Sources of Vietnamese tradition

edited by george e. dutton, jayne s. werner,

and john k. whitmore

Sources of

vietnamese Tradition

“A one-of-a-kind introduction to Vietnamese history, lending us an ear to Vietnamese voices that

speak beyond revolution and war. The English flows smoothly—never an easy task, especially when

working from literature and other forms of culture-bound discourse. An important contribution to

teaching Vietnamese history.”

—charles wheeler, University of Hong Kong

Sources of Vietnamese Tradition provides an essential guide to two thousand years of Vietnamese

history and a comprehensive overview of the society and state of Vietnam. Strategic selections

illuminate key figures, issues, and events while building a thematic portrait of the country’s

developing territory, politics, culture, and relations with neighbors. The volume showcases Vietnam’s

remarkable independence in the face of Chinese and other external pressures and respects the com￾plexity of the Vietnamese experience both past and present.

The anthology begins with selections that cover more than a millennium of Chinese dominance

over Vietnam (111 b.c.e.–939 c.e.) and follows with texts that illuminate four centuries of indepen￾dence ensured by the Ly, Tran, and Ho dynasties (1009–1407). The earlier cultivation of Buddhism

and Southeast Asian political practices by the monarchy gave way to two centuries of Confucian

influence and bureaucratic governance (1407–1600), based on Chinese models, and three centuries

of political competition between the north and the south, resolving in the latter’s favor (1600–1885).

Concluding with the colonial era and the modern age, the volume recounts the ravages of war and

the creation of a united, independent Vietnam in 1975. Each chapter features readings that reveal the

views, customs, outside influences on, and religious and philosophical beliefs of a rapidly changing

people and culture. Descriptions of land, society, economy, and governance underscore the role of

the past in the formation of contemporary Vietnam and its relationships with neighboring countries

and the West.

“An essential research tool for anyone interested in Vietnamese history. The editors have done a mar￾velous job of locating, interpreting, and translating key documents written in a variety of languages.”

—hue-tam ho tai, Harvard University

“An unprecedented anthology in scope and content. The selections are well chosen and succinctly

introduced. The translations are highly scholarly and remarkably readable. This anthology will be

very useful to students of Asian history and culture as well as to general readers.”

—ngo vinh long, University of Maine

george e. dutton is associate professor of Southeast Asian languages and cultures and vice

chair of the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of California,

Los Angeles.

jayne s. werner is associate research scholar at the Weatherhead East Asian Institute at

Columbia University and professor emerita of political science at Long Island University.

john k . whitmore is research associate at the Center for Southeast Asian Studies,

University of Michigan, and a specialist on premodern Vietnamese and Southeast Asian history.

ISBN: 978-0-231-13863-5

9 780231 138635

introduction to asian civilizations

columbia university press New York cup.columbia.edu Printed in the U.S.A.

cover image: Detail of a badge, with a rooster, for third-rank civil official (silk- and metallic-thread

embroidery), Vietnam, nineteenth century. (Dodi Fromson Collection; Maggie Smith Photography)

Dutton, Werner,

and Whitmore, Eds.

columbia

Source

s of

Vietname

se

Tradition

Sources of Vietnamese Tradition

Introduction to Asian Civilizations

Introduction to Asian Civilizations

Wm. Theodore de Bary, General Editor

Sources of Japanese Tradition ,

1958; paperback ed., 2 vols., 1964. 2d ed., vol. 1, 2001, compiled by

Wm. Theodore de Bary, Donald Keene, George Tanabe, and Paul Varley;

