Western witnesses of Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa  In the 15th century, Western missionaries and traders set foot in the "mysterious East". In Vietnam, commercial stations and commercial ports for European traders were set up in Dang Trong (the south) and Dang Ngoai (north). The records kept by Westerners about Asian countries in that period shed light on the historical truth: Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) islands belong to Vietnam.   A merchant ship passes through the East Sea of Vietnam – picture by John White. Hoang Sa - Truong Sa in a search for colonies In 1494, Pope Alexander VI divided the newly discovered lands outside Europe to Portugal and Spain along a meridian 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde islands (off the west coast of Africa), through the Treaty of Tordesillas. This line of demarcation was about halfway between the Cape Verde Islands (already Portuguese) and the islands entered by Christopher Columbus on his first voyage (claimed for Spain), named in the treaty as Cipangu and Antilia (Cuba and Hispaniola). The lands to the east would belong to Portugal and the lands to the west to Spain. The merchant ships of Portugal went to the East to set up the basis for this country’s long-term conquest. In 1511, Portugal established its trading outposts in Macau and in 1557 turned this place into a colony. From here their vessels sailed through the East Sea. The Portuguese navigators made exploration journeys to the East Sea. Portuguese navigator Fernão Mendes Pinto, who was also a Jesuit, recorded his journey to the East Sea in 1545 in the book titled Peregrinacao, published in Lisbon in 1614. In the book Pinto described the Hoang Sa Archipelago in detail. He called it Pulo Pracelar. In Portuguese, Pracelar means coral and Pulo means islet. The Western missionaries joined merchant ships to go to Vietnam’s Dang Ngoai (north) and they were hampered by the reefs in the East Sea. Portugal conducted many surveys in the second half of the 16th century and identified a series of dangerous reefs. Their coordinates are Hoang Sa and Truong Sa today. In the 17th century, the Portuguese lost their monopoly in the East Sea. A number of other Western nations began to enhance their presence in the East Sea. The biggest rivals of Portugal were the Netherlands, Britain and France. The maritime activities of the Netherlands, Britain and France were mainly based on international trade companies, which were authorized and sponsored by the state. In the 18th century, the East Sea surveys by the East India Company were conducted. The surveys by the Kergariou - Locmaria mission in the years 1778 - 1787 in the East Sea helped them have a better understanding of this area. European merchant ships in Hoi An in the 17th century. The French, through the activities of the missionaries and merchants, were interested in and had better knowledge about Vietnam. Bishop Pigneau de Béhaine was well aware of the political situation in Tonkin and Cochin since the civil war between the two areas started and continued until Vietnam was united. The French missionaries on the ship Amphitrite, on their way to China, wrote in its diary in 1701: “Paracel is an archipelago belonging to the Kingdom of Annam. It’s a terrible submerged reef, stretching hundreds of miles. Ships have wrecked there many times”. Western witnesses   The map of An Nam by Bishop Jean-Louis Taberd with Hoang Sa and Truong Sa. Frenchman Jean Baptiste (1769 - 1825) was called in Vietnamese Nguyen Van Thang and appointed as a marquis by King Gia Long. His memoir titled "Le Memoire sur la Cochinchine" wrote: "Cochinchina, of which the sovereign king today carries the title of Emperor, includes Cochinchina proper, Tonkin: a few scarcely inhabited islands not far from the coastline and the Paracel archipelago made up of islets, coral reefs and uninhabited rocks. It was in 1816 that the present Emperor (Gia Long) took possession of this archipelago." In 1837 the Reverend Jean-Louis Taberd, then Bishop of Isauropolis, wrote the following in his "Note on the Geography of Cochinchina” printed in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal, India: "The Parcel or Paracels is a labyrinth of small islands, rocks and sand-banks, which appears to extend up to the 11st degree of north latitude, in the 107th parallel of longitude from Paris. Some navigators have traversed part of these shoals with a boldness more fortunate