— An old family with connections to the last Vietnamese dynasty yesterday donated precious documents on Viet Nam's sovereignty over the sea and islands to the State. — Photo binhthuancpv.org.vn

HA NOI  (VNS) — An old family with connections to the last Vietnamese dynasty yesterday donated precious documents on Viet Nam's sovereignty over the sea and islands to the State.

The Le family from Tuy Phong District passed on the papers to authorities in the central province of Binh Thuan.

Written in Vietnamese using Chinese characters (Han-Nom), they include two royal decrees by Nguyen kings.

These nominate ancestors of the family, Le Van Cham and Le Non, to direct navy troops to guard the sea from today's Binh Thuan and Khanh Hoa provinces in the 19th century.

The treasure has been handed down in the family for the past 170 years. It was handed over to the authorities by 85-year-old Le Nhu, a decendant of Cham and Non.

Nguyen Thanh Tam, vice chairman of Binh Thuan People's Committee, confirmed that the documents were original and had great historical, cultural and scientific value.

They demonstrate that the Nguyen dynasty took great care to protect the nation's sea and islands. — VNS