vol. 2, 2005, compiled by Wm. Theodore de Bary, Carol Gluck, and Arthur

E. Tiedemann; vol. 2, abridged, 2 pts., 2006, compiled by Wm. Theodore

de Bary, Carol Gluck, and Arthur E. Tiedemann

Sources of Indian Tradition ,

1958; paperback ed., 2 vols., 1964. 2d ed., 2 vols., 1988

Sources of Chinese Tradition ,

1960, paperback ed., 2 vols., 1964. 2d ed., vol. 1, 1999, compiled by

Wm. Theodore de Bary and Irene Bloom; vol. 2, 2000, compiled

by Wm. Theodore de Bary and Richard Lufrano

Sources of Korean Tradition ,

1997; 2 vols., vol. 1, 1997, compiled by Peter H. Lee and Wm. Theodore

de Bary; vol. 2, 2001, compiled by Ylngho Ch’oe, Peter H. Lee, and

Wm. Theodore de Bary

Sources of East Asian Tradition ,

2008, 2 vols., edited by Wm. Theodore de Bary

Sources of Vietnamese Tradition

Edited by George E. Dutton, Jayne S. Werner,

and John K. Whitmore

Columbia University Press

New York

Columbia University Press

Publishers Since 1893

New York Chichester, West Sussex

Copyright © 2012 George E. Dutton, Jayne S. Werner, and John K. Whitmore

All rights reserved

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Sources of Vietnamese tradition / edited by George E. Dutton, Jayne S. Werner,

and John K. Whitemore.

p. cm. — (Introduction to Asian civilizations)

Texts chiefl y translated from Vietnamese, with some translated from Chinese and French;

commentary in English.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-231-13862-8 (cloth : alk. paper)

ISBN 978-0-231-13863-5 (pbk. : alk. paper)

ISBN 978-0-231-51110-0 (e-book)

1. Vietnam—Civilization—Sources. 2. Vietnam—History—Sources. I. Dutton,

George Edson. II. Werner, Jayne Susan. III. Whitmore, John K. IV. Title.

V. Series: Introduction to Asian civilizations.

DS556.42.S69 2012

959.7—dc23

2011033923

Columbia University Press books are printed on permanent and durable acid-free paper.

This book is printed on paper with recycled content.

Printed in the United States of America

c 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

p 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

j acket image: Detail of a badge, with a rooster, for third-rank civil offi cial (silk- and metallic￾thread embroidery), Vietnam, nineteenth century. (Dodi Fromson Collection; Maggie Smith

Photography)

References to Internet Web sites (URLs) were accurate at the time of writing. Neither the edi￾tors nor Columbia University Press is responsible for URLs that may have expired or changed

since the manuscript was prepared.