than prudent, but others have suffered in the attempt. The Cochin Chinese called them Con-Vang. Although this kind of archipelago presents nothing but rocks and great depths which promise more inconveniences than advantages, the king Gia Long thought he had increased his dominions by this sorry addition. In 1816, he went with solemnity to plant his flag and take formal possession of these rocks, which it is not likely anybody will dispute with him." “Parcel or Paracels (Bai cat vang), although this archipelago has nothing but rocks, beaches and great depth promising more disadvantages than advantages, Emperor Gia Long thinks of expanding his territory by occupying this bleak land. In 1816, he visited the site, solemnly planting the flag, formally taking possession of these islands without anyone disputing him.” In the Vietnamese – Latino dictionary title "Latino - Anamiticum" by bishop Taberd published in 1838 there is the map titled "The Map of Annam" in the three languages of Latin, Chinese and Quoc Ngu. In this map, the Paracels (Cat Vang, Hoang Sa) is located in Vietnam's waters. For his part, J.B. Chaigneau, the counselor to the Emperor of Annam, wrote in the memoir on Cochinchina: “The country of Cochinchina, whose emperor has just ascended to the throne, includes the regions of Cochinchina and Tonkin … some inhabited islands not too far from the shore, and the archipelago… Paracel is composed of uninhabited small islands, reefs and rocks. Not until 1816, did the Emperor take the possession of the archipelago". (Bulletin des Amis du Vieux Hué No. 2, 1923, page 257) Dubois de Jancigny wrote in his book “The world, history and description of the peoples of Japan, Indochina, Ceylon, etc.” (L’univers, Histoire et Description de tous les peuples Japon, Indo-Chine, Ceylan etc.): “We observe that for 30 years now, the Paracel archipelago (referred to as Cát Vàng by the Annamese), a real labyrinth of small islands, rocks and sand banks, full of distrust to navigators which can be counted among the most deserted and useless parts of the globe, has been occupied by the Annamese (Cochinchina). We do not know if they have built any construction there (in order, perhaps, to protect fisheries); but it is certain that King Gia Long will have this jewel added to his crown when he himself went there to take the possession. This event took place in 1816 when the King solemnly planted Annam’s flag there.” (M.A. Dubois de Jancigny, L’univers, Histoire et Description de tous les peuples Japon, Indo-Chine, Ceylan etc., Paris, éd. Firmin Didot Frères, 1850, p. 555.) Gutzlaff in his article “Geography of the Cochinchinese Empire” published in 1849 in London (UK) also recorded Cát Vàng (to indicate the Paracel) of Cochinchina. Gutzlaff wrote: “Whether it is because of the coral animals or of other causes that these rocks have because gradually bigger, but one thing is clear that the islets rise every year higher and higher, and some of them are now permanently inhabited, through which the waves, only a few years ago, broke with force. They would be of no value if the fishing job was very productive, and did not remunerate all the perils of the adventurer. From time immemorial, junks coming largely from Hainan have annually visited all these shoals, and proceeded in their excursions as far as the coast of Borneo. Though more than 10 per cent of ships annually wreck, the quantity of fish taken is so great as to ensure all losses, and still leave a very good profit. The Annam government, perceiving the advantages which it might derive if atoll were raised, keeps revenue cutters and a small garrison on the spot to collect a duty from all visitors, and to ensure protection for its own fishermen.” (Journal of the Geographical Society of London (Tạp chí Hội Địa lý London), Volume 19 (1849), London, John Murray, 1849, p. 93-94) In Italy’s Geography Summary (Compendio di Geografia) compiled by Adriano Balbi in 1850, page 641 describes the geography of the Kingdom of Annam: Also belonging to this Kingdom is the Paracel archipelago, Pirati Islands and Poulo Condor Islands (i.e. the Hoang Sa archipelago, the clusters of Hai Tac Islands and Con Dao Islands). Also in this work, from pages 644-648 written about Chinese geography, no mention was made about Hoang Sa and Truong Sa. Duy Chien, VietNamNet Bridge The article uses research materials by Dr. Han Nguyen Nguyen Nha, founder and advisor of the Cultural Education Fund in HCM City and Dr. Nguyen Hong Thao.