List of early inscriptions in Vietnam

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The list of early inscriptions in northern Vietnam comprises a list of the corpus of known inscriptions written in Chinese language and Vietnamese language mostly using chữ Hán and few using chữ Nôm from c. 300s to 1230s found in northern Vietnam.

Chinese period (c. 0–900 AD)[edit]

Inscription Date Place of discovery Year of discovery Description
Unattested 314/450 (Jin or Liu Song dynasty) Thanh Hoài, Thanh Khương, Thuận Thành
Bắc Ninh
21°03′00″N 106°04′59″E / 21.050°N 106.083°E / 21.050; 106.083 		2013 Two inscriptions in Chinese Seal script. Was damaged in 1967 by bombs during the US bombing campaign.[1][2]
Inscription of the Temple of Precious Peace of Jiuzhen Commandery of the Great Sui (大隋九真 郡寶安道場之碑文)
 618[3] (Sui dynasty) Đông Sơn District
Thanh Hóa
19°48′27″N 105°46′35″E / 19.80750°N 105.77639°E / 19.80750; 105.77639 		1960 Inscription in Chinese praises an Sui Chinese officer "Governor Li" (Lê in Vietnamese) in his struggle against Tang dynasty.[4] It comprises 957 Chinese characters, 246 eroded.
Inscription on Thanh Mai Bell
 798[3] (Tang dynasty) Thanh Mai village, Thanh Oai District
Hanoi
20°51′13″N 105°46′06″E / 20.853715°N 105.768395°E / 20.853715; 105.768395 		1986 Inscription in Chinese describes a local Sino-Vietnamese Buddhist association and its 243 members: 135 women and 108 men. It also shows the high status of local women of Annam in religious life.[5][6]

Postclassic – Early Đại Việt period (900–1230)[edit]

