From more than five centuries ago,
Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) islands were acknowledged by Western
cartographers and navigators as the territories of Vietnam.
Ancient world maps recognized Hoang Sa and Truong Sa as belonging to Vietnam:
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This map by Jodocus Hondius in 1613 shows the
Paracel Islands, and includes all of the islands of Vietnam from the southern
Gulf of Tonkin to the southern coast of Vietnam, except Pulo Condor (Con Dao)
and Pulo Cici (Phu Quoc), which are drawn separately.
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While
the ancient maps of China published by China itself and other countries before
the twentieth century show that Hainan Island is the southernmost border of
China, many ancient maps of Vietnam, published by the world and Vietnam itself
drew the Paracel and the Spratly Islands as Vietnamese territories.
In this article, we refer
to the world maps or the maps of Southeast Asia drawn by Western navigators,
geographic explorers and merchants from the sixteenth century to the nineteenth
century.
"These maps present by
drawings or noting the positions of the two archipelagos of Paracel and Spratly
in the waters of Vietnam with many different names. This proves that from the
sixteenth century, many Westerners had known about the Paracel archipelago as part
of the territory of Vietnam at the time," said Dr. Tran Duc Anh Son,
deputy director of the Da Nang-based Institute for Socio-economic Development
Studies.
According to Dr. Tran Duc
Anh Son, on these maps, both the Paracels and Spratlys are often described as
the long "blade" along the coast of Vietnam. The names of the islands
and archipelagos are quite clearly stated on these maps. The tip of the
"blade" is often noted I. de Pracel or Paracel Islands, Paracel,
Paracels, Pracel, Parcels, etc. The end of "blade" is often credited
as Pulo Sissir (or Pullo Sissir, Pulo Cecir), including two islands: Pullo
Sissir da Terra (Cau Island) and Pullo Sissir do Mar (Thu Island) in the Binh
Thuan coast today.
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In the map by Homann Heirs in 1744, the Paracels
is noted as "I. Ciampa," which stands for "Islands Ciampa”,
meaning "The islands of the Kingdom of Ciampa. "Ciempa or Campala are
the names of the Cochin called by Western countries at that time since they
believed that this kingdom was the old land of the Champa Kingdom.
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The Vietnam coast facing the island which the westerners noted as Pracel
or Paracel, i.e., the coast of central Vietnam today, is noted as Costa da Paracel
or Coste de Pracel, i.e. the shores of Hoang Sa, or the Costa de Campa, ie
Champa coast. These notes demonstrate that the Western navigators and
geographers at that time recognized these two islands belonging to Vietnam, at
the time calling them Cochinchine, Cochinchina, Cauchy-Chyna, Cochi-China,
Cauchim Chynan, Annam, or Champa.
In particular, the map of
An Nam (Vietnam today), by Bishop Jean Louis Taberd in 1838 has the Latin
letters “Paracel seu Cat Vang”, meaning "Paracel or Cat Vang". Bishop
Taberd is the author of an article in The Journal of the Asiatic Society of
Bengal (No. 6, 1837) published in Calcutta, which confirmed: "Paracels or
Pracel, i.e., Hoang Sa – Con Vang, belongs to Cochinchina" – that is, to
Vietnam. The original map is now kept at the Richelieu National Library in
Paris, France.
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The map of An Nam by Bishop Taberd 1838.
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"That’s the implicit
way that the world has recognized that the Paracel Islands truly belong to the
sovereignty of Vietnam for at least the past five centuries," remarks
historian Nguyen Dinh Dau, a leading expert on antique maps of Vietnam.
Dau has collected 30 old maps from the West,
dating from 1489 to 1697, which show the Paracels and Spratlys Islands
belonging to Vietnam.
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In the map drawn by W. Blaeu in 1645, the Pracel
Islands are connected with the islands of Pulo Secca de Mare (Cu Lao Thu or Phu
Quy island today), Pulo Cambir (Cu Lao Xanh)and Pullo Canton (Cu Lao Re
or Ly Son Island today) to form an uninterrupted chain of islands belonging to
the territory of Cochinchina (Vietnam today).
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Mr. Tran Thang, a
Vietnamese American, also collected many world maps demonstrating that the
Paracel and Spratly islands belong to Vietnam. Thang presented these maps to
the Institute of Socio-Economic Research and Development Studies of Da Nang. So
far this Institute has collected about 200 similar maps.
In addition to the proven
historical facts, and the written sources in many different languages, the
ancient maps of the West are the evidence proving that more than five century
ago, Vietnam had established sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly Islands.
That sovereignty has been recognized and noted by Western cartographers,
navigators and geographic explorers on their geographical and marine maps.
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The map by Visscher in 1680.
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Some world maps prove
Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly Islands: The Asia map drawn
by Gerard Mercator (1512 - 1594) in the late 16th century; the East India map
by Pieter or Petrus in 1594; the India Orientalis map by Jodocus Hondius in 1613;
the Insulæ Indiæ Orientalis Praæcipuæ map by Jodocus Hondius in 1613; the Asia
noviter delineata map by Willem Janszoon Blaeu in 1617; the Asia map by John
Speed in 1626; the India Orientalis map by Gerard Mercator in 1630; the Insulæ
Indiæ Orientalis map by Jodocus Hondius in 1632; the Carte de l'Asie map by Van
Lochem in 1640; the India quæ Orientalis dicitur, et Insvlæ Adiacentes map by
Willem Janszoon Blaeu in 1645; the Indiae Orientalis map by Visscher in 1680;
the Carte des Costes de l’Asie sur l’ocean contenant les bancs isles et costes
& c. by Alexis Hubert Jaillot in 1720; and the Carte de l'Asia map by
Homann Heirs in 1744.
Source: VNN
