Circular No. 05-VH-TV On the protection of books and documents in Han and Nom scripts

CIRCULAR

OF THE MINISTER OF CULTURE NUMBER 05/VH-TV OF FEBRUARY 21, 1964 ON THE PROTECTION OF BOOKS AND DOCUMENTS IN CHINESE AND NOM SCRIPT

MINISTER OF CULTURE 

Respectfully submitted to: - Provincial and municipal administrative committees

            - Departments of Culture and Information

On December 31, 1962, the Ministry of Culture issued Circular No. 1138/VH/TT assigning the Departments and Offices of Culture and Information to organize the management of books and documents in Chinese and Nom script.

Recently, the Prime Minister's Office issued Directive No. 177/TTg on December 13, 1963 requesting provincial and municipal administrative committees to urgently advance this work so that it can be completed within the first months of this year.

After consulting with relevant agencies under the Ministry and the State Scientific Council, the Ministry of Culture guides the implementation of the Prime Minister's Office directive as follows:

I. OBJECTIVES AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROTECTION OF BOOKS AND DOCUMENTS IN CHINESE AND NOM SCRIPT 

Books and documents in Chinese and Nom script left from previous eras are tangible objects reflecting directly the civilization achieved by our people through various historical periods.

During the 80 years of French domination, many valuable documents were looted. A considerable number were lost during the resistance period and especially during the land reform period. For those fortunate enough to have survived until now, if the destructive actions and improper use mentioned in the Prime Minister's Office directive are not stopped, these documents will soon disappear. Therefore, the protection of books and documents in Chinese and Nom script has become urgent, serving the research work of various scientific fields while preserving the good traditions of the nation, inheriting positive elements of the old culture, and contributing to the construction of a new culture.

II. BOOKS AND DOCUMENTS TO BE PROTECTED

All handwritten, printed, engraved books and documents in Chinese and Nom script, regardless of whether they belong to individuals or collectives (clans, tribes, neighborhood associations, guilds, organizations, administrative units), if considered valuable from a historical or cultural perspective, shall be protected by the state according to the provisions of the Prime Minister's Office directive.

1. Literature, art, science, history documents:

- Collections of poetry, prose, fu, legends, travelogues, couplets, literary works, commentaries.

- Collections recording folk literature: proverbs, folk songs, hò vè, mountain songs, epic poems, fairy tales, jokes, couplets, etc.

- Scripts for cheo and tuong plays.

- Historical records, general histories, historical novels, local chronicles, village chronicles, etc.

- Legal codes, regulations, administrative documents, imperial examination records.

- Imperial edicts, memorials, petitions.

- Clan genealogies, family genealogies, ancestral tablets, family rituals, temple tablets, temple legends. - Inscribed steles.

- Calendars, jade registers...

- Medical books, books on divination (feng shui, witchcraft).

- Religious books: scriptures, ritual books, spirit writing, sacrificial books, then and chầu văn books.

- Propaganda leaflets, announcements, declarations.

2. Documents related to the old social system:

- Land tax registers, land registers, village regulations, guild agreements, lease agreements, community agreements.

- Petitions, administrative documents, orders, summonses, case files, minutes, court judgments.

- Papers regarding property division, military land allocation, ancestral land allocation, etc.

- Receipts, such as tax receipts. - Imperial decrees granting titles to people and deities.

- Letters, invitations.

- Business books and ledgers.

3. Paintings and engraved prints:

- Folk paintings: village paintings, prints reproducing wall paintings, models for printing or engraving.

- Seals.

- Engraved book and print blocks.

- Horizontal plaques, couplets (on paper or wood), calligraphy scrolls.

- Maps.

The list above is merely indicative. If there are other old books and documents not included in the categories mentioned above but deemed valuable from a historical or cultural perspective, opinions should be sought from the Department or Office of Culture or the National Library.

Books and documents to be protected do not necessarily need to be intact; even if torn, missing pages, or discolored, they still need to be preserved.

In addition to the books and documents in Chinese and Nom script that need to be protected, stone steles, which are very important for historical research, particularly local history, must also be mentioned. Therefore, in accordance with the spirit of the Prime Minister's Office directive, the Ministry of Culture requests the provincial committees to instruct villages and the people to pay attention to preserving existing stone steles, preventing them from being destroyed or used for other purposes gradually obscuring the inscriptions, such as building bridges over ponds or using them to pound rice. If necessary, they should be transferred to places like communal houses or temples for preservation.

