The event was organized by the Vietnamese Embassy to the UK within the framework of the “Vietnam Days in the UK” program lasting from March 28 to April 27. The program is to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam – the UK. It also attracts the British public interested in Vietnamese culture as well as the Vietnamese community in the UK.

At the event, Dr. Sud Chonchirdsin, Curator for Vietnam at the British National Library from 2005 - 2019, referred to historical documents proving that the Vietnam - UK trade relationship was formed 350 years before the two countries officially established diplomatic relations in 1973.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK Nguyen Hoang Long presents a souvenir to The British National Library. (Photo: Thoi Dai)

Dr. Chonchirdsin introduced two of the valuable documents about Vietnam currently being kept at the British National Library. The first one is a letter written in 1673 by Lord Trinh Tac to Mr. William Gyfford, Head of the Delegation of British East India Company under the British Government when the Delegation came to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam. The second document is the letter that Emperor Canh Thinh sent to Special Envoy George Macartney in 1793. George Macartney was the Head of the British diplomatic mission sent to China on the sea route, who stopped by at the southern port of Vietnam to avoid the storm and ask for supplies.

Both letters are described to be written in Vietnamese Nom script on golden paper decorated with dragon and phoenix motifs and sealed in red by the court. According to Dr. Chonchirdsin, these documents show that Britain valued trade relations with Vietnam hundreds of years ago, which is the basis for forming the good developing relationship today.

Dr. Chonchirdsin also introduced the collection about Vietnam stored at the British National Library, including 9 manuscripts in Nom from the 17th to the early 20th centuries; 10,000 Vietnamese printed books on diverse topics from the 19th century to the present, and nearly 300 Vietnamese newspapers and magazines, including many rare and precious publications published in the North of Vietnam during the war.

Also at the event, Jessica Harrison-Hall, Head of the China section at the British National Museum, introduced about the development of Vietnam's ceramic industry from the Neolithic or New Stone Age period of Phung Nguyen culture to the present. Jessica is a former curator of the Vietnam Art Exhibition “Behind the Front Lines” and a collector of Vietnamese ceramics, lacquerware, and paintings for the British National Museum.

Jessica Harrison-Hall presented about Vietnamese ceramics. (Photo: Thoi Dai)

She shared information about Vietnamese ceramic artifacts exhibited at the British National Museum, including ceramic vases, plates, porcelain bowls with dragon patterns, Chu Dau ceramic products, etc. aging from the early 14th - 15th centuries and later.

She also introduced many artifacts that are Vietnamese ceramic and porcelain products collected from shipwrecks. According to Jessica, those are proof that Vietnam possesses a famous traditional ceramic craft for a long time and Vietnamese ceramic products have been exported all over the world, including Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and even Africa very early on.

Dr. Alexandra Green, Curator for Southeast Asia of the British National Museum, introduced a rich collection of documents about Vietnam at the Museum, consisting of prints, books, paintings from the mid-20th century, ceramic artifacts, ancient coins, royal costumes, brocade textiles, and Vietnamese bamboo and rattan items. Among them are many unique antiques such as Dong Son stone spearheads (in the 1^st century), ancient coins belonging to the reigns of King Dinh Tien Hoang, King Le Hien Tong, banknotes of VND 5 (1946), etc.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK Nguyen Hoang Long speaks at the event. (Photo: Thoi Dai)

Speaking at the event, the Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK Nguyen Hoang Long thanked the speakers for sharing valuable information about Vietnam's history and culture as well as the bases for forming the relationship between the two countries hundreds of years ago.

According to Ambassador Nguyen Hoang, 2023 is the Vietnam - UK friendship year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The Vietnamese Embassy in the UK plans to organize more than 50 activities and exchanges in the field of politics, trade and economy, culture, education, and tourism in many cities across the UK to promote to British friends the image of Vietnam - a young, dynamic, fast-growing economy, a culture rich in identity, and an attractive tourist destination.

Visitors to the event not only discover Vietnamese history and culture, the formation and development of the relationship between the two countries but also learn about Vietnamese contemporary art through the exhibition “Hometown Colors” which is on display at D-Contemporary gallery.

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