According to the Asia-Pacific Regional Committee for the Memory of the World Program, Viet Nam’s nominated documentary heritage dossiers—“Pho Hien Stone Steles” from Hung Yen Province and “Ma Nhai Inscriptions on Non Nuoc Mountain, Ninh Binh Province”—meet the criteria for inscription in the Asia-Pacific Memory of the World Register. These criteria include authenticity, integrity, uniqueness, regional significance and importance, and the feasibility of preservation, management, and access plans.
The “Pho Hien Stone Steles” comprise 41 steles inscribed in Han (classical Chinese) and Nom (ancient Vietnamese script), dating from the 17th to the 20th centuries, located at sites within the special national relic of Pho Hien (Hung Yen Province). This documentary heritage remains intact and authentic, preserved in its original state by the community for centuries. It serves as a vivid memory of a historical era in Pho Hien—a prominent international trading port in Asia at the time.
Pho Hien emerged in the 16th century and reached its peak in the 17th century, becoming one of Vietnam’s major cultural and commercial centers and a hub for trade in Southeast and East Asia. Its history is marked by the rise of various guilds and markets, attracting many foreign merchants, including Chinese and Japanese traders and, from the latter half of the 17th century, Dutch, Portuguese, and English merchants.
Beyond reflecting urban development and commercial activity, the “Pho Hien Stone Steles” also document cultural exchange and adaptation, harmonious development, and the blending of religions and beliefs in the cultural and social life of both Vietnamese and foreign communities in this international port city from the 17th to the 20th centuries. They also embody Hung Yen's spirit and tradition of learning, while recording women's proactive contributions to the spiritual and religious life of Pho Hien.
This is an important source for both domestic and international researchers studying cultural diplomacy, economic exchange, and maritime interactions in the Asia-Pacific region in general, and the Pho Hien trading port in particular.
The “Ma Nhai Inscriptions on Non Nuoc Mountain, Ninh Binh Province” are documentary heritage items carved directly onto rock faces in Han, Nom, and the modern Vietnamese script (Quoc Ngu) at the special national historical and scenic site of Non Nuoc Mountain (Ninh Binh Province), with dates ranging from the 14th to the 20th centuries.
Currently, 43 inscription panels remain, featuring diverse content and unique forms. These irreplaceable carvings include various genres such as imperial calligraphy, stele inscriptions, poetry, and dedications, created by kings, mandarins, scholars, and poets. Skilled Vietnamese artisans engraved them using traditional carving techniques.
This documentary heritage provides insights into Vietnam’s history of nation-building and defense, as the country occupies a strategic position in the Asia-Pacific region. It also reflects cultural exchange and adaptation in East Asia, particularly through the “Three Teachings” (Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism) coexisting and blending with indigenous Vietnamese beliefs, as well as the history of medieval Vietnamese literature within the broader context of Han-script literature in East Asia.
Several Ma Nhai inscriptions on Non Nuoc Mountain show women's extensive participation in social and religious activities throughout history, indicating that gender equality was, to some extent, realized in Vietnam as early as the medieval period (14th century).
With the addition of these two documentary heritage items inscribed by the UNESCO Memory of the World Program, Vietnam now has 13 documentary heritage items recognized by UNESCO (including four in the World Register and nine in the Asia-Pacific Regional Register).
This contributes positively to the goals set by the Politburo in Resolution No. 80-NQ/TW dated January 7, 2026, on the development of Vietnam’s cultural heritage: “Strive for five more cultural heritage items to be recognized and inscribed by UNESCO by 2030” and “ten cultural heritage items to be recognized and inscribed by UNESCO by 2045.”