Preface xvii

Chronology xxi

Chronicles and Other Historical Sources xxxv

A Note on Names and Dates xxxix

Introduction 1

Part one

Premodern Vietnam

1. The Period of Northern Empire 9

The Land 11

Chen Shou: Sou t h a nd Nort h 11

Shen Quanqi: Life in t he Sou t h 12

Zeng Gun: T he Spir it C ao Lo 13

Contents

vi Contents

Economics and Trade 15

Chen Shou: R iches of t he Sou t h 15

Xue Zong: Economics in t he Sou t h 15

Liu Xu: M a r itime T r a de in t he Sou t h 16

Philosophy and Religion 16

Mou Bo: Beliefs in t he Sou t h 16

Chen Shou: Schol a rship in t he Sou t h 17

Tan Qian: Buddhism in t he Sou t h 18

Shen Quanqi: Buddhism a s It Exist ed in t he Sou t h 18

Zeng Gun: T he Moun ta in Spir it 19

Governance 20

Fan Ye: M a Y ua n’s A dminist r ation 20

Chen Shou: Gov er ning t he Sou t h 21

Zhao Cheng: A n Indigenous K ing 23

Gao Pian: A Nort her ner Gov er ning t he Sou t h 24

Society and Culture 25

Fan Ye: H a n Offici a ls in t he Sou t h 25

Zhou Cheng: Memor i a l on t he Sou t h 25

Xue Zong: Customs of t he Sou t h 26

Dao Huang: R el ations w it h Ch a mpa 27

2. The Ly, Tran, and Ho Epochs 28

The Land 31

Ly Thai To: Edict on Mov ing t he C a pita l 31

Ly Thuong Kiet: T he Sou t her n L a nd 33

T he Spir it of To Lich 33

Ly Nhan Tong: Poems on a Buddhist L a nd 35

Tran Minh Tong: Roya l Poems on t he L a nd 36

Contents vii

Ly Te Xuyen: T he Cult of Phung Hung 37

T he Buddhist Monk K huong V iet 38

A V iet na mese A n tiquit y 39

Nguyen Nhu Thuyet: Prot est on Mov ing t he C a pita l 40

Economics and Trade 41

Le Van Huu: Pr eserv ing Liv estock 41

Le Van Huu: For eign T r a de 41

Ngo Si Lien: T he Dik ing S y st em 42

Ngo Si Lien: Nort her n Commerce 43

Philosophy and Religion 44

Pow er a nd R edemp tion 44

Buddhist Poems 45

Le Van Huu: Buddhist Cults 46

L a dy God of t he Ea rt h 47

The Queen Mother and Thong Bien: T he Or igins

of Buddhism in Da i V iet 48

Funer a l Inscr ip tion of a Court Minist er 51

Buddhism a nd t he Sages 53

Lit er ati on Buddhism a nd t he Spir its 53

Tue Trung: T hien Beliefs 54

Ly Te Xuyen: T he T rung Sist ers 56

Truong Han Sieu: A Lit er at us’s Inscr ip tion for

a Buddhist T emple 57

T he Lit er ati’s New Wor ldv iew 58

Governance 60

Phap Thuan: A dv ising t he K ing 60

Omens a nd Prophecies 61

T he Spir it of Phu Dong 61

viii Contents

Funer a l Inscr ip tion of a Court Minist er 63

Ngo Si Lien: T he Oat h R it ua l 65

Ngo Si Lien: Offici a ls a nd V ill age R egist ers 66

Le Van Huu: A Lit er at us’s Cr itique of a Pa st Court Minist er 66

Le Van Huu: U tilizing t he Pa st to Define t he Pr esen t 67

Ly Te Xuyen: T he Idea l Offici a l 68

How to Gov er n 69

Lit er ati Poems, Lit er ati Concer ns 70

Ho Quy Ly: Da i Ngu a nd t he Ming Court 72

Society and Culture 73

Ly Thanh Tong: Life in Ja il 73

Funer a l Inscr ip tion of Do A nh V u: Life of a Court Minist er 73

Funer a l Inscr ip tion of t he Phung T h a nh L a dy:

