Naval soldiers visit the Hoang Sa-Truong Sa exhibition, which opened in Ha Noi yesterday. The exhibition features nearly 150 maps, documents, objects and publications on the country's sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spartly) archipelagos.—VNA/VNS Photo The Duyet

HA NOI (VNS)— An exhibition featuring a collection of maps and documents on Viet Nam's sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spartly) archipelagos opened to the public yesterday.

On show at the Viet Nam Military History Museum, the exhibition includes nearly 150 maps, documents, objects and publications which were collected by both domestic and foreign scholars and researchers.

One of the highlights of the show are a collection of 95 maps published by Viet Nam, several Western countries and China dating back to the 16th century and showing Viet Nam's sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa island chains.

Among these maps are three Atlas (official maps) published by Chinese States in 1908, 1919 and 1933, which show Hainan island as China's southernmost border point. These maps of Chinese territory also do not feature Viet Nam's Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos.

The exhibition also features images of ancient cultural works confirming Viet Nam's establishment and continuous exercise of sovereignty over the two archipelagos during the past centuries.

Documents and images of current socio-economic and cultural activities on Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos are also on display.

Director of the Ministry of Information and Communication's Department of Foreign Information Service Le Van Nghiem said maps and documents on display at the exhibition were historical and legal evidence proving Viet Nam's sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa.

The exhibition focuses on the period between the 17th and 19th centuries when Viet Nam confirmed and peacefully exercised its sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos.

The exhibition will run until next Monday.

A similar exhibition is scheduled to be held in HCM City next month.

The department planned to collect, appraise and complete related documents to build an e-collection of maps and documents about Viet Nam's sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa which would be then open for public view via the Internet, Nghiem said. — VNS