Inscription Date Place of discovery Year of discovery Description
Inscription on Nhật Tảo bell 948 (Southern Han/Jinghai Principality) Nhật Tảo village, Bắc Từ Liêm District
Hanoi
21°3′15″N 105°40′56″E / 21.05417°N 105.68222°E / 21.05417; 105.68222 		1987 Inscription in Chinese retells how artefacts were used for the cultic ritual of a local religious sect. Claudine Salmon suggested that there were certain cultural exchanges between the Ngo family who ruled the Red River Delta and the Southern Han state.[7]
16 pray columns inscribe Buddhist Uṣṇīṣa Vijaya Dhāraṇī Sūtra 973–979[8] Hoa Lư, Ninh Bình Province
20°17′10″N 105°54′24″E / 20.28611°N 105.90667°E / 20.28611; 105.90667 		1965–1987 The Sutra was transcribed phonetically direct into inscriptions in Chinese. Erected by Prince Đinh Liễn (?–979), he wanted to say a mass for bhadanta Đính Noa Tăng Noa Đinh Hạng Lang who he has killed for the Crown Prince position. These inscriptions marked Tantric influences on Vietnamese Buddhism.[9][10]
Inscription of the Nhất Trụ temple 995[3] Hoa Lư, Ninh Bình Province
20°17′10″N 105°54′24″E / 20.28611°N 105.90667°E / 20.28611; 105.90667 		A 3-meter pray column in a octagonal cylinder shape with inscription in Chinese. Erected by king Lê Đại Hành, the inscription cites verses from the Śūraṅgama Sūtra.[11]
Minh Tịnh tự bi văn 明凈寺碑文 1090 Tế Độ village, Hoằng Phúc, Hoằng Hóa District, Thanh Hóa Province
19°51′00″N 105°51′00″E / 19.850°N 105.850°E / 19.850; 105.850 		2000 Buddhist inscription in Chinese.[12]
A Di đà Phật tụng 阿彌陀佛頌 1099 Hoàng Ngô village, Quốc Oai District, Hanoi
20°59′30″N 105°38′33″E / 20.991629°N 105.642635°E / 20.991629; 105.642635 		Buddhist inscription in Chinese lies underneath a Bodhisattva statue in Hoàng Kim Pagoda, commemorating the new Amitābha statue of Tri Bat (1049–1117), a master of Dhyāna school in Vietnam.[13] Tri Bat was much influenced by Tantric and Pure Land Buddhism.[14]
An Hoạch sơn Báo Ân tự bi ký 安穫山報恩寺碑記 c. 1100 Báo Ân Temple, Mount Nhồi, Thanh Hóa, Thanh Hóa Province
19°48′27″N 105°46′35″E / 19.80750°N 105.77639°E / 19.80750; 105.77639 		Chinese inscription on a stele in Báo n temple dated around 1100, commemorating Lý Thường Kiệt as the Lord of Thanh Hóa.[12]
Bảo Ninh Sùng Phúc tự bi 保寧崇福寺碑 c. 1107 Bảo Ninh Sùng Phúc Temple, Chiêm Hóa District, Tuyên Quang Province
22°15′00″N 105°10′01″E / 22.250°N 105.167°E / 22.250; 105.167 		Inscription in Chinese commemorating the contribution of the local Hà clan for the royal Lý family and to king Nhân Tông.[15]
Sùng Nghiêm Diên Thánh tự bi minh 崇嚴延聖寺碑銘 1118 Sùng Nghiêm Diên Thánh Temple, Thọ Hạc, Hậu Lộc District, Thanh Hóa Province
19°55′59″N 105°54′00″E / 19.933°N 105.900°E / 19.933; 105.900 		Inscription in Chinese noted statues of Gautama Buddha, Kaśyapa, and Metteyya.[16]
Royal inscription
Đại Việt quốc Lý gia đệ tử đế Sùng Thiện Diên Linh tháp 大越國 李家弟四帝崇善延靈塔碑 		1121 Đọi Temple, Duy Tiên, Hà Nam Province
20°37′01″N 105°57′00″E / 20.617°N 105.950°E / 20.617; 105.950 		Inscription in Chinese and Vietnamese (phonetic-phonetic Chu Nom) verses[17] describe Lý Nhân Tông's expression about his construction of Đọi Temple after his mother Queen Y Lan's death in 1117. The authors of the inscription linked their location to the origins of Buddhism, declared "In India was manifested the divine."[18]
Ngưỡng Sơn Linh Xứng tự bi minh 仰山靈稱寺碑銘
1126 Hà Trung District, Thanh Hóa Province
20°01′59″N 105°49′59″E / 20.033°N 105.833°E / 20.033; 105.833 		Inscription in Chinese commemorating the construction of Ngưỡng Sơn Linh Xứng Temple by Lý Thường Kiệt. It also stated that there were prayers from Champa and Cambodia came to the temple.[19]
Cổ Việt thôn Diên Phúc tự bi minh 古越村延福寺碑銘 1157 Diên Phúc Temple, Tân Việt, Yên Mỹ District, Hưng Yên Province
20°52′03″N 106°01′16″E / 20.8674°N 106.021°E / 20.8674; 106.021 		Buddhist inscription in Chinese.[20]
Cự Việt quốc Thái úy Lý công thạch bi tịnh tự 鉅越國太尉李公石碑銘序 1159 Trưng Trắc, Văn Lâm District, Hưng Yên Province
20°35′N 106°01′E / 20.59°N 106.02°E / 20.59; 106.02 		1920 Inscription in Chinese commemorating Đỗ Anh Vũ, a high official of the royal court.[21]
Hoàng Việt Thái phó Lưu quân mộ chí 皇越太傅劉君墓誌 1161 Hưng Hà District, Thái Bình Province Inscription in Chinese, now is lost
Đại Chu Ma sơn áng Đại Quang Thánh nham bi 大朱摩山盎大光聖岩碑 1166 Am Tiên Cave, Hoa Lư, Ninh Bình Province
20°17′10″N 105°54′24″E / 20.28611°N 105.90667°E / 20.28611; 105.90667 		Buddhist inscription in Chinese.[20]
Phụng Thánh phu nhân Lê thị chi mộ chí 奉聖夫人黎氏之墓誌 1174 Diên Linh Phúc Thánh Temple, Hương Nộn, Tam Dương District, Vĩnh Phúc Province
21°22′59″N 105°32′28″E / 21.38306°N 105.54111°E / 21.38306; 105.54111 		Funeral inscription of Queen Lan Xuân, mother of king Lý Anh Tông in Chinese and contains some phonetic-phonetic Vietnamese characters.[17]
Cự Việt An Thái tự bi 鉅越安泰寺碑 Lý Anh Tông period (1138–1175)[22] Quỳnh Lưu District, Nghệ An Province
19°10′01″N 105°40′01″E / 19.167°N 105.667°E / 19.167; 105.667
Bảo Chưởng Thái bà mộ chí 寶掌太婆墓誌 1207 Hòa Chúng, Nghi Sơn, Thanh Hóa Province
19°25′01″N 105°45′00″E / 19.417°N 105.750°E / 19.417; 105.750 		Funeral inscription in Chu Han.[20]
Báo Ân thiền tự bi ký 報恩禪寺碑記 1210 Báo Ân Temple, Mê Linh District, Hanoi
21°11′05″N 105°43′09″E / 21.184598°N 105.719097°E / 21.184598; 105.719097 		Sino–Vietnamese (Han–Nom) inscription, listed names of people, villages and hamlets in Vietnamese script (chu Nom).[23]
Chúc Thánh Báo Ân tự bi 祝聖報恩寺碑 c. 1185–1214[24] Thanh Xá, Nghĩa Hiệp, Yên Mỹ District, Hưng Yên Province
20°52′03″N 106°01′16″E / 20.8674°N 106.021°E / 20.8674; 106.021 		Inscription in Chinese (Han) and Vietnamese (Semantic-Semantic Nom).[17]
Inscription in Phong Phú Cave 1222[22] Ninh Giang, Hoa Lư, Ninh Bình Province
20°17′10″N 105°54′24″E / 20.28611°N 105.90667°E / 20.28611; 105.90667

