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| Chairman of the National Border Committee Trinh Duc Hai delivers the opening speech about Vietnam's sovereignty in the Southern region. (Photo: Lien Anh) |
The talk was also attended by Chairman of the National Border Committee Trinh Duc Hai, along with officials, civil servants, and employees working in related fields.
The program is part of a series of activities commemorating the 50th anniversary of the National Border Committee, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, aiming to enhance training, capacity building, and professional skills for young officials, especially those working in territorial border affairs.
In his opening remarks, Chairman of the National Border Committee, Trinh Duc Hai, emphasized the value of the thematic content and expressed his honor to welcome Prof. Dr. People's Teacher Nguyen Quang Ngoc – a leading historian and author of the renowned research on the process of exploration and establishment of Vietnam's sovereignty in the Southern region, where every inch of land was built with the sweat and blood of generations of pioneers.
Mr. Trinh Duc Hai affirmed that in foreign affairs, particularly in territorial border diplomacy, it is crucial to pay special attention to historical issues, as "all solutions originate from history". Therefore, the thematic content and the insights shared by Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quang Ngoc are of practical significance to the officials attending the talk.
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| Prof. Dr. People's Teacher Nguyen Quang Ngoc shares about Vietnam's sovereignty in the Southern region. (Photo: Lien Anh) |
At the talk, Prof. Dr. People's Teacher Nguyen Quang Ngoc shared initial insights about his journey of over half a century devoted to historical research and territorial sovereignty. He began his history research path in 1969, studying at the Faculty of History, Hanoi University.
Since 1977, he returned to teach at the same university, focusing on the socio-economic history of Vietnam during the medieval period. In 1992, he was assigned to lead the project "Vietnam's Sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly Islands", marking a significant milestone in his research career.
Since then, he has continued to participate in numerous research activities, document assessments, as well as domestic and international scientific exhibitions and seminars on sovereignty and territory.
Regarding the book The Process of Exploration and Establishment of Vietnam's Sovereignty in the Southern Region, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quang Ngoc stated that the book consists of 442 pages, divided into 9 chapters presented in 3 parts. The first part: Land exploration, establishment, and protection of sovereignty in Đàng Trong from the early 17th century to the late 18th century. The second part: Expansion of reclamation forms, building a unified Vietnamese administration from the early 19th century to 1862. The third part: Achievements and consequences of land exploration, establishment of Vietnamese sovereignty in the Southern region during the 17th–19th centuries.
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| Overview of the thematic talk. (Photo: Lien Anh) |
In his sharing, the historian also presented the origins of today's Southern region. Based on the Dong Nai culture, the pre-Oc Eo phase gradually formed and developed into the Oc Eo culture. The Oc Eo culture is considered the origin and foundation for forming the first Funan Kingdom.
The initial distribution space of the Funan Kingdom was mainly located in today's Southern region, including both Eastern and Western Southern regions. Research on the Southern region needs to distinguish between the first Funan Kingdom and the later Funan Empire.
Particularly, when mentioning the verse by author Nguyen Khoa Diem in the poem Dat Nuoc: "They carry the names of communes and villages in each migration", Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quang Ngoc believes that the Vietnamese migration to the South was not merely a spatial relocation but a continuation of community identity, customs, and ancestral memories. This is the bond connecting people across the country, contributing to the foundation of the Southern region's identity.
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| Prof. Dr. People's Teacher Nguyen Quang Ngoc presents books to the National Border Committee, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (Photo: Lien Anh) |
The talk took place in an open atmosphere, with candid sharing and exchanges focusing on the core issues of the topic. The insights shared by Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quang Ngoc hold profound theoretical and practical significance for the team of officials, especially young officials working in the field of borders and territories.
At the end of the program, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quang Ngoc presented the National Border Committee with the book series The Southern Region – Formation and Development along with other titles, contributing valuable resources for research on history and territorial sovereignty.
