Organised by the National Archives Centre IV, the exhibition is one of the ten events celebrating the ongoing 2013 Da Lat Culture and Tourism Week.
Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks were at their height in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The wooden plates, carved with illustrations and characters in the adapted Vietnamese script Chu Nom, were used for mass printing.
The woodblocks and printed documents preserved reflect all aspects of Vietnamese society during the Nguyen Dynasty (1802–1945), spanning history, geography, politics, military, law, education, philosophical and religious thought, and literature and art.
The UNESCO Memory of the World Programme’s International Advisory Committee has recognised Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks as part of global documentary heritage since July 30, 2009.
Exhibition visitors can learn more about the history, landscape, and people of Da Lat City (1893–1976) through complementary document and artifact displays.
National Archives Centre IV Deputy Director Nguyen Xuan Hung described Nguyen Dynasty woodblocks as invaluable records of civilisation and human culture. UNESCO’s recognition only adds to the responsibility to preserve and promote such precious heritage, he said.