III. CONTENTS OF THE PROTECTION WORK

The contents of the protection work for books and documents in Chinese and Nom script include the following specific tasks:

4. Regarding books and documents under state management but kept by the people, those who possess them and those entrusted with their care have the following responsibilities:

- They must carefully preserve and protect them according to the guidance of the Department or Office of Culture.

- They must be ready to allow persons with an introduction letter from the Ministry of Culture (Central National Library) or the Department or Office of Culture to view, copy, or study them.

- If they wish to sell them, they must obtain permission from the provincial or municipal administrative committee; in this case, the state has the right to purchase them preferentially.

- If damage or loss occurs, they must immediately report it to the village, district, or municipal administrative committee for necessary investigations and appropriate measures.

Those borrowing them for use must be responsible for careful preservation and protection, not allowing damage, not making any alterations or additions, returning them promptly upon completion of use, and returning them on time.

5. To prevent the destruction of books and documents in Chinese and Nom script, along with efforts to mobilize those who own such books and documents, provincial and municipal administrative committees need to apply the following measures against those engaged in the collection, transportation of old books and paper, and establishments using old paper as raw material for production (papermaking, mounting paintings, folding fans, casting bronze, etc.).

- Establish a control system for the purchase and transportation of old Han-Nom books and documents, such as requiring buyers and transporters to have a permit from the Provincial or District People's Committee...

- Establish a control system for the use of these items as raw materials in production facilities, such as requiring a report to the District or Commune People's Committee before processing, to determine which books or documents need to be retained (the State will compensate the production facility for all costs related to these items).

- Propagate and explain to raise awareness about the protection of Han and Nom character books and documents.

 IV. GUIDANCE FOR IMPLEMENTATION - ORGANIZATION

1. The Provincial and City People's Committees shall base their plans for implementation on the specific circumstances of each place, aiming to complete them in the second quarter of 1964. To ensure good results for this work, the Committees should conduct pilot programs in several districts or wards, then expand to the entire province or city, including towns and townships.

In accordance with the directive of the Prime Minister's Office, after compiling lists and documents under State management, the Departments of Culture and Information shall be responsible for regular management under the supervision of the Committees.

2. Among the tasks to be carried out, propaganda and mobilization efforts should be prioritized. If this work is done thoroughly and widely, the people will themselves know how to carefully protect valuable books and documents, administrative measures will not cause tension in people's lives, and the scope of books that need to be concentrated for State preservation can be reduced.

3. For this work, the Provincial and City People's Committees will utilize the machinery of the Departments of Culture and Information, and in mass mobilization work, they may rely on the assistance of the Fatherland Front, trade unions, youth organizations, and local cooperative craft organizations.

AT The Central Library will assist the Ministry in guiding provinces and cities on technical matters assigned by the Prime Minister's Office. In this work, the Central Library needs to maintain close relations with the Institute of History, the Department of Preservation and Museums, and the Central Scientific Library to reach consensus on management work and the rational use of books and documents under State management.

4. The Provincial and City Committees are budgeted for necessary funds to cover expenses such as printing documents, purchasing and transporting books and documents ceded to the State by the people, hiring individuals knowledgeable in Han and Nom characters to assist with work...

In accordance with the spirit of the directive of the Prime Minister's Office, provinces and cities are not allowed to increase staffing for this sudden work. If the Departments of Culture do not have personnel knowledgeable in Han and Nom characters, priority should first be given to transferring such personnel from other agencies' staffing to assist temporarily, or arranging for these individuals to dedicate part of their time to assisting the Departments of Culture and Information. If there is no such personnel within the staffing, then temporary hires may be made according to the part-time system. If the volume of work involving reading and selecting Han and Nom character books is not significant, it may be appropriate to seek help from knowledgeable members of the public, who could be thanked with letters or compensated if necessary.

When conducting work at communes, it is advisable to seek assistance from retired elders, without needing to hire temporary specialized staff.

The above are general guidelines. When implementing, if the Committees and Departments encounter unclear issues or those not mentioned, they should immediately reflect them to the Ministry of Culture for resolution.