The documentary heritages including printing woodblocks, imperial rescripts and imperial literature on Hue imperial architecture will be showcased at the Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam (the Temple of Literature) beginning on August 26.

More than 70 archives and photos on printing woodblocks, imperial rescripts and imperial literature on Hue imperial architecture in addition to 16 reproductions of woodblocks will provide information about the official names of the country, imperial examinations of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945), the national spirit through poems on Hue imperial architecture, among others

The exhibition will be jointly organised by the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre, the Centre for Scientific and Cultural activities of Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam, the National Archives Centre I and the National Archives Centre IV to mark the National Day on September 2.

The printing woodblocks of the Nguyen Dynasty were included in the Memory of the World Register in 2009. The Nguyen Dynasty’s imperial decrees were honoured in 2014 as a documentary heritage in the Asia-Pacific register.

Imperial literature on Hue imperial architecture was honoured as a documentary heritage at the Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific (MOWCAP)’s 7th General meeting in May 2016.

Woodblocks of the Nguyen Dynasty helped to record official literature and history as well as classic and historical books. Apart from their historical value, the woodblocks also have artistic and technical merit as they mark the development of woodblock carving and the printing profession in Vietnam.

The Nguyen Dynasty's imperial rescripts include information on laws, decrees, edicts and instructions for resolving problems in various fields such as politics, military affairs, foreign affairs, economy, society and culture.

Under the Nguyen Dynasty, the literature was carved, enamelled and applied on different materials arranged upon royal buildings as a unique decoration and for preservation of Hue literature.