inaccuracies

Researcher Cao Tu Thanh, 70, at a book exchange in Hanoi. Photo: Tien Long

The research and compilation process faced many challenges. The translator put in effort to annotate and explain because a series of proper nouns and place names were recorded inaccurately.

Vietnamese place names recorded in Sino-Vietnamese also make it difficult for readers to identify them. He feels lucky because in his youth he studied, worked, and researched in the North, so he is familiar with the place names of Northern Vietnam. As for the South, it is his birthplace, and he later returned to work there, so the translator is able to grasp almost all place names for annotation.

The author questions what is written in history books, Is it true that Lady Trieu Thi Trinh is honored as the queen Le Hai? According to him, that title could be from the words ‘Power and peril of the Queen ' that the Eastern Wu army called her. Or, the story of Lady Trieu "riding an elephant" may also originate from another detail, when ancient historians wrote that she stationed her troops at Tuong Dau (meaning "elephant head"), a real place name in Thanh Hoa, to resist Luc Dan.

Mr. Cao Tu Thanh stated that he initially read Chinese historical texts about Vietnam for his own personal knowledge. Subsequently, recognizing the valuable insights, he translated them and submitted them to a publishing house to be printed into books, with the hope of benefiting those who are interested in learning and researching the topic. "Subsequent Chinese dynasties all evaluated and summarized the policies of previous dynasties towards other countries, including our country. These are valuable documents for summarizing the history of diplomatic relations," he said.

Vietnamese History through Chinese Official Records" is a valuable resource for those who love history. He stated: "It is hoped that there will be more independent researchers like Mr. Cao Tu Thanh who can fully tap into the wealth of undtranslated documents in China, France, and the Vatican that are written about our country, providing readers with more diverse and multi-dimensional perspectives on Vietnam in history.

Mr. Cao Tu Thanh has translated approximately 70 Chinese books on history, philosophy, medicine, classical literature, and martial arts novels. He has also published research works such as: Nguyen Dinh Chieu and Vietnamese Culture, Confucianism in Gia Dinh, Han-Nom Literature in Gia Dinh, and Quoc trieu Huong khoa luc