Life of a Court L a dy 75

Dam Di Mong: Clea ning Up t he Mona stic Communit y 77

Ngo Si Lien: soci a l c at egor ies 78

Ngo Si Lien: A r istocr at ic Life 78

Ngo Si Lien: Schol a r ly Life 79

Le Van Huu: T he T rung Sist ers 80

V iews on Nort her n Influence 81

Ethnic Relations 81

T he N ung a nd t he Ch a m 81

Le Van Huu: Music of Ch a mpa 82

Ex t er na l T hr eats 83

Le Van Huu: Cr itique on H a ndling t he N ung 85

Ngo Si Lien: A T r a n Pr ince a nd a Moun ta in Chief 85

Nguyen Trung Ngan: T he M a Nh a i Inscr ip t ion 86

Ngo Si Lien: For eign Cult ur es 87

Contents ix

3. The Le and Mac Epochs 89

The Land 93

Le Thai To and Nguyen Trai: Gr eat Procl a m ation on t he

Defeat of t he Ming 93

M a pping t he L a nd 9 4

Hoang Duc Luong: A Lit er ati V iew of t he L a nd 94

Duong Van An: A Cosmic V iew of t he L a nd 96

Economics and Trade 97

Le Thai To and Nguyen Trai: Edict on Cur r enc y 97

Le Code: Public a nd Pr ivat e L a nds 98

For eign T r a de 101

Le Code: L aws on For eign Commerce 101

Le Thanh Tong: Gov er nmen t a nd t he Econom y 103

Le Code: Dr a f t A nim a ls 103

Le Code: Eleph a n ts 104

Le Code: M a r k et R egul at ions 105

Philosophy and Religion 106

Pr ay ing for R a in 106

Debat e ov er Music a nd R it ua l 106

Phan Phu Tien: T he T emple of Lit er at ur e 108

Le Thanh Tong: Ch a nging t he R eign Na me 109

Rules of Beh av ior 110

Ngo Si Lien: Lit er at i Beliefs 111

Vu Quynh: Collecting Ta les 112

Lit er ati a nd Buddhist T emple Inscr ip tions 113

Nguyen Binh Khiem: T he T hr ee T eachings 114

Governance 116

Le Thai To and Nguyen Trai: How to Gov er n 116

Le Code: V ill age R egist er s 117

x Contents

Demotion of t he Queen 118

Phan Phu Tien: Con t in uit y in Gov er na nce 118

Le Thanh Tong: Lit er ati Gov er nmen t 119

Le Thanh Tong: T he Proper Minist er 121

Ngo Si Lien: Sou t h a nd Nort h 121

Ngo Si Lien: Cr itique of a Pa st Court Minist er 122

Le Thanh Tong: T he Pur pose of Gov er nmen t 123

Nguyen Binh Khiem: Good Gov er nmen t 124

Duong Van An: Dy na st ic Ch a nge 125

Society and Culture 126

Le Code: L aw a nd Soci a l Stat us 126

Le Code: Con t rolling Pow er ful Fa milies 127

T he Lit er ati a nd Loc a l Custom 128

Le Code: Pr ivat e Propert y 129

Le Code: Ideology a nd Soci a l St ruct ur e 130

Mour ning 130

Public L a nd a nd Pow er ful Fa milies 132

Childr en a nd t he L aw 133

T he K ing on Ba d Beh av ior 134

Le Code: M a r r i age 134

M a r r i age a nd Mour ning 135

R it ua l a nd Pat r ilinea lit y 136

Ethnic Relations 137

Le Code: L aw a nd Et hnic Groups 137

Nguyen Trai and Others: R ega r ding Cult ur a l Influences 138

Le Thanh Tong: Edict on Ch a mpa 139

Or der ing Et hnic Groups to Confor m 143

R eceiv ing For eign En voy s 143

Contents xi

Part two

Early Modern Vietnam

4. The Trinh-Nguyen Period 147

The Land 153

Ngo Thi Si: On V iet na mese Geogr a ph y 153

Nguyen Hoang: Deat hbed Stat emen t to His Son 155

Nguyen Khoa Chiem: R ecor ded Ta les of t he Founding

of the Country 156

Trinh Can: Edict to t he Peoples of Qua ng Na m 159

Economics and Trade 162

Khanh Duc Emperor: Edict Prohibiting For eigners from Ta k ing

Up R esidence W it hou t R est r ictions 162

Le Quy Don: W ea lt h of t he Ngu y en R ea lm 163

Ngo The Lan: Memor i a l on t he Cur r enc y Cr isis 165

Quang Trung Emperor: Edict Encour aging Agr icult ur e 166

Quang Trung Emperor: Let t er to t he Gov er nor of M ac ao 168

Philosophy and Religion 170

Le Quy Don: On lyand khi 170

Phan Huy Ich: Pr eface to T he Sound of t he T rue Gr eat a nd

Per fect Enlight enmen t from t he Ba mboo Grov e 174

Ngo Thi Nham: T he Sound of Emp tiness 176

“T he Child - Giv ing Gua n y in” 180

Pham Dinh Ho: R it ua l for V ener ating Heav en 186

Political Reform 188

Bui Si Tiem: T en It ems for R efor m 188

Nguyen Cu Trinh: Memor i a l Descr ibing t he Economic Cr isis

in t he Ngu y en R ea lm 191

Nguyen Thiep: Memor i a l R ega r ding t he Economic

Cr isis in Nghe A n 193

xii Contents

