Phuc Giang school woodblocks becomes Documentary Heritage

(VNF) - On September 25^th, the Ha Tinh Provincial People’s Committee organized a ceremony to receive the certificate recognizing Phuc Giang school woodblocks as a UNESCO Documentary Heritage by the Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific.

The woodblocks were recognized at the seventh meeting of the MOWCAP held in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue in May this year.

Acting Chief Representative of the UNESCO Office in Vietnam Suzan Viza (third from right) expressed her admiration for the values and uniqueness of the heritage. (Photo: VOV)

Speaking at the ceremony, Suzan Vize, Acting Chief of the UNESCO Office in Vietnam, expressed her admiration at creativity hidden in the woodblocks and confirmed the uniqueness of the heritage owned by a family in Vietnam.

Ambassador Pham Sanh Chau, Secretary-General of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO, said the recognition once again confirmed the studious tradition of Ha Tinh people in particular and Vietnamese in general.

The Phuc Giang School Woodblocks. (Photo: VOV)

The Phuc Giang School Woodblocks, which date back in 1858, comprise of 379 blocks produced to print textbooks. It appeared before the woodblocks of the Nguyen Dynasty and those of Vinh Nghiem Pagoda in Bac Giang province.

What make the Phuc Giang woodblocks special is that they belong to a family and they are still well preserved. They are the only ancient woodblocks created by a family for education preserved today in Vietnam. The museum and the Nguyen Huy’s family have thought of solutions and materials to preserve the woodblocks.