Footnotes[edit]

  1. ^ Nguyễn, Phạm Bằng (6 December 2013). "Thông tin thêm về bia đá cổ nhất Việt Nam". Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  2. ^ Trần Thế (2 October 2019). "Tiết lộ thú vị về tấm bia đá cổ nhất Việt Nam". Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  3. ^ a b c Ha 2018, p. 51.
  4. ^ Kiernan 2019, p. 108.
  5. ^ Kiernan 2019, p. 109–110.
  6. ^ Salmon 2004, p. 202, 204, 208–210.
  7. ^ Salmon 2007, p. 30.
  8. ^ Ha 2018, p. 52–53.
  9. ^ Kiernan 2019, p. 143–144.
  10. ^ Nguyen 2008, p. 81–85.
  11. ^ Nguyen 2008, p. 84–85.
  12. ^ a b Pham 2013, p. 44.
  13. ^ Ha 2018, p. 53.
  14. ^ Miksic 2016, p. 432.
  15. ^ Whitmore 2015, p. 294–295.
  16. ^ Whitmore 2015, p. 294.
  17. ^ a b c Tran 2008.
  18. ^ Whitmore 2015, p. 294, 296–297.
  19. ^ Whitmore 2015, p. 296.
  20. ^ a b c Pham 2013, p. 45.
  21. ^ Taylor 2018, p. 59–60.
  22. ^ a b Pham 2013, p. 47.
  23. ^ Kiernan 2019, p. 138.
  24. ^ Pham 2013, p. 46.

References[edit]

  • Ha, Van Tan (2018). Inscriptions from Tenth to Fourteenth Centuries recently discovered in Vietnam. Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-1-50171-899-1.
  • Kiernan, Ben (2019). Việt Nam: a history from earliest time to the present. Oxford University Press.
  • Miksic, John Norman (2016). Ancient Southeast Asia. Routledge.
  • Nguyen, Tai Thu (2008). The History of Buddhism in Vietnam. Council for Research in Values and Philosophy.
  • Pham, T. T. V. (2013). "Inscriptions during Ly period". TẠP CHÍ HÁN NÔM số 6 (in Vietnamese). 121.
  • Salmon, Claudine (2004), "Tang-Viet society as reflected in a Buddhist bell inscription", in Shing, Müller; Höllmann, Thomas O. (eds.), Archäologie und Frühe Texte, Germany: Harrassowitz, pp. 195–216, ISBN 978-3-447-05060-9
  • ——— (2007), "Transnational networks as reflected in epigraphy: the case of Chinese Buddhist bells in southeast Asia", in Colin, Storey; Tan, Chee Beng (eds.), Chinese overseas : migration, research and documentation, Chinese University Press, pp. 23–84, ISBN 978-9-62996-328-6
  • Taylor, K. W. (2018). Tales from stone and paper about Do Anh Vu (1114–1159). Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-1-50171-899-1.
  • Tran, T. G. H. (2008), BƯỚC ĐẦU TÌM HIỂU CHỮ NÔM TRONG CÁC BẢN VĂN KHẮC THỜI LÝ TRẦN (in Vietnamese)
  • Whitmore, John K. (2015), "Building a Buddhist monarchy in Dai Viet: Temples and texts under Ly Nhan Tong (1072-1127)", in Lammerts, Dietrich Christian (ed.), Buddhist Dynamics in Premodern and Early Modern Southeast Asia, ISEAS Publishing, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, pp. 283–306, ISBN 978-9-814-51906-9
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