More than 150 maps and historical documents are on display at an exhibition titled “Hoang Sa, Truong Sa Archipelagos are of Vietnam’s Sovereignty – Historical Evidence” that opened on Sunday in central Da Nang City. These maps and materials were issued in Chinese, Vietnamese, and French by Vietnamese feudal states and the French authorities in Indochina from the 17th to the early 20th century. All the maps and documents affirm Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Truong Sa (Spratly) and Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands in the East Sea. Of these maps, 20 copies of Nguyen-dynasty official documents directly relate to the country’s sovereignty over the two archipelagoes. In addition, 65 maps issued by Vietnam and the West in the 17th century also confirm Vietnam’s sovereignty.
Notably, four atlases and 30 maps originating from China show that China’s southernmost part is Hainan Island. Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Bac Son said that all the maps and materials at the exhibition, which have been compiled from Vietnam and other countries including China, contribute to the reiteration of Vietnam’s sovereignty over Truong Sa and Hoang Sa. Duong Trung Quoc, Vice President and Secretary General of the Vietnam Association of History, said that the exhibition displays historical evidence to prove Vietnam’s sovereignty over sea and islands, including the two archipelagoes. The exhibition, part of the Vietnam Sea Strategy by 2020, has attracted thousands of visitors and will last until January 26, 2014.