Trinh Tac: Edict R ega r ding Offici a l Positions 195

T emple of Lit er at ur e St ele for t he Ex a mination of 1623 200

Governance 203

Nguyen Phuc Khoat: Edict Decl a r ing Au tonom y 203

Le Duy Mat: Procl a m ation to R a lly T roops 205

Ngo Family Literary Group: T he Unific ation R ecor ds

of the Imperial Le 208

Ngo Thi Nham: Let t er to Ngo T uong Dao 215

Quang Trung Emperor: Edict on A scending t he T hrone 217

T r eat y of V ersa illes Bet w een Ngu y en A nh a nd

k ing Louis X V I 219

Society and Culture 223

Bento Thien: R ega r ding Festiva ls 223

Trinh Cuong: Edict R ega r ding Loc a l Customs 226

Hoang Quang: “L a men t for t he Sou t h” 229

Le Huu Trac: “Discour se on Medic a l T r a ining” 232

Le Quy Don: In t roduct ion to T he Complet e A n t hology of

Vietnamese Literature 235

Le Quy Don: Pr eface to t he Lit er at ur e Section of

General History of DAI Viet 239

Nguyen Huy Luong: “R h a psody on W est L a k e” 242

Pham Dinh Ho: On M a r r i age 248

5. The Early Nguyen Dynasty 253

The Land 258

Gia Long Emperor: Na ming t he Coun t ry V iet Na m 258

Minh Mang Emperor: Na ming t he Coun t ry Da i Na m 259

Le Quang Dinh: V iet na mese Geogr a phic a l Ex pa nsion 261

Nguyen Van Sieu: Ta les of t he Coun t ry of C a mbodi a 262

Phan Huy Chu: H a Noi / Son Na m 265

Trinh Hoai Duc: Clim at e a nd Geogr a ph y of Gi a Dinh 269

Contents xiii

Economics and Trade 273

Phan Huy Chu: Stat e Use of R esources 273

Minh Mang Emperor: Polic y for T r a ding w it h Europea ns 275

Governance 277

Phan Huy Chu: Pr eface to C at egor ized R ecor ds of t he

Institutions of Successive Dynasties 277

Phan Huy Chu: R ecor ds of Men 279

Minh Mang Emperor: Edict to t he Lit er ati a nd Commoners of t he

Si x Prov inces of Sou t her n V iet na m 280

Nguyen Truong To: “A Pl a n for M a k ing t he People W ea lt h y

a nd t he Coun t ry St rong” 284

Nguyen Dynasty History Board: Ngu y en Commen t on t he

Fat e of t he Le 289

Society and Culture 292

Tran Dam Trai: T wo Not ewort h y Women 292

Trinh Hoai Duc: Customs of Gi a Dinh 294

Nguyen Du: “A Dirge for A ll T en Cl a sses of Beings” 299

Ho Xuan Huong: Select ed Poems 305

Minh Mang Emperor: T en Mor a l Pr ecep ts 306

Truong Vinh Ky: Tales from a Journey to the Northern Region 308

Foreign Relations and Warfare 311

Gia Long Emperor: Commemor ation of t he Defeat of t he Tay Son 311

Phan Huy Chu: Summ a ry R ecor d of a n Ov er se a s Jour ney 313

Phan Huy Chu: A R ecor d of Milita ry S y st ems 315

Debating Fr ench Dem a nds 317

Philosophy and Religion 320

Gia Long Emperor: Edict Ou t lining Propr iet y a nd R it ua l 320

Trinh Hoai Duc: T emple of t he Gener a l of t he Sou t her n Sea s 324

Minh Mang Emperor: Commen ts R ega r ding Chr isti a nit y 325

T hien Mu Pagoda 329

xiv Contents

Part three

Modern Vietnam

6. The Colonial Era 335

The Land 337

Hoang Dieu: Fa r ew ell A pologies to t he Emperor 337

Ham Nghi Emperor: Roya l Edict on R esista nce 339

Phan Boi Chau: “T he History of t he Loss of t he Coun t ry ” 342

Responses to the French 353

Phan Boi Chau: “A Let t er from A broa d W r it t en in Blood” 353

Tonkin Free School: “A Civ iliz ation of New Lea r ning” 369

Phan Chau Trinh: “Mona rch y a nd Democr ac y ” 375

Nguyen An Ninh: “T he Idea l of A nna mese You t h” 382

Pham Quynh: “In t ellect ua l a nd Mor a l R efor m” 389

Nguyen Thai Hoc: Let t er A ddr essed to t he Fr ench

Ch a mbr e des Dépu t és 393

Ho Chi Minh: “T he R evolu tiona ry ’s Code of Conduct ” 396

Ho Chi Minh: R evolu tiona ry Ch a r act er a nd Mor a lit y 397

Society and Culture 402

Pham Quynh: Kim Van Kieu a nd t he Nationa l L a nguage 402

Hoang Dao: “Moder nize Complet ely a nd W it hou t Hesitation” 406

New Poet ry 409

Tran Trong Kim: Confucianism 414

Dao Duy Anh: V iet na m in t he Moder n Age 424

Religion 429

Cao Dai: T he New Code a nd T hr ee Spir it Messages 429

Tri Hai: “W h y W e Must R ev iv e Buddhism” 434

Huynh Phu So: “T he Way to Pr actice R eligion a nd Rules

for Ev ery day Life” 438